Phuket, Thailand

Trisara

Price per night from$793.78

Price information

If you haven’t entered any dates, the rate shown is provided directly by the hotel and represents the cheapest double room (including tax) available in the next 60 days.

Prices have been converted from the hotel’s local currency (THB28,592.05), via openexchangerates.org, using today’s exchange rate.

Style

Understated glamour

Setting

Private bayside

The international jet-set comes to Thai boutique hotel Trisara because there’s nowhere else quite like it. Set over a private bay along Phuket's less developed north-west coast, each suite or villa has a jaw-dropping ocean view, its own pool and is a sanctuary of good taste. Its Sanskrit name means 'Third Garden in Heaven', and the exclusivity and top-notch service more than live up to it.

Smith Extra

Get this when you book through us:

A bottle of champagne and 10 per cent off food and soft drinks (not valid in Pru); GoldSmiths also get 30 per cent off spa treatments

Facilities

Photos Trisara facilities

Need to know

Rooms

Thirty-nine pool rooms, suites and villas, plus 23 two- to six-bedroom units.

Check–Out

Noon, but flexible subject to availability. Check-in, 2pm.

Prices

Double rooms from £740.84 (THB33,939), including tax at 18.7 per cent.

More details

Rates usually include airport transfers but exclude breakfast (US$35 a person a day).

Also

Trisara’s spa is drop-dead gorgeous, offering private treatment suites with sea views that open out to breezy pavilions and gardens. Indulge in a signature, six-handed ‘Royal Trisara’ massage, which involves pampering by three therapists. Active types can also enjoy tennis coaching on two floodlit championship courts, hire a jet ski, kayak or dive gear, or charter one of Trisara’s yachts for a romantic cruise around Phuket and the local islands.

At the hotel

Free broadband internet in rooms and some public areas, library of books, CDs, DVDs and board games, spa, gym, tennis courts, gift shops, gardens. In rooms: flatscreen TV, CD/DVD players, minibar, own-label natural toiletries.

Our favourite rooms

Each super-tasteful suite or villa has a jaw-dropping ocean view and its own pool. If pushed to choose one, Ocean Front Pool Villa 407 sits right on the seafront, so you have undisturbed vistas and utter privacy. Bathrooms throughout are divine: surrounded by leafy gardens with huge baths, sofas and sexy outdoor showers.

Poolside

A fabulous 45m saltwater lap pool stretches along the resort’s beachfront, surrounded by inviting day-beds and sunloungers.

Packing tips

A versatile camera to capture both the dazzling sunsets and lively underwater world.

Also

From 24 December to 6 January, a five-night minimum stay applies.

Children

Trisara is one of the few high-end resorts with a kids club. Baby cots and beds for under-6s are free; extra beds and breakfast for kids aged 6-11 is THB707 per night and THB5650 for over-12s. Babysitting starts from THB737 an hour.

Overview

Welcome: baby cots and beds for under-6s are free; extra bed and breakfast for over-6s, THB707 and THB5650 for over-12s. Trisara is one of the few high-end resorts with a kids club, and babysitting is also available with staff from THB737 an hour.

Best for

Any age, but under-6s stay for free (bed and breakfast is THB707 a night for kids aged six to 11 and THB5650 for over-12s)

Recommended rooms

Ocean View Pool Suites, or any category above: the living room can easily be converted into a second bedroom to sleep four, and there are two bathrooms. The two-bedroom Ocean Front Pool Villa is an even larger option.

Crèche

Trisara has a fun kids club, open 9am–7pm, divided into separate areas for children under and over eight. Kids younger than four are welcome, but need to be accompanied by a parent or nanny. The centre is fully staffed, and kids can enjoy movies, computer games (such as Nintendo Wii), books and activities including card making, cupcake baking and even Thai dancing.

Activities

As well as the Trisara Kids club, there are beach activities from swimming, kayaking and snorkelling to exploring pools.

Swimming pool

No separate pool for kids, but there's a shallow area in the main pool and a lifeguard on duty 8am–7pm.

Meals

A children's menu is available at Trisara's restaurant at any time, along with high chairs. The hotel is also happy to whip up packed lunches for kids or heat up baby milk and food.

Babysitting

Staff will babysit from starts from THB737 an hour (for one child), ideally with 24-hours' notice, but they will try to find a babysitter at shorter notice if required.

No need to pack

Baby cots, buggies, sterilisers, changing mats or children's toiletries.

