Ayara Hilltops Boutique Resort & Spa, PHUKET : 21-24 Aug 2013

Wednesday; 21 Aug 2013 at 12.40pm, Rocker 57 and I boarded AK1926 to Phuket International Airport via Air Asia. ETA to Phuket - 1pm Thailand time. Phuket is an hour behind Malaysia.

We planned & booked this trip on January 16, 2013. Cost of flight & 4D/3N accomodation at Ayara Hilltops Boutique Resort & Spa, Surin Beach for two persons was RM1,879.60 inclusive of breakfast for two. There are 3 Ayara hotels in Phuket, Ayara Hilltop, Ayara Hilltops Boutique Resort & Spa as well as Ayara Kamala.

I was particularly attracted to this hotel because it is situated on a hilltop overlooking the Surin Beach. (based on their website pictures).

The airport limousine was a Toyota Camry that cost us 700 Thai Baht or approximately RM70 - one way about 30-45mins drive depending on traffic.We were immediately greeted by name at the lobby by our friendly and warm front desk personnel of Ayara Hilltops Boutique Resort & Spa.

As you step up onto the lobby, right side view of lobby.

Calm, soothing and welcoming Lobby.

On the left of lobby is a pathway to the pool, restaurant, spa & gym

No registration required. All done prior to our arrival. We were given a floral wrist garland, cold scented towel and a welcome drink each. Please sign your name and input contact number and hey...good to check into our room. So easy-peasy.

Our hostess, gave us a tour of the premises - the pool, restaurants, spa and gym (photos to be shown later), Then, we were driven by a buggy to our unit accompanied by our sweet and soft spoken hostess. The buggy is on-call 24 hours. Very efficient and reliable. Last pick-up from the beach (5 mins walk from hotel to the beach) is 6pm from Catch. Will elaborate more on Catch is the next blog post.

Two of this buggy available at your beck and call 24/7.

Buggy drives us uphill in luscious greens on cobble-stoned road.

Buggy stand / station at each level. Equipped with nice bench to sit while you wait for the buggy. As well as a housephone. An intricate carving of the 12 Chinese zodiac on a single wood is placed on two sides of the buggy stand columns.

 As you walked away from the buggy stand to your suite...(downwards to our junior suite unit) here's what's in-store for the guests. Lots and lots of green...so so enchanting and refreshing.

There is a labyrinth-like link between all the units that can lead you to the lobby. We found this out on our 3rd day there when we explored the place as well as when this pix was taken. Prior to that, we either used the buggy or walked down the cobble-stoned road.

So awesome that the resort builds its structures based on the contour of the hills and make it oh so comfortable and inviting.

Hello!! Welcome to our humble abode for the next 3 nights. Very private and so so comfortable and NICE!!!

Hello? Can you find Rocker57 amongst the greens? Care for a banana?  

After climbing up a flight of steps...this thing welcomes you to wash away the dirt on your feet. Nice touch, eh? You know me, I had to wash my feet...just for the heck of it...Hehehehe.

Ta-Daaa! A basket of fresh local fruits welcoming us to our suite. We had two Thai oranges, a Fuji apple and in season dukong - a cross bred between langsat (in English is Lansium domesticum or Lanzones in the Philippines) and duku (describe in Wikipedia as the larger version of langsat). I added the wrist garlands to add a touch of Thai hospitality. So thoughtful and elegantly done.

Here, a close up shot of the dukong, for the benefit of my foreign readers. Picture courtesy from my google search.

Welcome to our suite :

Our bed for the next 3 nights. Very cozy and comfortable bed. Rotating TV for the comfort of their guests. There is also a DVD /CD player, value added indeed.

Welcome to our living room cum study cum pantry :)

Our private patio with Jacuzzi at far end. We can see the sea from where we lie down or from the jacuzzi. FYI....we have TWO jacuzzis!!! This one without hot water but has jets of water shooting out.

Bathing gel and bath salt canisters.

Can you see the sea??? The iron triangle stand is for us to hang our bathrobes & towels. So detailed thoughts for the ease of their resort guests. Thumbs up!

Each night, we get either cookies or chocolates when the housemaids turn-down our beds. I particularly liked the coconut cookies that looked like a walnut except that it was round. It was crunchy on the outside yet soft, sweet and tasty dessicated coconut on the inside....ohhh...just the thought of it makes me salivate. Yes! Yes! I know I am a glutton - and am proud to be one. I live to eat, remember? ^_^

How about a walk-in closet big enough to do a short moonwalk dance? Comes with a safe too.

The aisle / passage way leads from the walk-in dressing closet to the bathroom, WC and the other jacuzzi. How cool can it be? Ya...so so awesome.

And here is the outdoor but sheltered jacuzzi. This one has hot and cold water while the former has no hot water. We enjoyed this on the first night. Hehehehe....obviously no explicit needed. DUH!

To the right (not in pix, entrance door)...this is the entrance to outdoor jacuzzi

The pathway leading to the stairs....view shot from outdoor jacuzzi towards steps leading to unit.

A view from the top of our unit.

Our huge entrance door. Door knob is in the middle. Need a bit of skills to open this solid wooden door. keh keh keh!!!

This is how the surrounding of our boutique hilltop resort looks like around our unit. 

So awesome, right? I knew you would like it.

Despite a small but elongated pool, it is very inviting and pleasant just to sit there and listen to the birds chirping and the movement of the leaves from the endless gusts of wind.

24 / 7 security check and service provided for the safety of their guests. Situated at the entrance of the resort.

Entrance to the Spa and gym. Situated next to the guardhouse.

We had our lunch here on the 3rd day. More about it in the following posts.

Another angle of the pool view. Isn't it inviting? Do you feel like dipping into the waters now? I do!!

The Gym.

Equipped with weighing machine, BMI chart, water dispenser (hot and cold) with paper cups.
Two TVs at your disposal.

3 different sizes of balls for Pilates or just for stretching.

Rocker57 hard at work on his bicycle after weight lifting and sit-ups.

 And to end the tour...the ladies dressing room after your work out session.

FYI, they also print out daily weather forecast for the benefit of their guests. Can be seen at lobby entrance. Awesome!

FYI, it was low peak season, so we and about a dozen or two of the guests were pampered to the max by our ever so gentle, efficient and alert resort staffs. Rocker57 and I felt like VVIPs during our entire 4D/3N stay here. Hence, Ayara deserves a special mention by itself for its facilities, scenic view and awesome hospitality.

Great place for honeymooners. By the way, returning guests gets a rebate. Isn't that nice?

AYARA Hilltops Boutique Resort and Spa
Rating : 5 star
Address : 125 Moo3, Surin Beach
               Srisoonthorn Road
               Cherngtalay. Thalang, TH 83110
Tel : +667 627  1271
Website : http://www.ayarahilltops.com

**Wifi available in the suite but not stable**