Storytime

The laidback resort island of Koh Samui has a new retreat to soothe harried souls - Centara Reserve Samui, the first boutique luxury property for Thai hospitality group Centara Hotels & Resorts

- FRANÇOIS OOSTHUIZEN

Three years in the making, and it was well worth the wait. For Pimpisa "Pear" Chirathivat, third generation of Thailand's Chirathivat clan - the branch of the family involved in hospitality and publishing Centara Reserve Samui, which opened in Dec 2021, was a labour of love that saw a lifetime of her travel experiences coming to good use. It also marked a major milestone for the Centara Group, introducing a brand of boutique luxury that's normally associated only with the top hospitality players.

As corporate director of design and technical services at Centara Hotels & Resorts, Pear played a pivotal role in the realisation of Centara's vision for a new luxury resort experience that's tipped to set a new benchmark. "I'm involved in all aspects," she reveals. "Nowadays, with hospitality, you can't separate departments. You're not only creating a place, you're creating a story for each guest. Each experience, uniform, the selection of amenities - everything has to go in the same direction." 

And so, she worked closely with different designers, creatives and her operations team, from the initial concept to planning and execution, personally getting involved in the branding, materials selection, and sourcing styling elements and props to give the hotel its finishing touches something she points out as "the most enjoyable aspect" of her work.

With Pear's vision and award-winning design firm AvroKO on board to completely transform the former Centara Grand Beach Resort Samui in its prime location of 300 metres of beachfront - at the tranquil end of pristine Chaweng Beach, no less. The property retains the classic colonial-inspired style of its predecessor, all the while transforming the property for a radical, reimagined guest experience. The first thing that becomes clear is that no stone was left unturned to achieve that goal - literally.

REIMAGINING ISLAND LIFE