“Having first been to Phuket over 20 years ago and also more recently, my view was that the island had been spoilt and was now overdeveloped, touristy and full of crowds wanting a “good time”. As for Phuket Town, I had passed through previously and thought it was run down with nothing of interest to see. But I had read a lot about Point Yamu so I wanted to see for myself,” Lesley-Ann said.

Point Yamu opened last year as Como Hotels & Resorts’ second hotel in Thailand, a sister to The Metropolitan in Bangkok. The resort has 79 rooms and suites and 26 pool villas and is set up on a peninsula, so wherever you are in in the resort, you have non-stop views of the Andaman Sea. Reached via little roads through verdant rubber

plantations and sleepy villages in a predominantly Muslim area of the island, this is a far cry from the likes of Patong on the west coast.

Traders from Arabia, China, India and Portugal all flocked here in the island’s hey-day of rubber plantations and tin mines and you can see influences from all their cultures in the old town.

Spending time there was also clearly an influence for the designer of Point Yamu, Paola Navone, whose work Kate Goodrich of Peakes Travel Elite really appreciated. She said she was blown away by the hotel’s design. “I hadn’t heard of Paola Navone before but was amazed by her style and idea of ‘bringing the outside in’,” Kate said. “The

hotel seemed airy and spacious and I loved that Paola used local artisans and local crafts and materials, which make it so unique.”

One of those unique elements is the lobby - completely open-air, with a central display designed to reflect an altar, with collections of artefacts, local trinkets and floating flowers. As Kate said: “The lobby was so peaceful and lovely to walk through and hear the temple bells on the display chiming in the wind.”

She added: “All the rooms were so spacious with superb views and if you were lucky enough to have a room facing the sunset - well, the views of that were amazing. The hotel also has a great little “Play by Como” kids club, which is free for the little guests to spend time in.”

The hotel also has La Sirena restaurant, with distinctive, vibrant design features - including an enormous blue-tiled wood-fired pizza oven. In more than a nod to Paola’s roots, the restaurant features excellent Italian options, alongside Thai and healthy options as part of the Como Shambhala wellness theme that runs through all of Como’s hotels.

Cocktail hour

Sunset cocktails around the 100-metre, much-photographed swimming pool allowed everyone the chance to take in those views together one night before enjoying a meal at Nahmyaa - this time cooked by the professionals.

In Nahmyaa, a giant tiled goldfish looks out at diners, and hanging ceiling lights are there to resemble the little bubbles he would be making if he were in the water. These thoughtful touches and design details are everywhere you look in the hotel, and were explained to the group by general manager, James Low.

His passion was appreciated by Matt Price from World Market Travel in Bath, who was enjoying his first trip to Thailand: “I’ve always leaned towards selling the more ‘traditional’ designed hotels, but this was something completely different - every little detail had been thought of. I think Point Yamu will be perfect for people who think they

have ‘done’ Thailand and it offers the exceptional service one expects from this part of the world. Plus its setting is unique within Phuket; you could never get bored of the views!”

“From the minute we started the tour with James, you could tell that the hotel had been meticulously designed” Matt Price

During the showround, the group stopped in one of the beautiful villas, clad in white with flashes of blues and turquoise, with expansive pool decks and decadent bathrooms. Fresh coconut juice was served in the shell, along with cold towels - one of the many thoughtful touches the resort arranged for the group during the stay.

These also included the release of khom loy, or sky lanterns, a small hot air balloon made of paper, which people write wishes or thoughts onto before releasing them into the sky. On the last night of the trip, the group did this from the lawn of the resort, which had also been set up with a Tiki bar serving a selection of Thai whiskey. This was followed by a gourmet meal in the private dining space, with white, pearlised walls, intricate chandeliers, flowers and tealights.

Kate said: “I loved the releasing of the balloons, it was a bit emotional as we all sent our wishes into the sky and I was certainly sad that the trip was coming to an end after such an amazing week away. It was the perfect mix of sightseeing, experiences, and it was great to fully be able to experience the hotel as a client would do. All of it was out of this world.”

Kate was also pleased to spot the hotel’s commitment to sustainability: “This is something I’m really passionate about - I believe the hotel needs to shout more about what they do! For example, the hotel sponsors a local school - these elements would make me want to return to the hotel and I will definitely be recommending the hotel not only for its fantastic location, amazing views, excellent service - but for its ethos too.”

