The Sarojin

Rooms

The 56 rooms and suites are spread out between 7 separate 2-storey buildings. The layout is a horseshoe, which allows maximum space and privacy, and the rooms are surrounded by leafy, tranquil gardens.

There are 4 room categories: the Garden Residences are the best value, situated on the ground floor of the low-rise buildings. These have a private garden, an alfresco sundeck with loungers and a Thai 'sala' (lounge). The Pool Residences flank these rooms, at either end of the building, and these have a plunge pool in their private garden. The Jacuzzi Pool Suites are situated on the upper floors with a lounge and a vast sun terrace with a Jacuzzi pavilion. The Two-Bedroom Pool Residence is formed by connecting a Garden Residence with a Pool Residence, making it ideal for families or 2 couples travelling together.

All rooms are elegantly furnished with kingsize beds, crisp white linen, hand-carved furniture, Thai silk cushions and parquet flooring. The ensuite bathrooms are open-air, and each has an oversized couples' bath, separate rain shower, robes and slippers and JUKU toiletries. As you'd expect there's a TV and free WiFi, plus a minibar with wine and champagne.

Features include:

• Bathrobes
• Fan
• Hairdryer
• Minibar
• Safe box
• WiFi

Eating

One of the pleasures of The Sarojin is that food can be eaten wherever you want: in the restaurants, the gardens, in your suite or on the beach. Ficus is Italian-influenced, whereas The Edge keeps things traditionally Thai; both also offer dedicated vegetarian menus with brilliant plant-based options.

Breakfast is served in the Ficus Restaurant, a fairly small room leading onto a terrace with tables. Early in the morning this is a lovely place to be: the croaking of frogs in the lotus pond and the steady hum of cicadas provides Mother Nature's soundtrack, along with carefully selected lounge-y music drifting out from inside. Kick-start your day with a healthy breakfast (muesli, fresh fruit, apple and cinnamon compote, porridge) or something more indulgent (eggs any style, Thai omelette or beluga caviar with blinis and melba toast!). There are freshly squeezed juices, various teas and coffee or you can get into holiday mode with a glass of sparkling wine.

In the evening, Ficus transforms into an intimate restaurant, which acts as the heart of the hotel with tables set intimately around and amongst the ancient ficus tree's hanging branches. Open-sided walls keep air flowing though, and elegant Chinese vases steal the eye. The dinner menu is a mix of Thai and Italian cuisine: think pan-seared king prawns with garlic and rice, Australian beef steaks and spinach tagliolini with fresh lobster. Afterwards, visit The Cellar for an after-dinner drink; the well-stocked bar has over 450 wine brands.

If you'd prefer something less formal, head to the wooden pavillion next to the beach, The Edge, with terrific vistas out onto Andaman Sea. This serves international and Thai and seafood delicacies: think curries, noodles, spicy soups and steamed fish dishes. Beachgoers can order tropical drinks and cocktails here throughout the day; it's a great spot to sit in the shade and watch the sea roll out over the white sand. There are also 3 family-owned beach shacks along the sand; ideal if you want a cheaper bite to eat.

However, if you're a die-hard romantic, you can choose to be totally private for an evening. Staff will set up a spot on the beach, on a pool island or in the garden of your residence, and build a palm fence to separate you from the chef. At the end of the meal you'll be given a spirit balloon, which you light and let drift away on the sea breeze.

Features include:

• Bar
• Restaurant
• Restaurants nearby
• Room service
• Vegetarian options

Activities

• Bliss out at the spa - choose a treatment pavillion that faces the mangrove garden so you can hear the ocean as you relax. There's a long list of lovely treatments (warm stone massages, salt glow scrubs, Elemis facials), but after a long flight we'd recommend the Thai massage - see Rates
  
• Borrow a windsurfer, catamaran or canoe to float across the lagoon-like sea. Sheltered from tides, it's calm and suitable for year-round swimming
  
• Take a day trip on the Lady Sarojin boat and sail to the dreamy Similan (closed Sept-Apr) or Surin Islands, one of the world's top 10 dive and snorkel sites. When these are closed (Oct to April), you can go to Phang Nga Bay to explore hidden lagoons and swim around the famous James Bond island
  
• Learn to dive or take a guided underwater tour; the hotel works with the mainland's top dive school and trips take place first thing in the morning to avoid the crowds
  
• Let the Imagineer dream up your ultimate holiday experience 'for 2': ride an elephant, go white water rafting, lunch by a secret waterfall, try deep-sea fishing. Having spent years as a dancer at the Moulin Rouge in Paris, he's full of dramatic and exciting ideas
  
• Hike through Khao Sok National Park, where you'll see some of the world's oldest primary forest, limestone mountains, waterfalls and wild animals
  
• Epicurists can take an excellent Thai cooking workshop, which includes a visit to the local markets and outdoor cooking in the jungle
  
• Borrow a mountain bike: there are several flat trails leading through the rainforest
  
• Golfers can head to a nearby 18-hole courses - Tap La Mu (10 minutes), Asia's Premier course or The Blue Canyon and Country Club (50 minutes). Tennis courts (hard with floodlights) are a 10-minute drive away

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Boat trips
• Cooking classes
• Cycling
• Fishing
• Golf
• Hiking
• Kayaking
• Mountain biking
• Plantlife / flora
• Private guided tours
• Rafting
• Sailing
• Scuba diving
• Scuba diving courses
• Snorkelling
• Swimming
• Tennis
• Well being
• Windsurfing

Kids

This is really a grown up, couples searching for R&R kind of resort and therefore not really a place for children. That said, children above 10 years are welcome and extra beds are available at extra cost.

Family friendly accommodation:

The Garden Residences and Pool Residences can each fit an extra bed, and 2 rooms on the ground floor can be interconnected to form the Two-Bedroom Pool Residence. The Jacuzzi Pool Suites have a four-poster daybed that can sleep 2 extra guests.

Extra Beds Available

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

The Sarojin is situated just outside Khao Lak town in the Phang Nga province of Thailand. It's north of Phuket.

By Air:
Most people will fly into Phuket (80km), although you can fly into Bangkok International and then fly on to Phuket.

From the Airport
The hotel can arrange a great transfer service - see Rates - the driver will meet you in the airport, offer you a cold drink and chilled face towel, give you a choice of CDs to listen to, then whisk you to The Sarojin in a 4x4. Alternatively you can jump in a taxi.

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.com.

More on getting to Thailand (international flights) and getting around