Luxury hotel review in Northern Phuket in Thailand
The Slate by Bill Bensley in Thailand
By Roderick Eime
Slated for Luxury
Located on the quieter northern end of Phuket, The Slate dazzles by design and excites with exclusivity.
It’s easy to be seduced by the usual superlatives in almost every resort review and description, so let me try and boil it down.
So many resorts are described as ‘sanctuaries’, but in truth, that’s exactly what family-friendly ‘The Slate’ is. Enclosed and security-monitored entrances give the feeling of exclusivity and blissful isolation amid the bustle of North Phuket’s tourist beaches and haunts. Not that the island’s north is bothered by the frantic, glitzy activity in the south around places like Patong. In fact, the north is something of a ‘haven’ (sorry, another cliche) with a forest and national park embracing Naiyang Beach, directly opposite the resort, offering local dining and activity choices like kite surfing, swimming, cycling or just a relaxed stroll.
Even if you choose to exile yourself within the bounds of the resort, there is plenty to enjoy.
Swimming pools galore
Three huge swimming pools for both adults and families with poolside bars for cocktails or snacks are ideal for just lazing. Get active if you like with paddle boards, archery, yoga and tennis.
One feature the resort does play heavily on is the Bill Bensley ‘faux industrial’ design that adds a ‘uniqueness’ (promise I’ll only use that word once) as well as acknowledging the island’s history as a former tin mine. Rusty sculptures incorporating old machinery and obsolete mining tools serve as talking points, lending themselves to naming prompts for restaurants and bars like the Rivet & Rebar and Tin Mine dining precinct.
The restaurants at The Slate
On the subject of dining, a meal at Black Ginger, the signature restaurant, is one I promise you will never forget. Down a hidden pathway, illuminated by subtle decorations, you are met by your hostess and an assistant on a punt who draws you by rope across a tranquil lagoon to the dining area. Yes, true.
My advice is not to agonise over the many options, but rather dive right into the degustation ‘Black Ginger Experience’. Chef Piak’s tour-de-force kicks off with starters like her tender Gai Golae, a street favourite from southern Thailand, and Hoy Jor Pou, Phuket’s famous crab meat roll. The main course is a feast in itself, featuring highlights such as grilled king prawns in a rich red curry, all prepared with locally sourced ingredients in-house. Yes, it will cost you the price of a 4-star hotel room, but heck, this is not the time to quibble. Just enjoy it and be spoiled. [menu link]
Luxury accommodation in Phuket
Suites at The Slate are certainly in keeping with the theme. Our room was a 65sqm Pearl Bed Suite, 3211. More than adequate for a couple, but there are plenty of options, 184 in fact, ranging up through one- and two-bedrooms to the lavish, singular 500sqm Bensely Residence offering supreme privacy and sumptuous facilities.
The Pearl Bed Suite comes with an oversized bathtub on the big balcony, which is a fine if you don’t mind your neighbours observing your bathroom routine. There’s also an espresso machine and Satellite TV, as well as the expected niceties like quality shampoos and amenities. The cute retro Bluetooth speaker was also a nice touch.
Naturally, The Slate has its own spa which they bill as ‘regenerative wellness’. While the COQOON Spa will saturate you with massage and body treatments, there’s also Kru Precision Wellness, an independent centre located within The Slate for personalised programs.
How to get to The Slate in Phuket
Getting to The Slate is a cinch. The last time I remember arriving at Phuket airport and catching transport, it was an arduous hour in Phuket traffic. Not so with The Slade. Another convenience of its northerly location is that the airport is literally minutes away. I had barely unscrewed the top on my complimentary water in the resort’s luxury SUV transfer, and we were at the gates.
The Slate, I should also point out, has seven meeting rooms and venues perfect for an executive getaway or small conference of up to about 500 people. And with its spacious, manicured grounds, weddings are a no-brainer.
If you think The Slate is familiar, you could be forgiven. Built 40 years ago when it was surrounded by virgin jungle and the renmants of centuries of tin mining, much of its life was as the Indigo Pearl. The property transitioned to The Slate in 2016 to coincide with its comprehensive Bill Bensley “industrial chic” redesign and remains independent of the major chains, joining instead the Design Hotels global architectural community of exceptional properties.
The Five-Star* Slate is rated 4.6 from more than 5000 TripAdvisor reviews and is “#1 of 5 resorts in Nai Yang”. Of course room rates are driven by seasonality and demand, but you will be delighted at the very reasonable prices available online or through your favourite travel agent.
- *As rated by Giata
Website: https://theslatephuket.com/
