I have just finished reading “The Spirit to Serve” by J. W. (Bill) Marriott Jr. The man’s attention to detail is legend.

Wash cloth and hand towel at the JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa

So, even though I have spent my life eschewing “grand” nouveaux resorts and chains of hotels designed for mass markets, I decided to take the plunge and go see what all the fuss was about at the JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spaon my favorite island in Thailand.

My first visit to Phuket was in 1989 when I was compiling my book of favorite hotels on all of British Airways first class routes. My entry for Phuket began…

“While a small bit on the east coast is quickly being ravaged by touristic development, 99% of Phuket is a counterpane of lush rubber plantations, swathes of bright green rice paddies, vast coconut-palm forests, deserted white beaches, turquoise translucent water, and rolling hills guardianed by pairs of caribou, barrels of monkeys, and flights of fancy. On top of it all, being in Thailand, one is cosseted by the most caring people in the universe.”

Well, it’s 2004—better change that to 40%. The “Laguna” hotels, south of the airport, have squeezed almost 10,000 rooms onto a plot that if it were Amanpuri, would have 200! Patong is a sea of construction cranes, and in between, the traffic crawls behind one concrete truck after another.

The only place almost untouched is the amazing Mai Khao Beach (Phuket’s longest), 15 minutes north of the airport, where the giant, leatherback sea turtles have returned to where they were born to laid their eggs for uncounted centuries.

Here, after years of negotiations that only Bill Marriott’s genuine sincerity could pull off, is the eco-friendly, JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa. It is located in 27 acres (11 hectares) of tropical gardens with swimming pools, freshwater ponds, and natural, preserved, coastal wetlands. Overlooking the sparkling Andaman Sea, the resort enjoys ten miles of natural (empty!) beachfront adjacent to the Sirinath Marine National Park and protected sea turtle nesting area.

The crowded beach ;-)

Marriott donated two million Baht to launch the Mai Khao Marine Turtle Foundation to raise funds and awareness for the plight of the critically endangered leatherbacks. The resort works closely with the Mai Khao villagers that patrol the beach at night during the breeding season to protect the turtles while nesting. They keep records of the number of eggs laid, and then take them to their hatchery where the babies are protected until released in a special ceremony during the famous Songkran festival in April. Doesn’t sound much like a “nouveau resort” operation to me.

Turtle egg sculpture at the resort

Mrs. Lee Sutton, head of Public Relations for Marriott in Thailand, welcomed me.

Entrance

Lee is the top PR person in the entire region and works with only the best. She’s very attractive, very wise, and works harder than almost anyone I’ve ever known—Marriott has seven properties in Thailand including the stunning Mayfair Marriott Executive Apartments, Bangkok’s best, serviced-apartment building. It is in the heart of “expat-land,” less than a block from my new home in Rajadamri.

My room at the Marriott Phuket was decorated with beautiful, Jim Thompson Thai silks, had a highly polished wood floor, and opened onto a terrace just a short stroll from the swimming pool and the Andaman Sea just beyond. Very attractive, very comfortable.

Deluxe room

I loved the bedspread and called the design company to try to get the material for my new flat. Seems it was designed and printed for the JW Marriott Phuket and they thought that the resort might have some extra yardage. Turns out I wasn’t the first to ask for it—the bedspread is available from the resort and I ordered one for me.

Deluxe bathroom

Miss Wipawadee Taluengjit (nicknamed “Fon”) from Lee’s office took me on a tour of the property. It really is stunning and the Royal Suite is a dream—each room is a separate building!

Reflection pond

Children are treated royally here too—a special section is designed for them, fanciful murals, toys, even computers, and their very own pool complex. We also toured the Spa but I’ll leave that to later.

Lee met me for lunch at the restaurant near one end of the pool (I use the term loosely—it is the longest pool I’ve ever seen in the world, meandering for what seems like a half a mile!).

