Casa de la Flora is a design hotel opened in 2011, located in the Khao Lak region and just over 90 minutes from Phuket Airport. This is now the fourth hotel project of Sompong Dowpiset, who is also active as managing director of Grohe Siam. A correspondingly precisely trained eye for design and architecture runs through the entire 36-apartment complex and is also evident in Sompong’s obsession with detail, who can be seen wandering through the complex in the evening, fixing and correcting final details.
Numerous awards prove the right course, the self-set claim. Condé Nast, for example, chose Casa de la Flora for its list of the best new hotels of 2012, Wallpaper raves – and so does the German Elle.
For us, the concept of Casa de la Flora was decisive for this trip, actually it was decisive for the destination Thailand. Polarizing in its consequence, however, this assessment certainly does not apply to all travelers. In short: the hotel impresses with its fantastically reduced design, incredible tranquility and plenty of space to retreat from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, excellent comfort and really good cuisine in La Aranya Restaurant, with a direct view over the sea.
Whether by the pool or directly on the beach, the guests spread out so well on the grounds, even when the hotel is busy, that you can always choose a quiet spot. There are no sunbeds on the beach but large covered sunbeds.
The beach front apartments have their own small pool and separate sunbathing areas that are hardly visible from the beach.
The restaurant Aranya also seems very private, but frankly a bit too private. So, on the four nights we ate here, we were often the only guests. This is certainly not due to the quality, certainly not to the service (which was excellent in any area), not at all to the view over the sea – but perhaps to the pricing or the naturally extremely favorable environment.
Thus, many of the parallel guests enjoyed the surrounding restaurants where one could enjoy good local cuisine at a fraction of the Aranya’s prices. As we did on the remaining seven evenings, by the way.
