Page 43 - MASALA Magazine Vol.15 Issue 4 | April - May 2024

“The bigger villas are very convenient
for families, especially from Asia,” Andy
tells me. “Our Middle Eastern or Indian
guests, for example, love to travel with 2-3
generations, so the villas can accommodate
the whole family, including kids. And as
a lot of our accommodations have their
own pool, you never feel crowded in the
public areas, as many guests are happy
to stay in their own rooms, or are busy
checking out our many amenities.” What’s
rare, I learn, is that because of their range
of accommodations, the hotel appeals to
both families and couples. “Usually, hotels
cater to either one or the other,” Andy tells
me. “But we have been successful with both
markets. We’ve noticed that our guests have
been on the whole very satisfied.”

We were given the Bay Suite for our own
accommodation, a beautiful set of rooms
so infused with comfort and character that
I never wanted to leave. Thai touches greet
you as you enter, from the series of wooden
hands making the abhayamudra gesture on
the walls, to the fabric and patterns on the
furnishings. Beyond the expansive living
room with a sofa big enough to seat a whole
family and a cosy dining nook, the bedroom
and bathroom took my breath away. The
eminently-comfortable bed faces the view,
so there’s no mistaking when you wake
up that you’re truly in paradise; while the
bathroom stands on a league of its own, with
a majestic bathtub in pride of place in the
middle, large enough to soak your worries
away, no matter how heavy they may be.

DRINKING AND DINING
“One of our points of pride is our cuisine,” My favourite restaurant, however, was their
COMO Point Yamu has three main F&B Andy says. “Aside from our wonderful Thai Thai restaurant Nahmyaa, which has a
outlets, spanning La Sirena, their all-day- restaurant and our all-day dining restaurant, beautiful, design-led aesthetic also by Paola
dining restaurant which offers wood-fired I myself eat from the COMO Shambhala Navone, featuring gold-leaf walls and eye-
Italian cuisine outside of breakfast hours; menu on a regular basis, and I’ve discovered catching paintings swimming through the
Nahmyaa, with a sublime selection of that healthy food can taste great, too!” walls, while bubble light features give the
classic Southern Thai delicacies; and he adds with a laugh. “We often have a space a whimsical feel. With both a tasting
their Aqua Bar by the pool, which serves preconception that healthy food is boring, menu and à la carte options, every dish, from
light snacks and cocktails all day. However, but it doesn’t have to be! We also use a lot of their perfectly-made Miang kam pla yang to
beyond these, you can also request private local ingredients, and are trying to get away their classic Khanom jeen nahm yaa made
dining options as a group or as a couple, from flying them in from all over the world.” with local seabass, showcases the taste of
either in your villa or in private, romantic Breakfast at La Sirena is certainly not to the South to best effect, with intentional
locations throughout the hotel. Moreover, be missed, with their array of Thai and touches that made eating there a treat from
at every outlet and in your rooms, their international options from classic Yoghurt beginning to end.
COMO Shambhala menu is available, and Granola to Congee and Fried rice with
which provides healthy cuisine using chicken, as well as an entire menu of à la
organic ingredients that are, I’m told, rich minute items ranging from Avocado toast
in enzymes, vitamins, and minerals, while to their Full continental breakfast and even
still tasting delicious – the latter of which Kuey tiew. At lunch and dinner, make sure
I can certainly attest to, after having tried to try any of their Italian classics, such as
their Steamed local seabass which was rich their Linguine aglio with just the right
in flavour and redolent with aromatics such amount of spice, or their Gnocchi with pesto
as ginger. sauce from their special menu.

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