Also

Over-12s are charged THB5650 for extra bed and breakfast. Given the ocean-side and private pool-packed nature of Trisara, you'll need to watch smaller kids near water.

Sustainability efforts

Trisara supports the Keep Phuket Clean campaign, including regular beach clean-ups; catches rainwater for use in gardens and rooms; uses air-con energy to heat water in villas, and avoids chemical treatments for its saltwater pools and mosquitos.

Food and Drink

Photos Trisara food and drink

Top Table

The middle table of the front row has a picture-postcard view, but arrive early as you can’t book ahead.

Dress Code

Tory Birch kaftan, Zimmerman swimwear and Havaianas by day; Missoni at night.

Hotel restaurant

The people at Trisara are reluctant to brag, but the restaurant really is one of the best on Phuket. An elegant space, it’s set to one side of a cascading waterfall, with the bar on the other, but sit on the palm-shaded deck to lap up the beachfront ambience. The first-rate menu spans ultra-fresh Thai and international food, and arguably the best pad thai you’ll ever taste. Branch out and visit Pru, the hotel’s Michelin-star restaurant with a five (or seven) course menu entirely sourced from the on-site farm. Start with lemon-grass infused black crab before moving on to the wagyu short ribs and finishing off with a refreshing pink guava. There are also beach barbecues in the cool season. In 2012, Trisara Seafood opened on the beachfront. Relax under the palms or in the cool, Mediterranean-inspired interior while enjoying simply prepared, incredibly fresh fruits de mer. 

Hotel bar

Overlooking the pool and beach, Trisara’s bar exudes masculine chic and a laid-back, clubby atmosphere. Its charcoal and aubergine palette is funked up with dusky pink hanging lanterns and a chill-out soundtrack.

Last orders

Dinner is served at The Deck from 6pm–11pm; Pru is open Thursday to Monday from 6pm–10:30pm (pre-booking essential). The bar is open till midnight, but will keep pouring until the last guest leaves.

Room service

Available 24 hours, of course, mirroring the full range of menus, wines and drinks on offer at Trisara's bars and restaurants.

Location

Photos Trisara location
Address
Trisara
60/1 Moo 6, Srisoonthorn Road, Cherngtalay
Thalang
83110
Thailand

Beachfront Trisara is set in a private, forested cove on Phuket island's north-west coastline.

Planes

Fly into Phuket International Airport (www.phuketairportonline.com), which services domestic flights from Bangkok and international flights to Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan, the UK and Germany.

Automobiles

Trisara is a scenic 15-minute drive south of the airport; return transfers by private limousine are included in rates. There's free parking at the hotel if you've hired a car, which can come in handy to explore Phuket’s buzzy southern coast.

Other

Private-hire boats and local ferries from Krabi and nearby islands dock at Phuket Marina, from where it's a 30-minute drive to Trisara.

Worth getting out of bed for

Once you’ve made the most of Trisara’s pools, spa and beach, there are more active pursuits on the menu. Treat yourself to a spot of tennis coaching at the resort's two floodlit championship courts. Hire a jetski, kayak or dive gear, then charter one of Trisara's yachts for a romantic cruise around Phuket and the local islands. Nearby Banana Rock Beach is a peaceful, private spot for swimming and snorkelling. Koh Wae is another uninhabited island beach close to Trisara. Alternatively, take a private helicopter flight to the famous Phang Nga Bay (aka James Bond Island); a sensational experience. If you fancy yourself as a bit of a Tiger Woods, golf can be arranged close by at Blue Canyon Country Club. No need to pack your clubs as Trisara has a set of Wilsons for you to use. If you’re more gourmet minded, budding chefs can enjoy private Thai cooking classes for one or two people to hone those spice-wielding skills.

Local restaurants

Baan Suan, five minutes drive from the hotel, whips up tasty Thai in a pretty garden setting (ask staff for directions). Raise the romance quotient several notches at chichi Weaves Restaurant (+66 (0)76 271 050), at Surin Beach, where you can opt to dine poolside or in the air-conditioned comfort of a private room.

Local cafés

Paula’s Retro Café (106/41 Moo 3, Cherngtalay; +66 (0)76 270 283) is a great spot to enjoy home-made bagels and fresh sandwiches, lunches and snacks.

Local bars

Soak up panoramic horizons as you sip cocktails and sample East-West tapas at fashionable 360°, The Lookout (+66 (0)76 317 600) at the Pavilions, Phuket.

