Lap Of Luxury

In the world of luxury travel, the details make all the difference. In Krabi, manta klangboonkrong discovers that PHULAY BAY – A RITZ-CARLTON RESERVE, now seven years since its opening, is as dedicated to the small things as ever.

“WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE hotel?” might be the most common question asked of a lifestyle writer. Often, I avoid giving an answer, because quite a few properties have changed a great deal since I have last seen them. Sad to say, we writers often discover through hearsay that many are not able to maintain the standards they had set out to uphold. That rule doesn’t apply to every resort, however. Recently I revisited Phulay Bay – A Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Krabi, and I was excited to find that it has aged so gracefully that, six years since my last visit, it is still able to overwhelm a wary writer with that spellbinding charm the Ritz-Carlton brand is so renowned for.

In the 1930s, Ritz-Carlton added the word “ritzy” to the English vernacular. In 2010, the glamorous hotel chain took ritzy to another level, making its mark in ultra-luxury hospitality with an exclusive brand extension, RitzCarlton Reserve. Unlike other Ritz-Carlton properties, a Reserve has less than 100 rooms and is set in secluded, exotic locations. The real highlights are not the fluffs and frills, but the intuitive, discreet service and exquisite design that offer guests a contemporary interpretation of local lifestyle and culture.