It doesn’t get more picturesque than the Naka Island, a Luxury Collection property located in Thailand’s southernmost province just off the coast of Phuket. Opened late last year, the private 67-villa resort is situated among stunning beaches and lush coconut groves, with views of the Andaman Sea and Phuket coastline on Naka Yai Island.
Bangkok-based Habita Architects, the design team responsible for the resort, were introduced to owner the Erawan Group through the hotel operator, Six Senses, after working with them on a number of projects. According to Habita associate partner Saran Soontornsuk, the design brief centered on sustainable development, leading to the team’s design objective of developing “a retreat resort that respects the environment and at the same time enhances sustainable tourism.” Thus, Habita integrated the design within the landscape, including elements like “the Edible Garden” which consists only of edible plants, fruits, vegetables, flowers, and herbs in hopes that “guests will experience harmony with their surroundings in the resort.”
The sustainable theme continues through careful material selection, where low heat absorption and high water absorption are key. Color tones mirror natural surroundings and minimize glare, and regional and renewable materials such as earth-clay and certified wood are used throughout.
“With the intention of providing comfortable living through natural light and airflow, we provided windows on all four sides of the bedroom, which is rare in typical resort rooms. Also, as per Thai culture, people normally sit on the ground [so we designed] the table with space underneath so guests can hang their legs-they feel at once like they are sitting in a chair and on the ground,” Soontornsuk explains.
The nearly 1,500-square-foot villas also feature open-air bathrooms, private plunge pools, spacious outdoor areas, and Sala pavilions. The gem of the resort is the gated, 5,249-square-foot Royal Horizon Pool villa, stretching over three separate pavilions to include two bedrooms, a living room, and indoor and outdoor dining areas. Here, an infinity pool boasts spectacular views of Phang Nga Bay’s limestone cliffs and a sunroom, spa, and yoga pavilion provide ample space to relax. This seamless mix of decadence, privacy, and natural beauty help create, as Soontornsuk says, “a luxury barefoot” aesthetic.
