Shangri-La's Phuket Resort and Spa will be situated on the west coast of the Thai island, on the five-kilometre Bang Tao Bay beach, 25 minutes drive from the Phuket International Airport.  The 20-hectare property is set amidst lagoons, gardens and a natural river flowing to the sea.     

Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts has signed the agreement with Durham Holdings (Thailand) Limited, an affiliated company of PT Jan Darmadi Investindo, to manage Shangri-La's Phuket Resort and Spa, opening the end of 2008.

Designed by Arcadia Design Architects of Huelva, Spain, the 315-room resort hotel is comprised of 223 guestrooms and suites, and 92 grand/deluxe villas.  All villas include water features with either plunge pools or positions suspended over lagoon waters.  Private gardens will be accessible from large terraces.  Resort rooms will be a minimum of 50 square metres in size, while the one and two-bedroom villas will measure from 90 to 280 square metres. 

Fifty pool villas will shortly be released for private sale through international property consultants CB Richard Ellis; they will be an integral luxury component of the resort, operated by Shangri-La. 

CHI, The Spa at Shangri-La – Shangri-La's signature spa brand -- will be located in its own spa village in the resort.  For the first time at CHI, guests will be able to immerse themselves in a CHI lifestyle experience by opting for residential spa villas.  At over 200 square metres, these villas will truly create a "spa within a spa" environment with space for in-room treatments and direct access to all CHI spa village facilities and amenities, including 13 single and couple's treatment villas. 
Inspired by the legend of Shangri-La, CHI offers treatments based on ancient Chinese and Himalayan healing rituals and traditions.  The spa's location overlooking a lagoon, providing the opportunity for waterborne arrivals by guests, will enhance the sensation of a secluded and exclusive spa experience. 

Additional recreational options will include a health club, tennis courts, squash court, water sports, kid's club and entertainment centre, and three swimming pools including a 3,000 square-metre, three-tiered cascading pool. 

Dining options will include a piazza with a market atmosphere of open kitchens, cafes and specialty retail shops; a grill; a Thai restaurant; two pool restaurants; a tapas bar and lobby lounge.     

A beachfront, ocean view chapel will be the venue for weddings, vow renewals and related ceremonies. 

Meeting and banquet facilities will include a 550-square-metre grand ballroom with  165 square-metre foyer with a capacity of 400 and 100 persons respectively.  Additional function rooms will offer 440 square metres of meeting space. 

Shangri-La's Phuket Resort and Spa will complement the hotel group's new wave of deluxe resort properties currently under development in the Maldives; Seychelles; and Boracay, Philippines.