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Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi's Retreats Will Magically Heal You

Where: 51/4 Chiang Mai - Sankampaeng Road, Muang Chang Mai, Thailand, 50000

If inspiration and wellness are what are missing in your life, then it just might be that a trip to Thailand is what you need. More specifically, you should try the all-very-different wellness retreats that Chiang Mai's Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi have got on offer.

Scheduled to run at various dates between November this year and February 2010, the retreats each have a different focus but a common goal: to get you living a healthier and fulfilling life. Of course we think our life will be pretty fulfilling just by having a vacation in Thailand, but if you want more, then take your pick from one of the four.

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Tags: Leading Hotels of the World / Hotel Deals / Thailand Hotels / Thailand Resorts / → All Tags

A Thailand Deal That Caters to Shopaholic Beach Bums

With the state of emergency lifted and mid-April's unrest easing, it's time to start looking at Thailand again. And one of the things we love about it is that it can be a shopping paradise as well as an R&R-on-the-beach vacation destination.

We got tipped off about a clever "joint venture" hotel deal, put together by the Sukhothai Bangkok and the Rayavadee resort in Krabi. They've picked up on our shopping and beach combo desires and put together a five-night deal including two nights in the city at Sukhothai and three nights on the beach at Rayavadee. The package includes all kinds of extras like breakfast, a dinner at each location, shopping coupons in the city and a massage at the beach, transfers to both Bangkok and Krabi airports, and – in Bangkok only – free WiFi (once you get to the beach you should be keeping your laptop packed away).

The deal comes up to 86,900 Baht ($2,400) for a double for the entire five nights and inclusions. That's not bad considering both the Sukhothai and Rayavadee belong to the Leading Hotels of the World group and sound like above average places to stay.

Tags: Thailand Resorts / Hotel Deals / → All Tags

Stay in Thailand for Free (For Real)

The global economic downturn can be a major vacation crasher and local political protests can put a damper on the idyllic. But those challenges can also bring travel expenses to the amazing price of...zero. It's almost like low season is the new high season! Case in point: the massive coastal resort area of Pattaya in Thailand.

Free hotel rooms are being offered to local and international travelers from May 1 to October 31 in an attempt to fill their 20,000 hotel rooms. Helping things along is Thai Airways: they're offering a free night to business-class passengers staying not only in Pattaya, but also in Bangkok, Samui, Krabi, Hua Hin, Phuket and Chiang Mai.

Economy class passengers get a free hotel stay if they book via the Royal Orchids Holidays program. Those flying from LA before May 20 can score a free domestic flight to use within Thailand.

With business slowing in a big way in tourism-dependent areas like this, hotels aren't the only price slashers: restaurants and shopping malls within these areas are also participating in the deep discounting. Guests can enjoy prices drops up to 50 percent. Get on it while you can.

Tags: Outrigger Hotels / Thailand Resorts / Hotel Opening Rates / → All Tags

Outrigger Serenity Phuket Launches Yacht and Resort in April

Where: Chalong Bay, Phuket, Thailand

Get excited. There's another Outrigger Resort about to open up, and we have a soft spot for these guys ever since they made promo videos that were actually interesting to watch.

The new Outrigger is the Outrigger Serenity Terraces Resort Phuket in Chalong Bay, a quiet part of Phuket. It's all set to open on April 2 this year and they have an opening special for two nights with room upgrade and a few meals starting at 13,000 Baht ($360) for the "Serenity Room", and triple that if you want the best of the best--a two bedroom beachfront suite.

The nice bonus at the Outrigger Serenity is that they own their own yacht, "Lady Anita", which guests will be able to use for dinner cruises and island hopping; if it's already in use, there's always the speedboat or at a pinch, a catamaran or kayak. Or stay on dry land and use their WiFi (although we're not sure that having WiFi on a tropical island is such a good thing).

Just for the record, this picture's also a promotional one but like their videos, it's a bit more natural than what many other hotels provide--it makes us happy that they haven’t photoshopped the clouds away.

Tags: Thailand Resorts / Hotel Openings / Hotel Opening Rates / Anantara Resorts / Phuket Hotels / → All Tags

Anantara Wants You to Play With Sea Cows in Si Kao

Where: 198-199 Moo 5, Had Pak Meng-Changlang Road, Tambol Maifad, Amphur Sikao, Trang, Thailand, 92150

Surely you thought we were clever and hilarious for the "Sea Cow in Si Kao" headline, but we must give credit where credit is due.

To the cute and funny folks over at the upcoming Anantara Si Kao in Si Kao have been using this clever and hilarious line as part of their marketing efforts for their soon-to-open Thailand property.

Located on Chang Lang Beach, the hotel is opening up in December -- hot on the heels of the Anantara Phuket -- in an area famous for its manatees.

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Coming Soon to Northern Phuket: Another Eco-Friendly Anantara

Where: Mai Khao Beach , Phuket, Thailand

Opening up later this year, the Anantara Phuket Resort & Spa is away from the overly-touristed Phuket areas, and will be at the Mai Khao Beach on the northern shore of Phuket instead. They're putting the finishing touches on 83 villas that each have their own infinity pool (we love this) and are arranged around a lagoon in the style of a traditional southern Thai village.

