Koh Samui, Thailand, September 7, 2022 / TRAVELINDEX / The Tongsai Bay, the very first five-star luxury hotel to be built on Koh Samui, has embarked on an innovative refurbishment and development programme to celebrate its 35th anniversary as a luxury eco-haven for global travellers. The first exciting phase is now complete, offering guests improved connectivity, enhanced décor, and more convenient control of in-room facilities, whilst maintaining its ‘Natural To The Core’ philosophy.
Over the past three decades, The Tongsai Bay’s ongoing success has grown from its commitment to the natural world in harmony with the best of Thai hospitality and service. It has developed its own Green Projects which have gained national and international recognition and has become a model for new hotels, dedicated to preserving the environment for future generations in Thailand and around the world. Phase One of its new transformation extends this top-to-bottom ethos into the interior décor of rooms and suites, using recycled materials that take traditional Thai methods and designs and give them a contemporary style and twist.
One of the exceptional upgrades to The Tongsai Bay’s suites and cottages has been through a creative collaboration with the chic Litin rattan furniture brand to design and produce new coffee tables and outdoor chairs made from recycled wood and the headboard, a key focal point of the room, itself made from artificial rattan.
Litin uses black and white graphic woven patterns to make the chairs contemporary in style and to move forward from a perceived outdated image of traditional rattan. Learning new skills with artificial rattan, which can be left outside in the sun or rain, day, and night also offers workplace variety to the local furniture makers. Litin’s adaptability and growth path have developed over the recent past with a focus on eco products that dovetails perfectly with The Tongsai Bay’s environmental ethos and green policies.
Interior design at The Tongsai Bay prioritises space – with only 81 suites & villas, there are generous open areas and balconies for all guests to take in the beautiful views. All the rooms offer terraces with seascapes to gaze on, and the majority have outdoor bathtubs to relax in. Many rooms have individual features, as they have all been built around things rather than over them – whether trees, rocks, or topographical quirks, preserving and protecting the environment.
The wealth of nature surrounding the resort provides the inspiration for artworks and rugs designed by internationally renowned Thai textile designer MookV (Mook Vinyaratn) using yarn spun from recycled fast fashion clothing.
The textile waste is separated by colour and fully recycled, bypassing the dyeing process. All her artworks adhere to the philosophy of sustainable living and with titles such as ‘Home Sweet Banyan’ look to the welcome shade and home to birds offered by trees, vines, roots, and leaves for their subject matter. Recycled paper is also used in works such as ‘Blessed Tranquillity’ and celebrates the woods and greenery that protect many species of animals.
All of The Tongsai Bay’s 24 Beach Suites, 2 Cottage Suites, 4 Seafront Cottages, and 5 Pool Cottages have benefited from Phase One, which includes the following:
– Improved Wi-Fi connectivity in-room at 500 MB per room via new internet infrastructure which uses a fibre-optic line inside the hotel and a brand-new access point and control switches
– Headboard lighting control with an RCU (room control unit) system for better ambience and convenience
– Magnetic sliding door control where air conditioning will be turned off if the sliding door to the balcony is left open for more than three minutes, reducing energy consumption. This will prevent condensation inside the room, energy loss and insects entering
– Lighter colour tone to rooms, making them brighter and more inviting
– More luxurious switches and power sockets
The Tongsai Bay believes nature, the protection and preservation of the environment, technology, and friendly service can go hand in hand with its ecological credentials to create a truly magical getaway for guests. Phase One builds on the entire mandate in operation since it opened in 1987, which was to provide luxury green hospitality on the idyllic island of Koh Samui. With this first phase of its innovations now complete, the stage is set for the next advance in The Tongsai Bay’s change philosophy and its committed leadership role in defining new travel trends.