After a sad goodbye to my beloved Soneva Kiri, it was time to fly to Phuket and spend the next few days reviewing another stunning Thai hotel. This time, I was going to be based at Phang Nga bay and would be checking out the luxurious Point Yamu by COMO.
I had previously stayed with the COMO Hotels Group in the Maldives – at Maalifushi by COMO. That experience was so wonderful that I had very high hopes for Point Yamu.
Immediately after arriving I was treated to a cool tea and a cool towel, which was a lovely touch after spending the last few hours in Bangkok airport and a terribly overbooked flight. However, the check in process was not as seamless as I have come to expect from 5* hotels and resorts. It was nothing overly terrible, but the system felt slightly clunky and uncoordinated. Luckily, after I did manage to finally check in, everything became seamless and my stay ended up being absolutely wonderful.
As much as I do wish the checkout process had been quicker and smoother, I have to admit, it’s not like I was left to wait in the gutter. This lobby is possibly the most beautiful reception area I have ever seen in my life. The water features, the tray tables that remind me of Japanese temples and that stunning wall, which looks like the product of some seriously dedicated woodworking, all come together to make an undeniably gorgeous entrance.
The spectacular interior designs are thanks to Paola Navone who has been involved in the creative design of each and every COMO hotel. It is obvious from wandering through Point Yamu that the colour scheme of the hotel is a unique combination of turquoise and burnt orange accents, surrounded by consistently clean neutrals.
My favourite part of this on-site restaurant was the light fixtures. The whole place appears to be designed to make you feel like you are under the sea, and these lights look like bubbles rising to surface of the water. I love them!
La Sirena is another one of the hotels on-site restaurants; particularly popular at breakfast and for the awesome wood-fire pizzas, La Sirena provides beautiful food and looks great while doing it.
Unfortunately, visiting Thailand in the wet season means that the skies cast a grey tinge over everything, but I imagine that in the summer time, these pools would look pretty damn inviting.
One of the most aesthetically pleasing parts of the hotel is the COMO Shambhala Retreat and Spa. I was treated to a 90 minute massage and a lovely aromatic facial in this spa, and it was one of the best spa experiences I have ever had (and I have had a fair few). The massage was wonderful, but the facial was truly amazing. My skin felt so soft, smooth and hydrated afterwards, whereas my skin usually goes all red and inflamed looking after a facial! Not only that, but the treatment rooms are light, airy and oh-so relaxing.
Bowls of these pink flowers sat by every single door in the hotel, and made the place smell so damn good. If anybody knows what type of flowers these are, please let me know, as I suck at identifying specific types of flowers.
There are a lot of interesting design features at Point Yamu, but this next one has got to be my favourite. Remember when I said that the hotels vibe kind of made you feel like you were under the sea, well this is just the icing on that already delicious cake!
Small shallow trays of water sit below this ceiling. From the ceiling, numerous fish ornaments dangle down in a ‘school’. Light reflecting off the water makes the shadows of these ornaments fall back onto the ceiling above, really making you feel like you are swimming with the fishes (in a totally non-mafia way). Talk about some innovative design!
T H E L O W D O W N
Getting to Phuket: The 2nd largest airport in Thailand, you can fly to Phuket directly from many major airport hubs or via either of the airports in Bangkok
Getting to Point Yamu: You can take a taxi or organise for a private transfer with the hotel
Point Yamu by COMO: One of Phukets most beautiful hotels, click here to learn more
Camera: Olympus OM-D E-M1 with M.Zuiko 12-40mm f2.8 lens
Remember: To get the aromatic facial!
Don’t forget to add me on Snapchat and Instagram – @wwellend – for more foolishness and travel adventures!
Disclosure: My stay at Point Yamu was subsidised by the COMO Hotels group, however, all thoughts and opinions expressed on this blog are unbiased and in no way influenced by COMO Hotels.