APPARENTLY undaunted by the threat of civil war, Centara is to open the Centara Grand Beach Resort Phuket in October, says etravelblackboardasia.com. A second entrance has recently been created to the property, which lies on a bend between Karon and Patong.

While occupancy rates are plunging in Bangkok and all of Thailand's popular seaside destinations, including Phuket, Centara appears to have faith that by the next high season, Phuket will be an appealing place once again.

Details about the new resort, a sizeable investment of 1.9 billion baht, have been revealed in a media release. The resort is set directly at the edge of the sand at the northern end of Karon, while most of the existing properties are on the other side of the beach road. Designed in a colonial style with Sino-Portuguese architecture, the five-star resort is Centara's fourth property in Phuket.

''We have been greatly encouraged by the success of our Krabi and Pattaya properties, which are proving to have broad appeal for both the adult and the family markets,'' Gerd Steeb, president of Centara Hotels and Resorts, is reported as saying.

''Consequently we have incorporated several of the features into our new development, such as a spectacular waterpark that leads onto the beach and which has four separate swimming pools, two of which are for adults only and one of which is a children's pool.

''This ensures that adults and families each have their own facilities for relaxing, and to make sure that families and their youngsters enjoy the resort to the fullest, our signature brand Kids' Club will provide supervised activities both for the very young and for teenagers.''

Accommodation will consist of 262 guestrooms and villas, with 108 Deluxe rooms, 81 Deluxe Spa rooms, 45 Pool Premium rooms, 18 Pool Suites, six One-Bed Pool Villas and four Two-Bed Pool Villas. All guestrooms have a balcony with sea view, and Deluxe Spa rooms have a Jacuzzi on the balcony.

Guests staying in the Villas, Pool Suites and Pool Premium rooms are entitled to Club privileges, which include the Club Lounge with 200 square metres of indoor and outdoor terrace space and five complementary meal servings per day.

Leisure facilities include a tennis court, a fitness centre with 144 square metres of space, and a SPA Cenvaree offering Vichy treatments, steam rooms, relaxation lounges, manicure and pedicure rooms, and 10 single and double treatment rooms.

Children's facilities include two playrooms, one for ages four to 10 years and one for 10 to 16 years, and a playground.

The Cove is the all-day dining restaurant, located on the beachfront and featuring open kitchens that serve international and Asian melting-pot cuisines. Seating is for 250, with indoor space and an outdoor covered terrace.

Mare Italian restaurant and bar overlooks the beach and serves pasta and pizza during the day with classical Italian cuisine in the evenings. The restaurant has its own bar and wine room. Seating is for 262 guests.

The Luna Chill-Out Bar and Lounge is located above Mare and features a large outdoor terrace with lounge-style seating, and an indoor bar and lounge. Light meals including Mediterranean and Asian tapas are served. Seating is for 50 indoors, 60 outdoors, and 19 at the bar.

The Beachcomber Beach Bar is situated on the beach, while the Splash Pool Bar is a swim-up bar at the edge of the main pool. The Lobby Lounge and Bar has ocean views, with live piano music in the evenings. In-room dining is available 24/7.

Centara Grand Beach Resort Phuket is fully equipped for meetings. The Phuket Grand Ballroom has a capacity of 820 persons seated theatre-style, with 576 square metres of space that is divisible into two equal parts.

There is a pre-function area of 240 square metres. Two breakout rooms can accommodate 50 people each, seated classroom style.