Main pool

Sala Rim Talay, Seafood Market overlooks Mai Khao Beach and the sea, and at lunch serves “pool friendly” food, crisp salads and light, grilled dishes. We were joined by Executive Chef, David Dedinghaus. David came to Phuket by way of the Regent Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills, The Regent Bangkok, and The Regent Resort Chiang Mai, among others. Having worked in Thailand for the past 12 years, David’s knowledge of Thai cuisine is amazing, but his cooks can also make a mean pizza!

Sala Rim Talay

I liked the restaurant so much that I dined there the next evening. In the evenings it is transformed into a vibrant, upscale “seafood market” where I could choose from an array of fresh seafood caught locally. I wandered from bin to bin overflowing with crushed ice-covered delicacies to choose my dishes and the appropriate accompanying wines. Great fun; delicious food!

When the resort opened in mid-December 2001, the demand for the spa experience was far greater than anticipated. A new spa wing, that effectively doubled the number of treatment suites, opened in December of last year and is running to capacity as eighty percent of the guests use it with a high percentage returning for multiple treatments during their stay.

Just look at the photographs, the Mandara Spa is truly wonderful, and last February, it received Conde Nast Traveller Magazine’s Inaugural Readers’ Spa Award for the “Best Hotel Spa in Asia.” In addition, it was awarded second place in “The World’s Top 25” category. The spa facilities are operated by Mandara Spa Asia, the largest operator of resort garden spas in the region.

Mandara Spa

A sink in one of the many treatment rooms. (I’d call them treat rooms!)

On top of that the resort won its second Conde Nast accolade this year when it hit the prestigious Conde Nast Traveler (USA) Magazine’s 2004 Hot List published in May.

The 2004 Hot List is a guide to the hottest and hippest getaways around the globe, reaching over 3 million of the most affluent, well-traveled, and discerning readers.

Highlights in the Hot List feature JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa’s now famous Mandara Spa, and Cucina, the Resort’s most popular restaurant, praising it as “serving the best Italian food in Asia.”

I have to say that while Cucina’s very good, the judges obviously haven’t been to Maurizio, the best Italian restaurant on the island just 25 minutes down the road. Granted, dinner there will set you back US$250 for two (double the cost at Marriott’s Cucina), but discerning travelers need to trust what they read especially if they have been to Zenotti or Calderazzo, my two favorite Italians in Bangkok, or to Da Paola in Singapore that serves a better Osso Buco than all of them. But don’t get me started—Conde Nast caters to a very large readership and, in my opinion, is a bit loose with adjectives.

In any event, it is a big deal to be on the Hot List. “We are thrilled and honored to receive this recognition,” said Craig Smith, the resort’s General Manager. “It is a credit to our dedicated employees as well as the training and recruitment process to ensure we have the very best people to serve our valued clients,” he added.

Craig Smith

As the son of an American Diplomat, Craig spent most of his childhood traveling the world. That upbringing gave him an international point of view and essential sensibilities and sensitivities. Today, having been with Marriott International since 1988, Craig is a seasoned professional. He has won fifteen awards for excellence in several categories including leadership, operations, finance, customer service, and the Renaissance Worldwide General Manager of the Year. He also won the coveted Hotel of the Year award three times and General Manager of the year twice. (He’s also a real charmer!)

Totally self-contained, beautifully designed, and encompassing very good restaurants, stunning public spaces, and a wonderfully trained staff, this resort and spa is worthy of the most discerning traveler. Go; and read the book, “The Spirit to Serve.” Both are eye- and mind-openers.

Contacts and details:

JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa

E-mail: jwmarriott.phuket@marriotthotels.com
Website: http://www.marriott.com/HKTJW

Tel: 66 76 338 000
Fax: 66 76 348 348

265 rooms of which 13 are suites. All rooms are ocean facing with views of the tropical gardens and pools. The majority of rooms have full or partial view of the Andaman Sea.

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