Como Point Yamu

I can’t help but wonder if the hotel has sneaked a peek of my Instagram and discovered my Formula 1 obsession. Why? The speed at which our limo gets us to Point Yamu. I look forward to telling my son about the day that I was in a head brace while holding onto his cot as though we were in Monaco. He’ll probably be sad he was too young to enjoy the thrill. The road to the resort is dotted with construction sites, and for a while there we ponder if it might have been a mistake trying out a new place. Arriving at the grand sweeping entrance and all fears vanish.

The hotel’s industrial mesh façade gives no clue to the dazzling design within, so you can expect to utter a soft ‘oooh’ as you step into the lobby and admire the soaring columns with their Tibetan-orange accents, the floor tiles inspired by Peranakan architecture, sea-turquoise coffee cups and ceiling lights inspired by the local fishermen’s nets.

Huge beautiful lamps and Thai-style furnishings have you understanding why the hotel has gone as far as having its own ‘personalised’ interiors shop. Snap up anything here and they’ll even have it shipped home for you. This fashion person and Instagram addict is also thrilled with free WiFi. Punch ‘Paola Navone’ into a Google image search and your screen will blossom with pictures of milk-white interior-design perfection, enlivened with pops of colour, whimsical furniture and covetable curios: plates painted with giant goldfish, a blueberry-coloured chandelier the shape of a Christmas tree, rose-print wall shelves, tree-stump stools and so on. It’s soft porn for budding designers. Canny of Como, then, to employ Navone’s considerable know-how and imagination for the design – her first hotel project. The only thing that didn't work for me was where a muted green carpet and lighting clashed with the bright openness of the rest of the hotel.

Our spacious suite has quite the sea view with a generous balcony. Now to be brutally honest (when am I anything but?) I like a bit more flamboyance from the décor as otherwise beige reminds me of rental apartments, but Mr Smith enjoys the fact that it is uncluttered and suggests it’s a good way to encourage relaxation. I remind him that we’re parents on holiday with their toddler. Now – a word from that perspective: those floor tilescan be pretty slippery – but since we’re travelling with those a little one, we’re especially aware of safety hazards for small kids. (Ours slipped and rolled over like a panda a few times while walking barefoot.) If I were eight years old I’d be tempted to strap on the homemade bar of soap and skate around the suite – which perhaps speaks of how the soap is a little greasier than is my preference, but I wouldn’t be a style blogger worth my bath salts if I didn’t obsess about the details, right? On that note, our air-conditioner was temperamental and I found some of the electric sockets were placed in illogical positions – but I'm just telling you this with my hotel-critic hat on.

Now, I may usually be known as an adventurer, but truthfully, we never leave the hotel. We don’t need to – the weather is warm and sunny so we spend most of our time by the sea-view infinity pool. The hotel may not have its own private beach (but you can take the shuttle and a boat to an amazing island in half an hour). Overlooking the Andaman Sea and the dramatic limestones of Phang Nga Bay, we are content here with a wading pool for the mini kids, and at night underwater lights transform the pool into a dazzling spectacle.

This isn’t a hotel that relies on its (considerable good) looks alone. The qualities that put Como on the map are all present and correct: exceptional staff, manned by the brilliant GM, a spoiling spa that dishes out muscle-blessing treatments using the signature Como Shambhala range of lotions and potions, and brilliant food that lets you be as healthy or indulgent as you’d like. You can even order flawless pizzas. Now this Mr and this Mrs Smith enjoy their spas – so we figured it was our duty to enjoy a 75-minute Como Shambhala treatment each. It was just the soothing time-out I needed – meanwhile, my sporty guy detests any soft technique massage. His was a deep-tissue affair and I can report back he was well impressed with the strength and pressure of his hands-on therapist.

From being finicky in the spa to liking a choice in the restaurants, they didn’t fail us. Breakfast at La Sirena Italian restaurant laid on a long buffet table piled with fresh exotic fruits, pastries, and hot and cold dishes – this Mrs Smith was a sucker for the Thai-style bacon and eggs. Mr Smith is quite the cook himself and so it was high praise that their signature linguini with clams for our next meal impressed too. More importantly their signature cocktails – such as an Inner Sight (fresh pineapple, fennel-seed syrup, orange bitters, cachaca, sherry) – are also a winner. If we were asked to hand out prizes though it was the fresh steamed sea bass at Nahmyaa Thai restaurant. The outsized, balloon-like lampshades made from woven rattan inspired by local crab pots is a nice fishy complement. The story goes that Paola personally encouraged the local artisan working on Nahmyaa restaurant’s gold-leaf feature wall to sing while he worked; it was only when he did so that the design came together.

Now, a disclaimer: we may have talked a lot about being there with our little one. But it is relevant. In high season, the resort is popular with families. But it is an option if you don’t have a nipper in tow – this mum looks forwards to the day when I can soak in that open-air spa pool sipping a Thai Chi (fresh mint, lychees, Chalong Bay rum, lime, sugar, a spray of Absinthe) not having to wonder how next to keep our little Master Smith entertained.