Thursday, September 30, 2010

The pools, Alila Cha Am

This resort has 2 big swimming pools. One in the sea front and the other is inside with a bar lounge and spa with high stone walls surrounding.
1. There are many Bose weather-proof speakers around, almost one every 10 to 15 meter distance. Again, the hardware of building a hotel/resort should be taken note into these details. Music is an essential part in a resort. If some lousy speakers are used, it would be very annoying rather than relaxing. Then if the speakers are not evenly placed, the sound level would be in a poor sound field with sound only heard in some parts too loud and the others too weak. 2. I like the way they carved the signs like this instead of painting. This is some very detail but creative to be practical rather than just of design.
3. The 2 sides of this main compound have 2 walkways leading to the pool villas and sea front. Then along these 2 sides are the standard rooms. So you would feel the hard and ambient blended together (stone and trees). 4. Some natural sand and cobble stones are in the middle section of the inner pool.

5/6. the pool

7. Shallow and the deep. 8. the sun deck.

9/10. You would feel the grand of this stone wall.

11/12. sea front pool with pool villas on the 2 sides.

13/14. This reminds me of MO's pool but they use deep blue and metallic color while MO used golden subtle brown.

Sea front pool villa, Alila Cha Am







Motion/Cloud, the Italian/western cafe, Alila Cha Am

Cloud is the open area section, Motion is inside air-con. section, offers Italian and int'l cuisine. In general, dishes are very reasonably priced and western food is better than Thai.

1. Table setting. 2. Beef strip sandwich, THB250. Tender beef filet and lots of veggie. Coleslaw is good too, and the potato wedges.
3/4. at night time.

5. Iced coffee THB120. Too bad it' s mixed with syrup and milk. 6. Grassini is good! 7. The waitress recommended to try their house-blended curry powder to go with the grassini. Very aromatic and not hot at all.
8. This is also good to go with the grassini - black/white sesame in olive oil. 9. Guava delight THB120. 10. Iced mocha THB120. Both are good. Not too sweet.

11. Warm soft bread with light touch of cinnamon. Good! 12. Mushroom soup. THB220. I like this one as it's not very thick but aromatic with fresh flour/butter into cream soup base.

13. Caesar salad with chicken breast THB220. Very nice to mix it on your own. 14. Smoked salmon spaghetti THB250. Pretty good, and not too heavy but juicy to seal it in the spaghetti.

15. dried shrimp and crushed peanut to go with pad thai. 16. Pad thai THB280. At average.

17. Orange juice for the breakfast. 18. coffee.

19. Breakfast is on a la carte. This one is soy milk with Chinese doughnut. 20. Fresh fruit plate.

21. toast for the American breakfast. 22. congee with pork. It's one of those instant congee mix.

23. American breakfast. 24. Kitchen burger for the lunch, THB290. Nice presentation and you can decide what sauce to go with.

25. Pad Si Er (stir fried flat noodle) with shrimp THB290. Pretty good. 26. Banana yoghurt shake THB150.

The Loft (lounge), Alila Cha Am

Alila is in a 2 storey compound stretching over 200 to 300 meter long. The main lobby and the lounge Loft is on the top level with the middle part covered in a big shallow water pond. Beneath it is a swimming pool, spa, restaurant, library...etc.

3. Complimentary high tea set is offered to every guest from 4-5pm daily. Lychee cooler with some Thai snack and an open faced sandwich, plus a coffee or tea. Very nice to have this high tea set with such a nice view at sunset.