Reviews

Photos Trisara reviews
André Chiang

Anonymous review

By André Chiang, Globe-trotting food guru

Driving along the highway, my mind is trying to reconfigure memories like a jigsaw puzzle. It has been eight long years since my last visit to Phuket. The things I remember? A narrow road, a long deserted coastline with dark rubber-tree forests set back from the beach. A sea the colour of emeralds. The hot and sour flavours of kang som, a local version of bouillabaisse. I have to confess that I was afraid all this may have changed in the intervening time.

Already, as Mrs Smith and I cruise towards our destination – it has been almost a decade since I was last in this part of Thailand, but it’s also five years since we married, so this is like a second honeymoon – there is cause for concern. The highway has grown more lanes with more cars travelling along them and far fewer trees at its edge. Sadly, it seems, the enemies of nature and solitude have already taken their toll.

Off the main road though, there are hopeful signs. Beautiful Nai Thorn beach is quiet and gentle waves roll in from the ultra-green sea to the sand. Past the beach, I direct the car up a steep, narrow road where we find the gates of Trisara. At reception, we’re welcomed by a sea breeze and a 180-degree view of the ocean. Really, it wouldn’t take much more than this to make me happy. However, Elle, one of the managers, has prepared chilled jasmine-scented towels and two glasses of cold honey-ginger tea – she explains it’s good for settling stomachs after the long, winding drive. Then she places a gorgeous garland of flowers around a delighted Mrs Smith’s wrist. I get the feeling that at Trisara there will be impressive attention to detail and warm hospitality.

For the next two nights, our home will be a spacious Ocean View Pool Villa. It’s very contemporary Thai, with teak floors and an enormous king-size bed dominating the bedroom. The bathroom makes my jaw drop – his ‘n’ hers vanities, a bath big enough for the both of us and a rain shower (there’s another sexy one outside, as well). But my favourite feature is the private infinity pool overlooking the ocean. During our stay here, I can see myself and Mrs Smith languidly floating between long stretches of reclining on the poolside sunloungers.

While Mrs Smith makes herself a cup of tea and satisfies her sweet tooth with some crunchy cookies and home-made dark chocolate truffles, Elle shows me all the villa’s facilities. I flick through the channels on the flatscreen TV and pop my iPod in the dock. This is some place.

Keen to start exploring, we call the concierge to send a buggy and take us to Trisara’s private beach. As if by magic, two beach boys are already arranging sunloungers and covering them with white beach towels when we arrive. By this time, it’s approaching 6pm and the sun is about to set. It couldn’t be more romantic. We walk hand in hand along the sand to the jetty, and it’s as if we’ve turned back the clock to when we first met.

The following afternoon, after a lazy morning in the villa – French toast with red berries and eggs, bacon, sausages, tomatoes and hash browns served promptly at 8am, followed by plenty of lolling by the pool – we decide to go snorkelling in the resort’s private bay (no jet skis, thank goodness). By the floating jetty we feed what seems like thousands of friendly fish in a technicolor underwater world.

Have I mentioned that I’m a chef? So far, both Mrs Smith and I have been greatly impressed with Trisara’s cuisine. There’s been nothing too elaborate – although Phuket lobster club sandwiches by the beach did feel quite posh – but flavours and presentation have proved sensational.

It all adds up to high hopes for what will be our anniversary dinner. We’ve arranged to dine on a deck by the beach under the moon, with just the lapping waves and chirruping crickets as a soundtrack. That alone would have been special enough, but dinner was perfect. I chose to go native – fresh spring rolls and sweet pork with rice and Thai-style salsa – while Mrs Smith decided on a trio of fish tartare and duck egg carbonara. For me, the combination of spice, acid and sweetness was spot-on, and the selections from the Western menu were creative, elegantly displayed and well balanced.

All too soon, our visit was at an end. Much to our disappointment we hadn’t managed to fit in a proper trip to the spa, although Elle did walk us up there on our arrival and the ocean views are absolutely sublime. Throughout the resort, nothing was overlooked – the decor is subtle and well executed, and the service was incredibly thoughtful right until our last minute. Surprisingly, I found out what ‘trisara’ means without having to ask anyone – the word is Thai for ‘three heavens’. Mrs Smith and I definitely found ours in the surroundings, the people and the cuisine. We were truly in three heavens, right here on earth.
 

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Price per night from $793.78