PHUKET: With so much activity involving southern Phuket brands spreading north, it was only a matter of time before the northern brands pushed south.

The management team at Dewa Nai Yang Beach has signed a management contract to run the Dewa Karon Beach, a four-star boutique resort on a hillside in Karon with only a five-minute walk to the beachfront.

A November 1 openings is planned for the resort that consists of 49 apartments, the Karon Suite (one-bedroom apartment), a Family Suite (two-bedroom apartment) and the Grande Karon Suite (one-bedroom on the roof top).

The Dewa management company Tri-Asia is headed by Lars Ydmark, who founded it in 1999.

Also in Karon comes news of renovations at Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort and Spa, the largest hotel on Phuket. Refurbishment of 128 rooms in the Andaman Wing B has begun and will continue through until October 31.

The upgrade will include a '' fresh and contemporary'' look and a four point glass featured bathroom. On a sprawling beachfront site along Karon Beach, Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort and Spa is an upscale 664 rooms resort set in lush tropical gardens.