The Nai Harn - Phuket, Thailand

Taking this route meant we could avoid the concrete jungle of Patong, Karon and Kata beaches.

As we neared the south of the island, we turned a corner and were blessed with a stunning view of The Nai Harn.

This beautiful hotel appears like tiers of terraces built into the hillside and surrounded by greenery.

Every room and suite at The Nai Harn are sea-facing and overlook the beautiful Nai Harn Beach.

This beach is long and curved with a wide expanse of white sand, with more greenery behind the beach and fabulous waves rolling in, but despite its beauty, the beach is not crowded, as so many beaches are in Phuket.

This hotel was once voted the ‘Best Leisure Hotel in the World’ by Conde’ Nast and has welcomed many famous guests over the years, including Peter Ustinov and was the base for Roger Moore when he was filming as James Bond in ‘The Man with the Golden Gun’.

As we rolled up a steep little slope and parked outside the entrance, we were greeted by the sight of a very classy Art Deco frontage of the hotel and proceeded to the dedicated Reception and Check-in Lounge.

Formalities taken care of, we took the elevator up to our 4th floor Ocean View Suite. It is worth noting that the Elevator only goes as high as the 6th floor.

The suite is very elegant with a large sunken bath and a separate walk-in shower in the bathroom. It can be open-plan or there are also doors that slide across for privacy if required.

There is quite a lot of space and a large sitting area with sofas, and there was a complimentary fruit bowl and a Mojito-making set which included a bottle of rum and a bucket of ice with mixers and mint. I ended up taking my rum home with me.

The balcony is large, with 2 sun loungers and a coffee table with chairs and then overlooking the beautiful beach, but still very private, and bordered by shrubs and flowers, there is a 4-poster double-day bed with curtains.

In the evening, and as the sun is setting, Reflections Rooftop Bar is a wonderful venue. There are some nice and comfortable areas to sit, including a couple of Fire-pit type features that are ideal for families and groups.

Sunset at Reflections Rooftop Bar is amazing so it is an ideal spot for early evening drinks and cocktails, especially as they have their Signature Cocktails created by Bar Legend Salim Khoury, the former Head Barman at the Savoy Hotel in London.

Here you can also enjoy pre-dinner nibbles such as Hansha’s Sushi and Sashimi Selection and savour freshly imported Oysters served by The Nai Harn’s Oysterman.

For Dinner, the Cosmo Restaurant is a fabulous option with its exquisite views of Nai Harn Beach below, and Cosmo also serves as the venue for the wonderful Buffet Breakfast, where again the Eggs Bennedict are awesome.

At The Nai Harn, General Manager Frank Grassmann is introducing his 100 TNTs, or Tiny Noticeable Touches.

One of these is when you have coffee after dinner and you are presented with a wooden board with a thin bar of branded chocolate and a toffee-style hammer, so you break the chocolate with your hammer to eat with your coffee.

Another TNT can be seen near elevators, where there maybe an ashtray. I never ever saw any cigarette buts, but ‘The Nai Harn’ was always neatly stamped into the sand in the ashtray with a fresh, purple orchid placed in the sand above it.

An alternative option for dinner is the Rock Salt Restaurant, which is just down the slope and Beachside, with the waves gently lapping the rocks only feet away.

We concluded one evening at Rock Salt Restaurant with Sgroppino and the creation of this wonderful dessert / drink was like a Cabaret all by itself.

It should also be noted that Rock Salt Restaurant is also the home of the Beach Butlers. The Nai Harn guests have exclusive access to the area of the beach closest to the hotel and the Beach Butlers provide beach towels and sun loungers on request.

Watersports can also be enjoyed, such as Glass Kayaking or Stand-up Paddle Boarding and there is also a ‘Beach Boot Camp’ with morning exercises from 7 to 7:45 am.

There is also a Complimentary Shuttle from just outside the hotel entrance which can take you to several places including Ya Nui Beach and to the Headland which is popular each evening of Sunset Worshippers.

There is a nice Spa at The Nai Harn and I enjoyed a Traditional Thai Full Body Massage, where I dozed off, as I always do!

Another nice experience was a Cooking Class where I attempted to create Som Tam. It was not bad for a first effort, but my creation would probably not overly impress discerning Thais. A bit more practice, I think.

The Nai Harn is an absolutely stunning hotel in a beautiful location, well away from the mass tourism of other beaches.

The General Manager Frank, and his team take great care and pride in the hotel and there is so much attention to detail.

There is an extremely high standard of service here and this is delivered from Frank at the top and by all of his staff in their numerous roles.

I would love to visit here again and will certainly promote The Nai Harn at every opportunity.