Are Kate & William Spending Their Honeymoon In A Luxury Phuket Property?

By Author: Rebecca Smith
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Phuket, Thailand: We’ve had Princess Eugenie up dancing on the tables at Surin Beach and her older sister Princess Beatrice partying 'til dawn under the full moon.
So I thought I’d have a look at the sort of villas Kate and William might consider for their honeymoon - if they’re spending it in Phuket.

Most of these luxury properties are hidden away. Well off the tourist trail. You may see them on the cliff tops when you're jet-skiing or sailing by. But you won't find any road signs or lavish entrances. Often these houses hide behind a modest wooden gate.

The only things that give you a clue are the minders and security guards stationed outside.

This villa is tucked away on its own piece of headland.

Liberty Villa
http://phuketoceanvillas.com/propertydetail.asp?PropertyID=1233

Liberty Villa is secluded by large, densely planted grounds which lead to the ocean-front.

There are very few villas in Thailand with their own beach. Liberty is one of them. The beach was custom designed and built amongst the rocks below.

The bedrooms and bathrooms all have a different ...
... colour scheme; red, blue, green etc.

To achieve this interior designer Brian Woulfe used large panels of coloured glass. It's hard to describe but if you imagine a mirror that’s coloured rather than shiny silver, it will give you an idea.

Art work in the villa consists of many Thai Buddhas and statues.

The kitchen is definitely for serious cooks. It has stainless steel cupboards and appliances as well as a solid granite counter top imported directly from Italy.

Even the home cinema room was custom designed - the walls are padded with crimson velvet.

Viewings are strictly by appointment. But relax, you don’t have to be royalty to get in.

The asking price is 7,000,000 USD. (210,000,000 Baht).

Close to Liberty is Villa Wang Nam Jai.

Villa Wang Nam Jai
http://www.phuketoceanvillas.com/propertydetail.asp?PropertyID=972

It’s also very private with grounds of just under two acres (8,000 m2).

If you're looking for peace and quiet and a place to relax - this villa may be for you.

Wang Nam Jai (translation - Palace of Kindness) is a large property with 7 bedrooms and a living area of over 2,000m2 (21,527 ft2). But it doesn't feel too big as the rooms are located in separate pavilions throughout the grounds.

So no matter how many friends you have you’ll always find some privacy.

The architect designed the villa to save most of the original trees. These now provide welcome shade for the covered walkways and outdoor seating areas.

Unfortunately, if you'd like to view Villa Wang Nam Jai you’ll have to provide evidence you can afford to buy it first!

The asking price is 335,000,000 Baht (11,172,000 USD).

This resort is a favourite with celebrities.

Trisara
http://phuketoceanvillas.com/propertydetail.asp?PropertyID=168

Villas at Trisara rarely come onto the open market.

Why is this?

• A prime ocean-front setting

• Privacy and security

• Quality of finishing

• 5-Star service

Trisara owners know they can relax once they’re inside. They know the staff won't talk to journalists and security is tight. Exactly what Kate and William need after all the fuss over their wedding.

And the dense tropical landscaping surrounding your villa means you cannot be overlooked or overheard.

Once inside, the separate pavilions provide your guests with their own space. So much so, many villas have guest rooms with their own private pools.

The villas are fully staffed and the kitchens and bars of Trisara mean you don’t have to prepare your own food and drinks, unless you want to. Room service will come straight to your door or your own private chef can prepare something special for you.

You'll find a show kitchen in the main house and a more practical industrial kitchen next to the staff quarters at the rear. This keeps the noise and cooking smells away from you and your guests.

This pair are a little bit different.

Villas Ying and Yang
http://www.phuketoceanvillas.com/propertydetail.asp?PropertyID=549

Villas Ying and Yang sit side by side on a secluded ocean-front plot.

The owner is a French art dealer who had lots of input into the design and interiors.

This makes them quite unique.

In fact, you may not like them - some find them too severe. They have blackened floors and lots of the furniture, decoration and art work is red. If you don't like modern art you probably won’t like these villas. But if you do, you may fall in love with them.

What’s more, these villas have won awards for their interiors. Especially the kitchen at Villa Yang which won Wallpaper Magazine’s ‘Kitchen of the Year’ award in 2006.

But, apart from the Andy Warhol prints and all the original art, what makes these villas special?

In my opinion it’s the interiors, the gardens and the privacy.

They’re so private - even from the ocean you can only see the roofs. Ideal if you’re trying to avoid the telephoto lenses of the Paparazzi.

Villa Ying is on the market for 230,000,000 Baht (7,667,454 USD).

The smaller Villa Yang is priced at 135,000,000 Baht (4,500,692 USD).

(If you’re interested, the art is for sale with the villas but not included in the asking price)

‘The View’ is on the East Coast of Phuket and its name says it all.

The View
http://phuketoceanvillas.com/propertydetail.asp?PropertyID=1235

This villa has 180° views of Phang Nga Bay and its islands - in my opinion the best view in Phuket.

It’s perfect if you love sailing because you can moor your boat right outside.

The Philippe Starck design features huge pavilions, with cathedral ceilings and large open spaces.

And the interiors are quite striking. They’ve been kept simple to emphasise the large paintings and unusual metallic sculptures which decorate the villa.

The three separate pavilions are set between manicured lawns. There’s a thirty metre swimming pool, a covered dining sala and plenty of open spaces.

At the end of your garden is a gate which leads directly onto the beach.

The asking price is 151,000,000 Baht (4,962,000 USD).

This is a personal favourite.

Malaiwana
http://phuketoceanvillas.com/propertydetail.asp?PropertyID=204

The villas at Malaiwana blend Thai and contemporary designs with 200° ocean views.

But it’s unlikely Kate and William would stay here as it’s not quite finished.

Eight villas are completed with another three under construction. The estate will be finished by the end of 2012.

And all completed villas are available to view - but strictly by appointment only.

This gives you the opportunity to check the standards. The developer told me that he finishes each villa three times before he hands it over to its new owner - such is his attention to detail.

One really nice thing about Malaiwana is its private beach club. It’s in a tiny cove at the southern end of the beach and Malaiwana have exclusive rights to use it. This means no hawkers and no jet-ski touts so it’s really quiet and private.

Although it only opened in January the Malaiwana Beach Club has already had some famous visitors, such as British fashion model Kate Moss. In fact, lots of owners from Trisara go there by boat as it’s just around the corner.

Above the beach will be a restaurant, a bar and a sunken bar, plus a VIP lounge for private functions and conferences. These will all be finished in June 2011.

In my view these villas are a bargain compared to similar re-sales on the market.

With prices starting from 99,500,000 Baht (3,318,253 USD) you will get a very good return on your investment.

Of the nineteen villas, nine are sold. And this week reservations were taken on two others.

So will Kate and William be spending their honeymoon in Phuket?

It’s possible. Only a handful of people really know. If you Google it you’ll see what I mean - lots of false information out there. But interestingly Phuket is not mentioned.

Rebecca Smith

Phuket Ocean Villas - http://www.phuketoceanvillas.com

Article source... http://blog.phuketoceanvillas.com/are-kate-william-spending-their-honeymoon-in-a-luxury-phuket-property/
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Rebecca Smith is a real estate journalist with more than 15 years experience. She is currently the sales director for Phuket Ocean Villas who specialise in luxury ocean view property investments in Phuket, Thailand.