SIRAY BAY...ENJOY THE GOOD LIFE IN A PARADISE EXOTIC SPA

Check your stress-filled urban life at the reception, and enjoy some days of bliss and serenity at the one-year-old Westin Siray Bay Phuket Resort & Spa

Since The Westin Siray Bay Resort & Spa Phuket opened in August 2010, I have been back twice for the break I always manage to convince myself I deserve. I work too hard. I shop too much. I skip my lunches and I’m perpetually “too busy” to exercise even though the pool is just an elevator ride away from my apartment. 

 

The thing about much-needed breaks is, the destination is imperative — it has to deserve you and your precious time as much as you deserve the vacation. Judging by my need to return within six months, I’d say The Westin Siray Bay is quite the deserving hideaway. It even got me to wake up at the unholy hour of 6am (remember, I’m on holiday here) and make my way to the breathtaking apex of the resort — the Splash restaurant and pool —  to contort my poor aching body into impossible poses in the meditative workout called yoga.

View from the Horizon pool at dusk

I’ve no recollection of the pain, discomfort and awkwardness (physical and otherwise) now, but I have vivid memories of the beautiful picture before me — seabirds gliding gracefully in a clear blue sky as if in performance, and beneath, an endless Andaman Sea sparkling like a jewel box in the morning sun. There’s nothing out of the ordinary about this scene, and yet it’s so utterly extraordinary. This is it, you think to yourself, this is life — as it should be.
From the moment you arrive, you’ve got the whole world at your feet as you stand at the resort lobby overlooking the vast ocean, dotted with ships and yachts. You take a long, deep breath and a crisp sea breeze pirouettes its way into your hair; with the comforting warmth of the Westin sun caressing your skin — it’s time to check your city-tainted state of mind (and your iPhone if you dare) and enjoy a few glorious days of sun, sea and spa, as well as some mind-and-palate cleansing.
 It’s worth mentioning that this is a kid-friendly resort so if you have kids in tow, by all means leave them in the good, trained hands of the staff at the Westin Kids Club. There are also babysitters for hire so parents can indulge in a bit of guilt-free down time — alone, at long last but without worrying about the kids at home.
 
There’s so much to do both in and outside the resort, there is no time to waste. The Westin is all about providing personalized service  such as customizing an itinerary and engaging a personal tour guide for guests, but I’m going to try putting together a five-day programme according to my own fabulous experience to offer you a glimpse of what you could be in for in this five-star Starwood resort.