‘Well-cations’ seekers will find new Krabi hotel just the ticket

Unlike most hotels in the southern province, Varana Hotel Krabi is designed to cater specifically to health-conscious tourists who seek “well-cations”, or wellness vacations, which are now an increasingly popular trend.
 

New-generation tourists look for special health treatments, such as spa services, and good and healthy foods as part of their holiday experience and the owner of the Varana Hotel, who also operates the luxury Tubkaak Krabi Boutique Resort Hotel, promises that those eight years were spent bringing that desire to reality.

The hotel is spread over 20 rai (32,000 square metres) and while it is on a hill, it is also just 10 metres away from Tubkaak Bay.

Varana opened its first phase in April. Guests can now select sea view rooms, which have become the hotel’s selling point, as well as rooms with views of the mountains, pool and garden.

In its efforts to be as green as possible, the hotel also features furniture built with environmentally friendly materials.

Wipawan Laotanasin, managing director of Varana, said the hotel was designed with a sustainability goal and in the hope of benefitting society through wellness services.

She is confident the Varana offers everything to satisfy tourists who seek a balance of vacation and all-around wellness care and services.

She said it took three years to design the hotel and five more years to build it. All in all, the owner has invested almost one billion baht to build the Varana hotel.

“A hotel business is not a kind of business that we stop after ten years. Our hotel buildings will stay with us for a long time,” Wipawan said.

“When we build something, we must think about the future. Today, too few people think about the future before acting and that leads to a lot of issues. Several products and actions destroy nature because of insufficient thought.

“So, when we planned our second hotel, the first thought that came to our mind was that it must be a hotel with sustainability. Our answer was to offer wellness and sports facilities.”

The hotel features minimal but luxurious rooms and restaurants along with five sports complexes and wellness facilities, including pools, a spa and Onsen or hot spring services.

With the sustainability and wellness goal in mind, four large swimming pools were built, including a standard pool and a pool for children. The Olympic standard pool, which is 7 metres wide and 50 metres long, is the first of its kind in Krabi. Well-cation tourists can also enjoy the Namm Wellness Pool, complete with 10-step aqua therapy.

Wipawan said the sustainability vacation concept also covers the food. Varana’s chefs pay attention to every step of dish preparation to ensure that the hotel’s guests are served health-friendly meals, the ingredients of which are sourced from local residents. All fruits are bought from organic farms and free from dangerous chemicals.

“Some may say the Varana is not different from other hotels, but we feel it is really unique. Our food must be delicious and our guests must feel comfortable in their beds while our hotel must be modern with sustainable services,,” Wipawan said.

“Was it worth eight years and a one-billion baht budget to build this hotel? Perhaps not for me personally, but it will be worthwhile for the country in the long run. Our hotel will become a role model for other hotel businesses to study,” Wipawan added.

In its first phase, the Varana has opened two restaurants and a bar. Xin is Krabi’s first modern Chinese restaurant while Nook, the main restaurant, serves both Thai and Western cuisine as well as premium-grade fresh coffees, freshly baked sweets and savouries, and ice cream throughout the day.

The hotel also has a poolside bar, called Sip. It serves chilled cocktails, and international drinks as well as various hors d'oeuvres.

The Varana Krabi will open for full service later this year, with 141 rooms in six low-rise buildings. A new bar called Sala (pavilion) will also be launched. The open-sided space will serve tapas and Ibérico ham, along with chilled organic sangria.

The Beach Club is also due to open before the end of the year and will offer coffee along with cocktails, pizza and seafood cooked on charcoal stoves throughout the day.

Two special promotions are now available for guests who book in advance.

- A room with breakfast and the right to use the Onsen pool for 60 minutes.

The price starts from 5,300 baht per night for two guests and includes Onsen service.

- Three-day and two-night package.
Prices start at 16,380 baht for the room and breakfast for two guests. Guests can also select two out of four services:
-- Set dinner at Xin
-- A half-day trip to Koh Hong on a local long-tail boat
-- Free rides from and to the Krabi International Airport
-- A massage programme for 60 minutes and Onsen pool service for 60 minutes at the Faa Spa.
For more information and reservations, call 02-821-6362 or email rsvn@varanahotel.com.