Following a 15-month, multimillion-dollar makeover, Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa (Phuket, Thailand) recently debuted its spa village, referred to simply as The Spa. With 15 freestanding treatment villas in the style of a traditional Thai village, the facility is expected to provide approximately 18,000 treatments a year. Designed by Bangkok-based Archiate Company Architect, each villa features a high-buttressed ceiling, a timber floor, dramatic artwork, an outdoor soaking tub, and private changing and shower facilities. Some also have a private herbal steam room. The villas are linked by a raised boardwalk, which spa-goers stroll while listening to piped-in tranquil music. "With this spa, we have created an intimate resort within a resort, one that will become a destination in its own right," says general manager Peter Hourigan. "Within two years, we expect more than 15 percent of all in-house guests to come solely for our spa experience and the health and equilibrium programs built around it."
 Clockwise from top right: A reflecting lotus pool creates a peaceful setting outside the spas Beauty Salon; the walkway connecting the villas is illuminated in the evening; guests can indulge in a floral bath set in the spas Sanctuary Suite; a guest enjoys the Honey and Sesame Body Scrub ($41, 45 minutes). |