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PHUKET'S BEACH RESORTTHE SLATE UNDERGOES ACHIC FACELIFTby Leona Liu on Jul 18, 2017 in Architecture

(http://www.perspectiveglobal.com/category/architecture/) , Dose of Design

(http://www.perspectiveglobal.com/category/dose­of­design/) , Interiors

(http://www.perspectiveglobal.com/category/interiors/)

(http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http://www.perspectiveglobal.com/architecture/phukets-beach-resort-the-slate-undergoes-a-chic-facelift/)(http://twitter.com/share?url=http://www.perspectiveglobal.com/architecture/phukets-beach-resort-the-slate-undergoes-a-chic-facelift/&text=Phuket%E2%80%99s+beach+resort+The+Slate+undergoes+a+chic+facelift+)Share on Google+(https://plus.google.com/share?url=http://www.perspectiveglobal.com/architecture/phukets-beach-resort-the-slate-undergoes-a-chic-facelift/)(http://service.weibo.com/share/share.php?url=http://www.perspectiveglobal.com/architecture/phukets-beach-resort-the-slate-undergoes-a-chic-facelift/)(http://connect.qq.com/widget/shareqq/index.html?url=http://www.perspectiveglobal.com/architecture/phukets-beach-resort-the-slate-undergoes-a-chic-facelift/) (mailto:?subject=Phuket’s beach resort TheSlate undergoes a chicfacelift&body=%20http://www.perspectiveglobal.com/architecture/phukets-beach-resort-the-slate-undergoes-a-chic-facelift/)

(http://www.perspectiveglobal.com/cms/wp­content/uploads/2017/07/11.jpg)

Hotelier Prakaikaew Na­Ranong at The Slate, Phuket

Phuket's Indigo Pearl is now The Slate (https://www.theslatephuket.com).

Hotelier Prakaikaew Na­Ranong, heir to Thailand's tin­mining pioneers, reveals

her vision for its design

Perspective first travelled to Indigo Pearl, Phuket, in 2012 and found a delightful resort

cleverly crafted by architect Bill Bensley. Its beautiful industrial chic interiors had been

inspired by the history of the property's owners, the Na­Ranong family, noted as

pioneers of the island's tin­mining industry. Five years on, the family plays a pivotal

role in Phuket's all­important tourism business and has plans for further growth.

(http://www.perspectiveglobal.com/cms/wp­content/uploads/2017/07/2.png)

Black Ginger, the resort's Thai cuisine restaurant, is set to become a standalone sub­

brand

The privately owned beach resort was recently renamed The Slate, after the stone

often found alongside Phuket's tin deposits. According to Prakaikaew Na­Ranong, who

co­owns the hotel with her father Wichit Na­Ranong, Phuket's Father of Tourism, the

name is a nod to the past. "We decided to evolve and connect the brand name directly

to the design and tin mining history of Phuket," she says. "The new name goes deep

into the root and soul of the island, while hospitality today is about creating unique

guest experiences where design and business are moulded together as one element."

(http://www.perspectiveglobal.com/cms/wp­content/uploads/2017/07/31.jpg)

Hotelier Prakaikaew Na­Ranong worked with architect Bill Bensley in curating the

property's decor, including the Coqoon Spa

In the shift from mass­market to upmarket, Phuket's hoteliers have been reinventing

the island as a lifestyle destination, with beachside hideaways, private villas and the

like. In keeping with the new direction, the Na­Ranong family sought a designer to

whom they could give carte blanche for the entire property — from the landscape to

the architecture, interiors and more. Bill Bensley, a close friend of the family was the

man for the job.

5

"To me, good design is what strikes you at the first impression and lasts in your

memory. A good designer is someone who always thinks out of the box and pushes

boundaries. But of course, we have to get along," Prakaikaew says practically.

(http://www.perspectiveglobal.com/cms/wp­content/uploads/2017/07/41.jpg)

The family enlisted the skills of architect and close friend Bill Bensley, and named thefeatured suite after the designer

Bensley's design for the renovated hotel is one­of­a­kind. It incorporates elements of

Phuket's tinmining past, as well as the local way of life, not only through its design but

also staff uniforms, the food and drinks, and other elements. Bensley adopted the

industrial­chic concept with applied Thai elements, using mainly raw cement,

blackened stainless steel and dark wood. Black Ginger, the property's stunning Thai

restaurant, is set in the surroundings of a traditional garden and accessed by a raft

ride. Customised Ayutthaya houses built with charred wood are accented with cobalt­

blue tiles on the ceiling and stainless­steel accessories to give the decor a modern

twist.

This is an excerpt from the “Set in stone" article from the Jul/Aug 2017 double issue of

Perspective magazine.

To continue reading, get your copy (http://www.perspectiveglobal.com/subscription/) of

Perspective.

architecture (http://www.perspectiveglobal.com/tag/architecture­2/), design

(http://www.perspectiveglobal.com/tag/design/), Hotel

(http://www.perspectiveglobal.com/tag/hotel/), Hotel design

(http://www.perspectiveglobal.com/tag/hotel­design/), Indigo Pearl

(http://www.perspectiveglobal.com/tag/indigo­pearl/), interior design

(http://www.perspectiveglobal.com/tag/interior­design/), interiors

(http://www.perspectiveglobal.com/tag/interiors­1/), Phuket

(http://www.perspectiveglobal.com/tag/phuket/), resort

(http://www.perspectiveglobal.com/tag/resort/), Thailand

(http://www.perspectiveglobal.com/tag/thailand/), The Slate

(http://www.perspectiveglobal.com/tag/the­slate/), travel

(http://www.perspectiveglobal.com/tag/travel/)

(http://www.perspectiveglobal.com/cms/publication/)

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