Soneva Kiri: ingenious, innovative and surprising
Trip
From the window of our small 8-seater plane, the airport-island of the Soneva Kiri hotel is shaped like a teardrop above the surrounding blue-green sea. A little over an hour ago we left the noisy and chaotic Bangkok behind to board a Cessna and be transported a few meters from Cambodia, in the Thai paradise of Koh Kood.
The island
The island on which the luxurious hotel of the Six Senses chain is located has long carved out a niche for itself among the last beach paradises in Southeast Asia. Has it all except the crowds , who are reluctant to spend half a day traveling and link plane with taxi and ferry to get to another beach. These difficulties and certain ignorance they have kept the island anonymity in which lies the greatest attraction for those of us who go in search of authentic beaches not ruined by mass tourism.
But the Soneva Kiri, opened in late 2009, makes getting to Koh Kood by private plane part of the allure of the trip. The feeling of luxury begins upon entering the small plane that lacks nothing . Once on land, the island does not disappoint: white sand, towering palm trees backed by jungle, and crystal clear turquoise water hard to find on other Thai beaches today.
The hotel
The hotel is one of the three Sonevas (the most exclusive range) owned by Six Senses in the world. The other two, Fushi and Gili, are located in another quintessential beach paradise, the Maldives.
Staying in a Soneva is equivalent to achieving standards of luxury that are hard to beat. Perhaps it is because it is everywhere: in the exquisite taste that values the beauty of nature, the value of silence and the need to relax surrounded by authentic things. And in an impeccable service , which they achieve with a rigorous selection of personnel carried out directly by the owners and creators of Six Senses, the couple formed by Son and Eva.
Good taste and better service: the perfect equation
Let's go by parts. The first thing that strikes you when arriving at the Soneva Kiri is the use of recycled wood and other natural materials in its construction, and the apparent simplicity of a design in which nothing is missing or left over, giving prominence to the beauty of the landscape in which it is The rooms have corners to relax looking at the sea from comfortable cushions and beds that guarantee the perfect rest. A detail that immediately wins my loyalty: the television is in a locked chest at the foot of the bed and is only good for watching DVDs.
Upon our arrival we will be assigned to a Friday (named after Robinson Crusoe's faithful assistant) who, as if by magic It materializes when we need it and disappears when we don't. . Behind this skill I envision a walkie-talkie coordination worthy of the FBI: the smiling (and seemingly innocent) gardener waving at me as I head to the beach; the cleaning girl driving a golf cart by; or the employee who seems to be busy supervising the tables. Surely everyone is in cahoots with the mission of informing my Friday where I am. in every moment.
The restaurants don't seem to be crowded, even though the hotel is at 80 percent capacity. The tables are separated from each other to guarantee privacy and tranquility of the dinners, and as a soundtrack, only the sound of the sea, eliminating the irritating live band with which many hotels insist on ruining your dinner.
For dinner, you can choose between the 5 restaurants that the hotel has, including the Tree Top Dining, located as its name indicates between the treetops and with a single table.
Here they do not forget that man does not live only on the beach. At night, the Cinema Paradiso projects movies outdoors from its giant screen . Spectators recline on comfortable cushions under the island's starry sky while enjoying their chosen movie with popcorn and chocolates included. And if the night is clear, you can also go to the observatory, which has the second most powerful telescope in Thailand , to see the stars or the moon up close. The night I got closer, I could see Jupiter's ring clearly.
For the families that travel with children , the Soneva Kiri has created a space in which even the elderly feel at ease. It is a building that seems suspended in the air and, inside, the little ones can have fun running between slides and secret corners in which to stimulate your imagination.
Ingenious, innovative and surprising , it is the details that place the Soneva Kiri hotel in a special category among the rest of the luxury hotels. This dream of every would-be castaway offers suites from $1,500 a night.
A paradise also for children