Luxuriating in the island life

[Photo provided to Shanghai Star]

At about 9,950 yuan (US$1,547), the deal includes Champagne breakfast, a 60-minute spa treatment, daily 30-minute evening massages for two, a pillow menu complete with a choice of aromatic oils designed to guide you gently into the land of nod on a cloud of scented bliss, plus several extras.

Perhaps appropriately, general manager Chris Oakes is something of an insomniac and so brought along plenty of experience to the concept.

Oakes has an excellent pedigree in hospitality. An Englishman born in Nigeria, he spent more than six years with Six Senses luxury resorts and spas. His resume also includes a stint as general manager of Forte Le Meridien Bath Spa Hotel in England, and time spent as a key member of the restaurants division of Corney and Barrow, wine merchants to the British royal family.

"Sleep has become the great casualty of modern life, stolen by the stresses of work and family and the round-the-clock connectivity imposed by the Internet age," he says. "This could be the escape of your dreams - and the best thing you ever did for yourself, your partner and your family."

After a private swim, my toughest task was choosing essence of pillow from lavender, valerian, chamomile, vanilla and jasmine. The next topic to vex my addled brain was whether to sip warm chamomile or jasmine tea as I prepared for bed after a 20-minute hot bath infused with lavender.

With a pair of those light-blocking eye patches filled with liquid that can be cooled or warmed according to choice, I succumbed to the best night's sleep since I was a babe in arms. I awoke when nature intended, ready for a lazy day of daydreaming.

Indigo Pearl was created under the direction of renowned architect and interior designer Bill Bensley, founder and owner of the Bensley Design Studio, who is well known for his holistic approach of integrating structures with nature while embracing local art forms.

Bensley worked closely with Prakaikaew Na-Ranong, the resort's deputy managing director, to implement the Indigo Pearl concept.

"We wanted the overall feeling to reflect Phuket's heritage as a former tin mining center while offering a distinctive atmosphere that will intrigue sophisticated travelers," she says.

"They will delight in the smallest details, from the reclaimed building materials to locally-crafted furnishings, as well as grounds that are a modernist transformation of a mature plantation, accented by contemporary and industrial art."

For more information: Visit www.indigo-pearl.com or telephone +66 (0) 76 327 006. Shorter breaks are available on request.