Location
Located on the lush but largely unpopulated island of Koh Yao Noi in the Phang Nga region of the Andaman Sea, Six Senses Hideaway is a perfect get away. As with many Six Senses resorts, it is very close to nature while providing all the mod cons you could wish for in a rustic luxury environment.
The position of the resort, clinging to a jungle clad hillside and sloping steeply down to a private beach, gives amazing panoramic vistas over the Andaman Sea towards the mainland. Whether lazing in your pool villa or, in the Spa or down by the beach, you cannot help but relax here. They are even in their own unique time zone at 1 hour ahead of Bangkok and the rest of Thailand, giving you an extra hour on the beach.
Rooms
There are essentially 3 main room types: Pool Villa, Deluxe Pool Villa & Pool Villa Suite but some do not have sea view. They all have private pools of various sizes and start at 154m2 total area, going up to 228m2 for the Pool Villa Suite. All nestle subtly into the jungle with thatched roofs and stripped back wooden decking surrounding the pool area and gazebo.
The rooms themselves have every facility you would expect from a resort of this quality with SAT TV, DVD, BOSE Hi-Fi, Espresso machine, iPod docking, mini bar, wine fridge, and sitting area. The bathrooms have separate shower and toilet cubicles plus outside an shower, indoor sunken bath, double vanities and a range of natural soaps and lotions. The interior of the lead in rooms actually feels a lot bigger than the stated 80m2 and you could get lost in the bathrooms which also have a separate luggage room and walk in wardrobe attached.
Top Villas
Six Senses Yao Noi has 2 very special villas – The Retreat and The Hill Top Reserve. The Hill Top Reserve is perched at the highest point of the resort as the name suggests, and is a 3 bedroom villa built around a large half moon pool with its own slide and butler’s quarters occupying a gigantic 1,473m2. This is certainly one of the leading hotel villas in Asia and the views are really out of this world.
The Retreat is down nearer the beach with its own private path to the sandy cove. Smaller in size (645m2), but no less luxurious for a smaller family or party of 2 couples or friends, and with its close proximity to the small cove beach, a certain choice for beach lovers.
Butler Service
Every room is assigned a butler on arrival so you have one point of contact for your whole stay, no matter which service you are after, and this works very well.
Spa
There are an enormous amount of excellent spas in all 5* hotels and resorts around the world, and there is little to distinguish between them. However, with Six Senses you expect something a little extra special and somehow they deliver at every level from the initial consultation, welcoming touches, an extra edge of professionalism and, most importantly, the quality of the treatments and the therapists’ expertise. Our guinea pig took a 90 minute Oriental massage which was full of innovative techniques by the therapist, with a lot of emphasis on hands and feet leaving the guest in a Zen-like state by the end.
Set in lush jungle, without being claustrophobic, the rooms are well spaced out around a central reception area. They are very large inside with plenty of changing space, but as you’d envisage, the construction is made up of stripped wood, bamboo and thatch. The treatment times are generous, allowing plenty of time for consultation, changing and relaxing afterwards with your ginger tea. A sojourn spent coming here for a couple of hours a day will definitely re-charge and revitalise you and you can enrol in some special packages for maximum benefit.
You can also indulge in holistic activities, a massage under the stars, facial and scalp therapies, natural Thai body therapies and bath rituals and of course, Yoga.
Dining
There are 3 key dining options – The Main House, The Living Room and the Dining Room – offering different ambience and food. The Dining Room offers fine dining with Italian cuisine and features a glass floor with a small river from the hillside running through it, which is rather unique. The Living Room presents a fusion of world cuisine, with an emphasis on Thai, plus tandoori and pizza ovens, and an open grill, while the Chef’s Table offers a very personal dining experience for just eight guests. The Den at the Main House serves light snacks and Asian tapas, along with drinks at the bar.
Other Activities
Gym, tennis court, private beach with beach amenities, cultural excursions highlighting Thai culture, customised boat and bicycle tours, complimentary bicycle rental, exclusive tours & excursions with resort speedboats, movie library, iPod and music library, Thai cooking class and wine tasting, diving and other non motorised water sports.
Final Word
Sitting in the Hill Top Reserve overlooking the limestone rocks standing majestically in the deep blue sea, your immediate thought is “I could stay here for a month of Sundays and never tire of this”. It’s a truly stunning resort on a beautiful untouched island and if you add to that the quality of the accommodation, food and spa treatments on offer, it’s a place to escape and lose yourself and know that you are one of a lucky few to experience this place.
Even if you can only spare a couple of days, it will have such an immediate impact on you, it’s worth the journey. A resort that can create its own time zone can surely achieve anything and does so. Quite simply, your wish is their command.
For more information about this hotel please download our printable PDF Fact sheet from here
