Thai Chic, Sunny-Side Up
Asian-Pacific boutique hotel group Alila Hotels and Resorts has chosen Cha-Am, a quiet, coastal town on the sunny, northwest side of the Gulf of Thailand, as the site for its first beachfront resort in Thailand. Far from the madding crowds that cluster to luxury resorts around Hua Hin, Cha-Am appeals to vacationers looking for a calmer, more chic setting.
By Monica Rogers, contributing editor -- Hotels, 3/1/2008 3:30:00 PM
Asian-Pacific boutique hotel group Alila Hotels and Resorts has chosen Cha-Am, a quiet, coastal town on the sunny, northwest side of the Gulf of Thailand, as the site for its first beachfront resort in Thailand. Far from the madding crowds that cluster to luxury resorts around Hua Hin, Cha-Am appeals to vacationers looking for a calmer, more chic setting. “The fact that we have chosen to place a high profile hotel in a low profile destination fits Alila's ‘suprisingly different’ credo," says Urs Aebi, general manager. Positioned as a weekend destination for guests from Bangkok, Singapore and Hong Kong, “Alila Cha-Am is a place where you can come to indulge, party with friends or spend some time with your partner,” Aebi says.
The design by pre-eminent Thai architect Duangrit Bunnag communicates all that, and more. Bunnag’s sophisticated blending of bold contemporary design with organic and understatedly simple materials and finishes, sets precedents for the area, and, sets pace for two more Alila Thai resorts scheduled to open in 2009. “The choice of materials is so important in all of my works,” says Bunnag. “The underlying idea is: Truth. Any material used in the project must deliver the truth in its materiality: Wood fades naturally. Stones have timeless dignity. Water flows. All come together at Alila Cha-Am with the guidance of nature.”
Bunnag, who spent many childhood weekends at Cha-Am, says the peacefulness and humble nature of the former fishing village, merged with the open spaciousness and the dazzling white sands of its beaches helped structure the design vocabulary articulated throughout the resort. Unlike other resorts in Thailand, Alila Cha-Am does not try to reflect its Thai context in a visually-ornamented way. Instead, Bunnag has chosen simple shapes and materials used in a linear progression to create a new culture that is uniquely Thai and Alila Cha-Am at the same time.
Bunnag's grand entree approach links a green front courtyard, to vast white marble plaza, to a broad marble staircase stepping up to a wide-spanned wood portal and open-air lobby. The entry portal—a steel space-frame truss cladded with local wood—is a breathtaking span, 18 metres across. From here, guest views open up to the entire property, which steps down to a series of multi-level relaxation and reflection pools, labyrinthine pathways, private terraces, rooftop and poolside restaurants flanked by deluxe guestrooms, and finally the beach and ocean.
A central focal point of the entire property is the Clouds Loft fine dining restaurant, an open-air affair of broad limestone planes and chunky pillared supports that seems to float over the pools to meet the horizon. Here, the subtle complexities of Bunnag's design thought add meaning to the structure. Rather than give each pillar the same shape, weight and orientation, Bunnag instead chose a more random articulation. The same goes for the wooden facades of the six buildings housing the 48 deluxe rooms and 24 deluxe terrace rooms. Here, random patterning of the wood cladding means facades are coherent, but diverse. The idea, says Bunnag, is that “hidden, chaotic structure implies the organic, or self-organizational tendencies you see in nature.”
Guestroom buildings flank a series of central pools. Underneath one of the reflection pools, the property's party-vibrant Red Bar and wellness spa coexist. The bar is finished with stainless steel, concrete and wood. With the flip of a switch, lights positioned behind a red-filmed laminated glass wall flood the bar in red hues. During the day, Spa Alila is likewise awash with innovative lighting. Hidden in a stone cave and illuminated by a skylight that sends light through the pool, the spa is decorated by refracted patterns of the sun-sparkled waters. A small spa pool of emerald mosaic glass tile, centered under the skylight, highlights the effect.
Also innovative, along outside pool seating areas, Bunnag erected a series of steel-cage stone walls that provide screening, but are breathable, letting natural ventilation and light through to lounging guests. Seven outlying pool villas are indoor/outdoor sanctuaries that embrace the perimeter. Each pool villa has its own pool, walled garden and terraces.
Shaping guestroom interiors, Bunnag balanced stimulating and soothing energies, choosing bold shapes and angles softened again by the use of aged wood and stone. Wall surfaces are finished with a special epoxy colour and French sandstone is used in all bathrooms. Bathrooms are also all equipped with state-of-the art, German-designed rain showers that soak bathers in a soothing, 600 x 480 mm flow. Design cost per key? US$190,000.
Taken together, Alila Cha-am has been shaped to project a contemporary appeal, unlike the more traditional positioning of resorts in Hua Hin, Phuket or Samui. Reaching out to overseas guests, general manager Aebi says Alila Cha-am is also being marketed as a honeymoon destination for Korean or Japanese customers and as a new attraction for Thailand lovers in Europe and Australia. For 2008, he projects an average rate of US$170 for deluxe and deluxe terrace rooms, and US$700 for pool villas, with an occupancy of just below 50%. REVPAR is expected to be around US$95.