Beach babes

The usual image of Thailand is of a white sand beach, but given its elevation on the peninsula, Point Yamu is not directly on a beach, even though the views of the Andaman Sea are everywhere. Instead, guests are taken from the local jetty to a pretty island nearby, but the resort is also in the process of completing its own beach club, which will be reached by speedboat when it opens later this year, with all the usual Como touches, such as swimming pool, spa treatments, healthy cuisine, beautiful design and impeccable service.

Some of us discovered a little local beach of our own when out for a bike ride. Some grandparents had taken a little brood of five kids down there for a quick swim; sucking on a mango, the baby of the group eyed us all up fiercely as we arrived on our bikes with funny helmets and pasty skin. The grandmother took to us a little more kindly and offered us a little mango to eat ourselves, as we stopped to catch our breath.

Enjoying the ride - despite a small mishap - was Julie Smart, owner of Cannon Travel in Royal Wootton Bassett: “I loved it - even after I fell off in the rubber plantation as I was getting back on the bike! It was great to see the villages and a bit of the interior of the island. Actually I thought all the activities such as tai chi and yoga were brilliant and there are so many well-being elements, which certainly makes Point Yamu a very special place.”

Daily yoga, pilates, tai chi or other classes are offered free for guests daily at the Como Shambhala Retreat, where there is a gym, steam rooms, outdoor plunge pool and relaxation area, seven treatment rooms and of course, four Thai massage alcoves - all on the trip had the aches of pains of long-haul flights and work stresses eased away in massages.

New arrivals

As well as agents getting to know Point Yamu and exploring the east coast, the ttgluxury Experience was also aimed at highlighting Etihad Airways’ daily flights to the island, which launched last year from Abu Dhabi.

As Clive Wratten, UK general manager for Etihad, said: “The trip gave the agents a first-hand experience, with the aim of helping them to promote and sell the first-class products and services we offer, both on board and on the ground. This was an especially important opportunity to showcase our new Business Studio on the A380 aircraft, alongside the daily service from Abu Dhabi to Phuket to a group of luxury-focused members of the trade.”

At Heathrow’s Terminal 4, Etihad has a lounge that’s home to treats such as a Six Senses spa, which helped some of the agents on the trip to get a bit of pre-trip pampering and relaxation before the night flight to Abu Dhabi. It’s worth preparing clients that they will have to clear security in transit in Abu Dhabi airport, which even at 3am was very busy.

“We were a little surprised by the queues, but it is a busy airport I guess,” said Matt Price. “I had never flown with Etihad before, but I had a very positive image of them as we use them a lot. In economy from London to Phuket, I thought the service and comfort was one of the best I had ever experienced.”

On the way home, most of the group got to experience the new Business Studio product on Etihad’s new A380s from Abu Dhabi to London. The new product is currently only available on the A380s on that route but the two agents flying back to Manchester were also assured of a business-class experience.

Luke Skinner, who manages a small team of Holidaysplease agents, said: “This was the most comfortable flying experience I’ve ever had. I was very impressed and it compares well with business class on other A380s, with loads of space, fantastic service, entertainment, and food. When we landed, I drove four hours home, did a busy day at work, had dinner and went to bed at 11pm - then woke up refreshed the next morning. Normally after that length of flight I’d have been struggling to keep going!”

Another form of transportation sampled on the trip was a beautiful yacht called Jaya - belonging to Christina Ong, owner of Como - upon which the group experienced Phang Nga bay, sailing from a marina just 30 minutes from the resort. The views got better and better, past James Bond island and endless limestone karsts - the guide pointed to one of them, telling us there was a hidden lagoon in the middle of it and within minutes, Luke had donned a mask and flippers and disappeared off into the sea to go and find it.

“I sell Thailand most months and it’s in our top five destinations; I have already discussed Point Yamu with a client and lined it up for their next trip to Thailand” Luke Skinner

“I just had to go and have a look,” he said. “When I swam into it, it was bathed in sunlight and as I looked up, there were birds flying around everywhere and nesting up in the rocks. It was incredible.”

An intrepid traveller, Luke has cycled the length of Africa and also runs a cycle hire and tours business in Hay on Wye - needless to say, in any down time on the trip, he was off on a bike exploring the island.

“Thanks to all those bike rides and getting lost a bit, I now have a much better understanding of the geography of the island which will be a big help, especially as this was my first trip to Thailand - I certainly spotted some national parks that would be worth a visit next time.”

All agents said they thought it was of one of the best fam trips they had been on, or as Matt Price puts it: “Carlsberg don’t do educationals, but if they did…”