With an Asian aesthetic and five-star hotel-style amenities. Sophia Wilson discovers a super-stylish bolthole on Phuket’s north-west coastline...
High on a hillside in the Sirinath National Park, Villa Kata is one of 15 residences that have been built above the recently opened Anantara Layan Phuket Resort. All of the properties were designed by the late Jaya Ibrahim, known as Indonesia’s king of design, and blend sympathetically with the surrounding landscape. As managing director Frederic Varnier says: “Set at the highest point permitted for residential construction on Phuket, the indoor-outdoor design concept is an artful answer to the island’s building regulations, which limit any single roofed structure on the upper level from exceeding about 90 square metres [of interior space]."
“The residences seen from above resemble a collection of modern villas – freestanding bedrooms and indoor areas owing seamlessly with outdoor living space.” Combining luxurious modern living with traditional Thai style – think intricately carved dark woods, smooth glass walls and a cushion-bedecked sala (room) – Villa Kata offers more than 2,500 square metres of space split across two floors. Two master bedrooms, and a living and dining room, divided by open-air pathways, make up the first floor. The ground floor offers a further four bedrooms, all with sea views, and two other spacious, multipurpose rooms. The highlight is the infinity pool stretching in front of the property with views down to the private beach. And you can anchor your yacht just offshore alongside Anantara founder William Heinecke’s Sunseeker.
Once on shore you won’t miss out on superyacht service thanks to the private butlers and chefs on hand, and the resort’s amenities are at your fingertips. Resort staff will manage the villa in your absence and it can be added to the rental pool if wished, leaving you free to explore the seas.
The Lowdown
- Anantara Layan Phuket is only a 40 minute drive from Ao Po Grand Marina, which can accommodate yachts of 100 metres-plus, and only 20 minutes from Phuket airport.
- The Man with the Golden Gun was filmed in nearby Phang Nga Bay and the original golden gun from the film is kept in neighbouring Villa Similan.
- Take a golf cart to the resort’s stadium for a Muay Thai boxing lesson.
- Set in more than 700 acres of a lush valley, Blue Canyon golf course is just a 15 minute drive away.
Villa Kata is on the market for $12.5 million, phuket-residences.anantara.com