Kempinski To Manage Second Property In Thailand
SAN FRANCISCO, CA, August 31, 2006. Kempinski Hotels announced it will manage a second property in Thailand, in addition to the five star luxury hotel project in Bangkok city. The new Kempinski will be located in Khao Lak, one of southern Thailand's top resort destinations, about an hour from Phuket airport. The resort is currently under construction, with the opening of the first phase scheduled for autumn 2007, in time for the high season.
During the first phase of the opening, the resort will feature a 320-room five star luxury hotel set in contemporary landscaped tropical gardens and lagoons, by Pui Phornprapha and Plandscape, on grounds of 80,000 m2. The resort will have a 300m long white sandy beach as well as a Tropical Spa. Large meeting and function rooms will be ideal for everything from celebrating a wedding to holding a successful business meeting, all in an idyllic setting by Andaman Sea. Guests will be able to savour gourmet cuisine at the resort's four restaurants, which will include a Thai fine dining restaurant on the seafront. John Lightbody of Abacus Design is designing the resort's interiors around a feeling of space, natural light and local materials throughout. The second phase, due for completion in 2009, will see the opening of 40 superlative Pool Villas on a further 40,000 m2 of grounds.
Khao Lak promises tranquillity, with kilometre-long stretches of pristine beaches studded with casuarina pine trees, or lush tropical forest, granite mountains and stunning waterfalls in Khao Lak-Lam Ru National Park. The resort provides plenty of activities for the whole family, with offshore diving and snorkelling to see coral formations on the coast high on the list. Hiking, elephant-trekking, canoeing and rafting are also popular ways to discover the unspoilt beauty of the Khao Lak region.
"The Khao Lak region is attracting tourists once more, with a number of resorts already re-opened," said Kempinski's President & CEO, Reto Wittwer. "Kempinski is pleased to be part of the recovery of Khao Lak after the 2004 tsunami. With the Khao Lak resort, we can offer our guests the chance to experience the grace and elegance of traditional Thai hospitality."
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