Mai Khao Phuket, Thailand
Opened
2007
Price
$$$
Rated for
Design Wellness LuxeOutside the door
The house
SALA Resorts and SpasBreeze-block villa resort
Geometric breeze-block walls turn inward across the compound, replacing traditional carved wood with sunlit courtyards beside the sea.
“all of the 79 airy rooms housed in 1960s-inspired one- and two-story buildings have easy access to the long, soft-sand Mai Khao Beach.”
What it’s good at
What they say
Michelin Selected
Michelin
Also in Condé Nast Traveler.
Sala Phuket, at Mai Khao in the island’s northwest, is a Thai beach resort in the modern mold: some seventy-nine airy loft-style modernist units strung along the coast, most of them with private swimming pools.
Tucked away
A place apart: the property is the destination.
Sirinat National Park borders the grounds, leaving miles of quiet shoreline along Phuket's undeveloped northern coast.
The rooms
Villas enclose private plunge pools within high perimeter walls. Outside in the courtyard, sculpted terrazzo tubs sit open to the sky.
The pool
Bring a swimsuit.
Black sun loungers line the beachfront lawn beside a freeform pool and an integrated hydrotherapy jacuzzi.
The spa and gym
Open-air beachfront pavilions specialize in Thai botanical therapies, and an air-conditioned gym sits nearby for daily workouts.
SALA Beach Bar
Circular daybeds and bamboo seats rest under coastal pines, where open-air film screenings take place every Monday evening.
At the table
Southern Thai dishes arrive on an open-air timber deck, made with fresh herbs from the resort's organic micro-farm.
How it began
Bangkok studio Department of ARCHITECTURE designed the resort in 2007, shaping white minimalist planes around historic Sino-Portuguese motifs.
Good to know
Stay here
SALA Phuket Mai Khao Beach Resort
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Phuket
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Our shorthand
How we rate hotels.
The medals
Gold
Extremely rare. Sets the global standard.
Silver
Brilliant execution. And we’re picky.
Bronze
They did this well. You’ll notice.
Listed
A defining trait. Makes the hotel what it is.
The eight vibes
Design
Built around a vision. Even the door handles have a designer.
Luxe
Cared for at every turn. The bath is drawn before you ask.
Local
It could only be here. You wake up knowing where you are.
Social
Where the city goes out. The bar is full and the night is young.
Heritage
A building with a story. Once a palace, a monastery, a station.
Wellness
You leave feeling new. Rest, sweat, soak and sleep like a stone.
Classic
The city grew up with it. Same rituals, same regulars, same bar.
Resort
A world of its own. Something to do from breakfast to nightcap.
The scene
Lively
Where things happen: restaurants, shops, people.
Central
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
Secluded
A place apart: the property is the destination.