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Spa Treatments: Leg-Centric or Heated Clam Shells?

We've just been sent one promoter's opinion of the top ten spa treatments in hotels across the world. We're not inclined to believe everything we read, but some of these spa treatments do sound like just what we need. Right now, please.

Picking the most expensive treatment on the list--on a per-minute basis, that is--would bring us to the Alvear Palace in Buenos Aires. They've just opened a new spa and fitness center and have a special on an "exclusive cellular radiant treatment" facial, guaranteed to make you look younger (of course), at a cost of $205 for just one hour.

Better value can be had at the Hyatt Regency Hua Hin in Thailand, with day packages starting from just $250. Their Barai Spa has light therapy, massage and even "sensual water experiences". If you're after something a bit more physical, the Chuan Spa at the Langham Melbourne offers "a blizzard of therapeutic leg-centric techniques", which almost sounds frightening.

But for proper relaxation, our vote goes for The Tides Zihuatenajo in Mexico which combines a Swedish-style massage with the use of heated tiger clam shells, gently massaging your whole body. $150 for an hour isn't the cheapest on the list by far, but it sounds the most gentle option.

[Photo: Travis S.]

Tags: Design Hotels / Thailand Resorts / Hotel Openings / → All Tags

Hotel Openings: Modern But Relaxing at Alila Cha-Am

Where: 115 Moo 7, Tambol Bangkao, Cha-Am, Thailand

One more luxury resort to tempt us is open on the Gulf of Thailand. Belonging to the Design Hotels portfolio, the Alila Cha-Am just opened on February 1st. It's only two hours south of Bangkok which makes it pretty easy to reach, yet the quiet of the beaches and pool villas sound like more than a world away from the bustle of the city.

Design is, of course, an important aspect of the Alila Cha-Am. Thai architect Duangrit Bunnag, well known in his country, has designed the 79 villas and rooms and there's a focus on "clean lines and strong geometric forms", which sounds pretty modern, but the materials are mainly wood, limestone and marble, and that seems to ground it back in normality, too.

You want to feel like you're somewhere you can relax, not on an architectural hunting expedition. By the way, they're claiming that the beach this resort fronts is the longest beach in Thailand--but we can't confirm or deny this.

Special packages at Alila Cha-Am--and at other Alila resorts--are known as Alila Experiences and they sound intriguing: along with culinary and cultural excursion, they also offer intimate couples' celebrations and "active lifestyle pursuits". We're curious to know more about all of these, but not yet sure that we want to sign up for one. In the meantime, low-season room rates are starting at $176 a night. Not bad at all.

Tags: Thailand Resorts / Eco-Hotels / Langham Hotels / → All Tags

Langham Place Goes Eco in Thailand

Where: 139 Moo.8, Koh Lanta Island, Krabi , Thailand, 81150

The Langham Hotels group has just added a fancy eco resort to its collection by converting the Rawi Warin Resort & Spa to be the Langham Place Eco Resort and Spa at Koh Lanta, Krabi in Thailand which will open in January 2008. We're talking luxury resort with an eco-friendly policy, which always seems a little bit tricky to manage ... surely really caring for the environment would mean a little less luxury?

Whatever your political opinion, Krabi's Langham Place Eco Resort is definitely a place for a luxurious sunny holiday. The villas at the resort have a private plunge pool, and guests from all rooms have access to the four main pools. There are also six different restaurants and bars to keep the hunger and thirst at bay.

As for the green side of things, the Langham Place Eco Resort runs according to six conservation principles, basically looking at renewable energy, recycling, conserving water, getting involved with local people, protecting the local habitat and purchasing requirements in an environmentally friendly way. From a distance it's hard to tell how strictly these policies are implemented, but it's all got to start somewhere.

Related Stories:
· Langham Signs First Hotel in Thailand [Asia Travel Tips]
· Langham Place Hong Kong Deals [HotelChatter]

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Hotel Opening Rates: Being Roger Moore in Thailand

Where: 55 Moo 5 Tambol Koh Yao Noi Amphur Koh Yao, Phang Nga, Thailand

Back in 1974 James Bond's The Man with the Golden Gun was filmed on Koh Yao Noi, an island in Phang Nga Bay off of Phuket. Fast forward thirty three years and Six Senses is set to open the fourth Evason boutique-branded Hideaway on that same island.

Evason Hideaway Six Senses Yao Noi, which opens in October, will include 54 pool villas with bay views. All villas have open-style bathrooms,infinity-edged pools with sundecks, and plenty of seclusion. Local building techniques have been adopted, using natural, environmentally controlled, materials to make sure the greenies stay happy. Furthermore, each villa is attended by a butler, and get this, for an additional cost a Bond like helicopter transfer is available from nearby Krabi airport.

Traveling time from the airport from Phuket is around forty five minutes to one hour by motor boat, or 15 minutes by helicopter service.

The resort is running an opening rate special in October. We were able to find villas for under $450.00 a night available throughout mid-October. However, by mid-Novemember these same "pool villas" were well over $800 a night. So the window for this particular hotel opening rate closes fast.

Since this resort will have that new resort smell for the better part of the fall, it will be virtually free of web reviews for the first month or so. Which means you have a chance to check in without preconceptions--imagine that.