Relaxation Redone

Phuket’s cushiest resort just got cushier – and CHRISTINA KO is there to document the home improvement

- Christina Ko

MORNING IS ABOUT to break, and the sky is that greyish colour it gets before the pink and orange seeps through. From my bed in my villa, I can see the swimming pool, the pointy tops of the neighbouring accommodations, one very large tree – and nothing else. I could get used to this.

Of course, who wouldn’t? If you’re Phuket bound and on the hunt for a hotel, plug your dates into any search engine, sort by price: high to low, and wait for Trisara to show up. If it doesn’t, it’s because it’s fully booked. Trisara is no secret find, it’s not a bolthole that’s only for insiders with a VIP Rolodex and without a credit-card limit. It’s pretty much the most well-known super-luxury resort on the Thai island, definitely one of the most expensive, and it just got an upgrade.

Did it need one? Probably not, and that’s exactly the point.

Let’s talk Sunday brunch. This takes place at Seafood@Trisara, the resort’s all-day restaurant, and comes with all the associated trappings: endless spread, free-flow bubbles, live band. There are also a lot of locals mixed in with the vacationers, and everyone is clad in their resort best. Havaianas are eschewed in favour of Valentino studded flat sandals, rattan beach bags tossed aside for easy totes in signature Vuitton and Goyard monograms. There’s a lot of cotton voile and big-brimmed hats and air kissing, and on first glance I’m not sure if I’ve arrived in touristy, sometimes dirty Phuket or if I’m starboard of some St Tropez yacht party. We are not in Patong any more, Toto.