Phulay Bay, A Ritz Carlton Reserve - Hotel Review
Updated: Mar 4, 2022
Ritz Carlton has a total of 111 hotels around the world, but Phulay Bay is one of the only 5 Ritz Carlton Reserves. Phulay Bay resort is truly one of a kind, nested on the shore of Adaman Sea, providing one of the best views in Krabi.
First Impressions
We were overwhelmed by the welcoming process at Phulay Bay! The staff waited for us at the main entrance while another team waited for us at the main lobby. We were greeted with the traditional Thai gong while walking through an aesthetically pleasing entrance with the walking path right on top of the water. It felt very personal and the staff here made us feel super special.
Facilities
Phulay Bay has only 54 rooms in total, but the land area of the whole property is enormous, enough to easily fit 10x times amount of guests. The property is so tranquil, spacious, and you can hear nature sound as you walk around. You will mostly feel like you have the whole place to yourself as the resort offers so much space that you don't see many guests around.
The Accommodation
Phulay Bay provides such a generous amount of space for each villa/pavilion. At Phulay Bay, the design is Moroccan inspired and infused with traditional Thai decors. Each of the villa (except the beach pavilion) at Phulay Bay is equipped with 7 x 10 feet long beds (2 King mattresses combined), enough to easily fit 4 people comfortably.
There are 5 different types of villas: Beach Pavilion, Reserve Pool Villa, Reserve Pool Villa with sea view, and Royal Beach Villa, and Royal Andaman Sea Villa. and I got a chance to stay at 3 of the villa types: Beach Pavilion, Terrace Villa and the Royal Beach Villa.
Beach Pavilion is Phulay Bay’s entry villa at Phulay Bay, with a double sink, full walking closet, oversize bathtub and a beautiful garden view. The pavilion offers twice as much space compared to most of the hotels and resorts that I have been to.
Reserve Pool Villa with sea view gives you your own private garden to wander around, an outdoor pool with sea view, rainforest shower, private bar, sundeck and lounge-beds. I love that the entrance is a beautiful walk about the ponds and garden, giving you a feel that you are at your own mansion. There are also outdoor stairs right outside of the villa for guests to get a better views of the ocean, or for star gazing at night.
Royal Beach Villa, where I stayed for my entire time at Phulay Bay is definitely my favourite. You have a pool with an ocean view, a private terrace, outdoor shower, day bed, large office desk, a huge relaxing bathtub, 2 spacious bathrooms, 2 spacious closets, 2 restrooms, double shower, and so much more! I have never seen that much space in a single villa and it truly felt as if I was in my own mansion.
World Class Butler Service
At Phulay Bay, each of the accommodation gets their own private butler, who is dedicated to take care of you during your stay. The butlers here are very attentive and observant, to learn what you like or might not like, and adjust accordingly to make sure your stay is as perfect as it could possibly be. I was a little cold during our outdoor dinner, and the staff promptly noticed and called the other staff to bring me a robe without me knowing. They also take notes of what you prefer and carefully save it for your next visit.
What I'm most impressed with is that the entire staff at the resort knew my name when I walked around. The team takes time to ask all the staff to remember each guest's name to make everyone feel right at home, and also feel extra special.
At Phulay Bay, they’re committed to world class service and the staff here are referred as “ladies and gentlemen”. Their philosophy is “We are ladies and gentlemen, serving ladies and gentlemen.” I really love this as it shows that the staff take pride in what they do, and they are confident, humble individuals, and they really provide the best service possible. Most of the staff here have been working for close to 10 years or more and that says a lot about how much they love working at the resort.
Amenities
Ritz Carlton is very generous when it gets to amenities. They provide everything that you could possibly think of, from beach bag, beach hat, sunscreen, flip flops, slippers, ropes. The resort also have beautiful beach cabanas around the main pools as well as along the sea view. You can order food and drinks from the beach cabanas as well.
Spa at Phulay Bay
We had a chance to experience the spa at Phulay Bay and it was one of my best spa experiences. The spa facility is so luxurious, spacious and very well organized. The staff at the staff greeted us with a welcome drink, then we got to visit the spa vitality pool prior to our treatments.
Restaurants and Dining Options
There are 5 restaurants available at Phulay Bay: Jampoon, Lae Lay, Sri Trang, Plai Fah, and Chomtawan. I have tried the food at Jampoon and Plai Fah. The restaurants at Ritz Carlton, hands down, is my favourite out of all of the resorts that I have been to. The food here is absolutely incredible, and my favourite is the Pad Ka Mao and their Phulay Bay French Toast, which is a specialty of the resort. It is covered with fresh coconut meat, toasted coconut, and coconut milk for dressing. Truly spectacular!
Phulay Bay is one of the rare resorts that offer floating breakfast in Thailand. The breakfast portion was very generous, and the presentation was outstanding. You can enjoy your food while sipping your tea/coffee right at the pool of your villa and I can't recommend this enough.
They also offer private dining, which I had the chance to try during my stay. The whole lobby will be reserved for you and your special someone, and you will be dining with hundreds of candles around in the middle of a tranquil setting. This is such a romantic dining experience that is truly amazing for any couple. The food will not be prepared right next to you, but will be brought carefully from the restaurant. We had a 3 course meal and it was spectacular!
Activities and Excursions at Phulay Bay
Guests who stay at Phulay Bay get complimentary boat tours to Hong Island everyday (national park ticket excluded). I got a chance to visit Hong Island and got the entire long tail boat to myself. Phulay Bay boat is modified lightly to make it more luxurious, with leather seats and pillows. They also bring extra picnic set up and beach mats in case you want to spend time at Hong Island and have lunch there. Truly an amazing experience!
They also offer day trip to the waterfalls, Naga Mountain, Tiger Cave Temple, and many other destinations. You can also hire your private boat to Phi Phi Islands or other close-by islands. There are different culture programs available to guests at the resort, including Thai cooking, puppet workshops, or Batik painting. I spent most of my time exploring around the resort, walking and enjoying the beach view.
Overall Experience
Phulay Bay is by far my favourite resort of all time up to date. Not only do they provide the utmost luxury accommodation and experiences, but the staff here also truly make you feel special in every way. I'm already looking to go back here as I couldn't get enough of the whole experience. If you ever have a chance to visit Thailand, do yourself a favour and book your stay here!
Phulay Bay, A Ritz Carlton Resort Website: https://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/phulay-bay
Have a question? Comment down below and I'll be sure to get back to you!
Lots of love,
Annie Pham
@anniepwanderlust