Krabi Amari Vogue Resort

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24-04-2009, 05:51 PM
Bexar County Stud

Krabi Amari Vogue Resort

Down to Krabi for a few days after the Songkran madness.
Looking to splash out a bit, we booked a 3-night package at Krabi Amari Vogue.
Possibly the nicest resort/hotel I've stayed at in Thailand in terms of design, luxury, service and comfort. The lowest rate I could find on the internet was around $95, but our package included airport transfer, romantic meal etc, and came to around $120 per. Worth every penny for a special treat.

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The resort faces Tubkaak beach, a pricey area to say the least. There is a new Ritz Carelton to open soon, which supposedly will offer the highest room rate in Thailand at $100,000 baht a night! Amari Vogue is one the most affordable luxury hotels on Tubkaak, and from what I saw from looking around at the others, it has the best location by far.

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Tubkaak beach. Amari is situated next to a National Park, so it felt really private and undeveloped. We didn't get to visit the National Park as we forgot to bring hiking shoes. No loss, the beach was lovely.

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The resort itself just opened in '07, and is a work of art. Marble, stone, woodwork, plaster, textiles - the attention to detail is truly impressive.

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The food was good, but the prices were quite dear. If I had to do it over again, I would have rented a car to explore the area more. If you don't, you're pretty much stuck with eating at the hotel. However, breakfast was included, and it was outstanding.

Room was great, featured a true king-size bed, DVD player and patio.
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I didn't take any bathroom photos as per teakdoor tradition, but I did find these on another site. Very nice bathtub that fit 2 adults quite comfortably.
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In conclusion, if you're looking for a special place in Krabi to stay, I highly recommend the Amari Vogue.
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Stunning sunsets viewed nightly over cocktails.
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24-04-2009, 05:54 PM
redfoot the fence

lovely.

a car or moto would have been way cool.
24-04-2009, 06:07 PM
Bexar County Stud

Quote:

Originally Posted by redfoot the fence

lovely.

a car or moto would have been way cool.

Yes, after staying here for 3 nights, we moved on to Krabi town for another 3. Rented a car from the guesthouse for 1000 per. I've been coming to Krabi for years, there's a lot to see and do. My favorite spot in Thailand by a country mile.
24-04-2009, 06:12 PM
redfoot the fence

mine also.

but mobility is key with so much to see.
24-04-2009, 07:04 PM
Bexar County Stud

Quote:

Originally Posted by redfoot the fence

mine also.

but mobility is key with so much to see.

Agreed. I've been thru there by car and motocy. Great place to ride, but watch those windy roads.
24-04-2009, 07:06 PM
redfoot the fence

riding is wonderful and one of the best parts of the place (unless it rains).

i have often thought of moving there.

just a very cool place.
24-04-2009, 07:19 PM
Butterfly

I almost stayed there this week myself, but didn't because the pool seems a bit miserable, and there was nothing around to escape the hotel in case the food was poor. However the beach is the best one around, might go next time as the Amari was quite a good deal. I went instead to Centara near Ao Nang, more expensive but it's a private beach only accessible by sea, but better swimming pool and a greater choice of restaurants. The beach was not as nice as the one in Amari

I was quite surprise how preserved the whole area was, despite the heavy development since I went there 15 years ago.

Definitely a place to go back. Nice International airport.
24-04-2009, 07:34 PM
Bexar County Stud

Quote:

Originally Posted by Butterfly

I almost stayed there this week myself, but didn't because the pool seems a bit miserable

It's not an olympic-size swimming pool for swimming laps if that's what you mean, but I guess you'd have to be British to deem it "a bit miserable." The mind boggles. What is it with you people?

With such a stunning beachfront, most folks used the pools (there are several) for chilling out and socializing. A nice service feature is that they provide poolside ice-water service for free, as well as small treats such as homemade ice-cream, fruit and other goodies throughout the day. How miserable!
24-04-2009, 07:38 PM
redfoot the fence

sounds intolerable.
24-04-2009, 07:39 PM
Butterfly

miserable in size, yes, not sure if the hotel was busy, but it seems that the pool could be quickly filled with all those fat farangs,

not a pretty sight, you need a decent size or else it looks like a water buffalo pond

other than that, the Amari seems like a really nice deal. How was their Italian and Western restaurant ? In Pattaya, it's great but Kho Chang was average.
24-04-2009, 07:52 PM
Bexar County Stud

Quote:

Originally Posted by Butterfly

miserable in size, yes, not sure if the hotel was busy, but it seems that the pool could be quickly filled with all those fat farangs,

not a pretty sight, you need a decent size or else it looks like a water buffalo pond

other than that, the Amari seems like a really nice deal. How was their Italian and Western restaurant ? In Pattaya, it's great but Kho Chang was average.

The Vogue is the smallest hotel in the Amari chain, with only 57 rooms. Seemed to me there were plenty of beach loungers and space to go around. In general, they are aiming for a intimate garden/boutique effect, quite different from the other Amaris, which seem to me to cater to mass tourism.

The food was pretty good. The included breakfast had different items every day, unlike a lot of hotels. If you don't have wheels, I think it's worth eating in rather than dealing with transport fees to Ao Nang (what a shithole that is) for example.

Our package included a romantic dinner at the beachfront Italian place. 3 course Seafood grill, quite good. Incidently, it was my GF's birthday, and they brought out a nice cake, gratis. Nice.

Apparently they had just started to feature some international food nights (Aussie steak night, Mexican food, etc) but cancelled because there aren't enough guests due to recent events.

Now might be a good time to snatch up some bargains. Rent a car or a bike, and you've got a damn near perfect holiday IMO.
24-04-2009, 08:35 PM
Butterfly

^ I will definitely try it, too bad for the International Food night, they are usually nice with Amari. Still the Centara was very nice, large front ocean rooms with jacuzzi (optional) and a dining area on the balcony, very nice and pleasant staff (quite a few local hotties, very polite and elegant), and restaurant was ok but nothing exceptional. I would expect Amari to be a bit better.

yes it's a small hotel, amazing they can survive with so few rooms.

Ao Nang has changed a lot, ok for a few hours to refill what you are missing at the hotel, or if you are on budget. They just built a few decent hotels, right on the front beach in that frontage path, could be ok if you are looking for less than 2000 THB a night, a good compromise. The beach is not so nice though.