After our brief acquaintance with Bangkok, we headed towards our next destination - Phuket. We had reserved 2-nights in a brand new apart-hotel called Cassia by the famous Banyan Tree Hospitality Group. Banyan Tree is one of the world's leading international operators in the hospitality and spa industry that manages more than 39 hotels and resorts, 67 spas, 79 retail galleries and three championship golf courses in 28 countries. A new approach to hospitality by Banyan Tree, Cassia Phuket brings living and holidaying together in the niche between hotel and apartment. Unlike other hotels, Cassia Phuket offers uber chic serviced apartments with amazing views, where you can have kitchen cookouts, FREE WI-FI and tiffin brekkie!
We received a warm welcome as soon as we ‘landed’ in their modern reception area and each of us could play a quick round of ‘roulette’ for a chance to win various prices. The luck was on our side and we took home two 25% discount vouchers for the Grill Restaurant as well as some cute luggage tags. What a cool and original way to welcome guests!
Piece of paradise on a paradise island - Cassia Phuket
Located on Bang Tao Beach, Laguna Phuket, the views of our room were on one of the beautiful lagoons. As we arrived just in time for sunset, I couldn’t imagine a better setting to admire one - in our cozy 2-bedroom apartment with a lovely terrace to admire the views. Everything feels very fresh and new at Cassia. The 221-room apart hotel opened just last year - on the 21st October 2015.
The next day, I couldn’t be happier waking up without an alarm for breakfast, since Cassia sends your pre-made breakfast to your room through a cool secret cupboard. So no need to set your alarm for 8 or 9am to enjoy the breakfast. Great idea! Plus having your first meal of the day on your private balcony is the best way to start the day. Moreover, the kitchen is fully equipped with all the utensils, so it’s perfect for indoor cooking if you prefer staying in.
The Beach
After the breakfast we headed to Cassia Phuket’s private beach. A free boat shuttle takes you across the small lagoon (or you can walk there as well) but we opted for the free ride. The moment we arrived to the beach we were all speechless. White sand, crystal clear blue waters and not over-crowded - we couldn’t have wished for a better place to be! But instead of the free sunbeds provided by Cassia, we decided to enjoy the clean white sand. And if the beach wasn’t enough, there was also a small stand where we could purchase fresh coconut, smoothies and fruit! All for a very good price (e.g. coconut water in a real coconut €1). And that’s all we were looking for and all we needed.. We spent half of the day enjoying this paradise and half of the time making photos of it to remember these precious moments.
Even though Cassia has an on-site Market 23 Grab & Go Cafe that serves refreshments and ready to cook meals for 24 hours we decided to go out for dinner. The hotel recommended us some local restaurant and they also offer a free shuttle service in the area so they happily took us there. Even though I really enjoyed staying in Cassia Phuket, I can’t say much about Phuket as an island, because we didn’t stay there long enough, but next time we will definitely take the time to go and discover.
Lunch at Xana Beach Club
We did find time to visit a lovely beach club in Laguna Phuket called Xana Beach Club. Again we were kindly dropped there by the free shuttle service. Set beachside in the grounds of Angsana Laguna Phuket, Xana has a classical west-coast beach club look and feel. We spent couple of hours there, enjoying the beach as well as a great lunch with excellent Thai and International dishes (you must try their burger!) and divine cocktails. They have a 35-metre swimming pool and for the party lovers, they offer great events at night from buffet BBQs to full moon parties. The perfect place to spend the whole day in style.
What I most loved about Cassia Phuket was that even though it has almost all the comforts of a hotel, you feel like you’re living in a luxury apartment. Another great feature about Cassia I forgot to mention is the amazing spacious pool area. Not only do they have a stunning infinity pool, there is a small ‘river’ that leads to a jacuzzi! And the pool area is huge, so you will never have to worry it being crowded. Even though we don’t have children, I can see how perfect Cassia would be for a family holiday. It's safe, comfortable and sooooo relaxing. So I can recommend it to both couples as well as families. Lastly, I would like to thank the whole team in Cassia for everything and we will surely be back for some more paradise..
Location:
Laguna Phuket - Cassia
Moo 4 Tambon, Srisoonthorn Road
Cherngtalay, Amphur, Talang
Phuket 83110, Thailand
How to get there:
Taxi - 1,000THB / Car - 20 minutes' ride or 20km from Phuket International Airport
Book your stay here:
