The issue about being so profit oriented, in addition to the offputting capital raising book, is really driven home when you get to your room for the first time. This is mostly an Asian thing, but almost every hotel here gives you free things, at the least a big plate of fruit, which costs about ten cents here. There's usually flowers, often a bottle of wine, almost always breakfast included. Here, nothing, and the room echoes with the absence of stuff. And because you're supposedly stuck at the Laguna, all the food, spa etc is ridiculously overpriced, and this is coming from someone who wouldn't think twice before drinking a $7 diet coke from the minibar. The Banyan Tree chain is known for its spa service, but even the spa is offputting as you have to book days in advance and there are two receptionists and a large waiting area as people are shepherded in and out of their appointments. Anyway, I know this sounds petty but it's the little things that matter at the high price end of the market, and they fail on almost all counts. Now, having said this, I do remember on this trip rather liking the hotel. We went back two or three more times and liked it less and less each time, so to be entirely accurate my ratings should probably be higher for this initial visit. Banyan Tree (5) Room-8, Facilities - 6, Service-3, Wow-3 (the pool, but remember it comes at the expense of any view) The photos are of the beach area closest to the Laguna, which is pretty and usually empty. Also the restaurant there is privately owned and serves really great seafood, mostly to locals and the few tourists who escape the grip of the Laguna. I can't remember the name right now, but it pops up in future trips, so stay tuned.

These photos show the main plus, which is the villas and their individual pools. At the time of this trip, Banyan Tree and Amanpuri occupied the top rung of Phuket hotels. Amanpuri is head and shoulders above Banyan Tree in most respects, but the individual pools are a nice differentiating factor for the Banyan Tree. The villas are broadly comparable, with both in need of a bit of updating but pretty similar in style and size. One downside of the pool is to maintain privacy you're walled off so there's no view at all, whereas the Amanpuri had ocean views. (Of course there'd be no views even if there were no wall, because the Laguna Complex is just a big flat piece of land). As for location, it depends what you want to do. The Banyan Tree is near the airport, and the idea behind the Laguna is that you'll never leave the complex, so in some ways this is more convenient. Also, it's got a golf course on the property, although there's a better one (at least according to Somchai), nearby which I think is called Blue Canyon. It's a really long drive to anywhere else on the island though, so if you're spending any time at the other beaches, Amanpuri wins again.

60. Phuket, Thailand Mar '01

Had a long weekend in Phuket. Since this is a repeat destination, just a few posts about the hotel, the Banyan Tree. It's located in the north of the island in a complex I don't really like, the Laguna. The Laguna used to be a huge open pit mine, but was transformed into this mega hotel complex about ten or fifteen years ago. The Banyan Tree is the top end resort in the complex, but there are six hotels in all, plus spas and golf courses, each catering to a different price point. I don't remember the exact details, but I do remember there's a book in each hotel room that details exactly what the share capital of the company is, capital expenditures along the way and various rights issues the developers have to further finance the project. I mention this because two things that bug me about the hotel is the overwhelming sense that this is a for profit enterprise, and the overall fakeness of the whole thing. But there are pluses too, so don't give up yet. These photos are of the reception area and a huge lake that forms the centrepiece of the Banyan Tree.