Phulay Bay, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve – Review

What has to be one of Thailand’s most dramatic and ultra-luxurious hotel properties the Phulay Bay, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve has just 54 villas and pavilions set across meticulously manicured grounds, a backdrop of cinematic natural beauty and a collection of dining experiences ranging from classic Thai, contemporary fine dining and laid-back Mediterranean-inspired options poolside. This beachfront hideaway offers the intimacy of a boutique retreat combined with the service style and offerings the Ritz-Carlton Reserve brand is synonymous with. Recently recognised with three MICHELIN Keys in Thailand’s inaugural hotel guide, the resort is celebrated for its outstanding hospitality offering. The Luxury Editor recently stayed here, read on to discover more.

As the first Ritz-Carlton Reserve globally, Phulay Bay set the tempo for the collection when it opened in 2009. Conceived by Thai architect Lek Bunnag, traditional Thai architecture is reinvented through dramatic, sweeping rooflines and a rich palette of natural stone and teak. The atmosphere is immersive yet calm, towering teak doors, still reflection pools, and flame-lit walkways create a sense of arrival that continues throughout the entire guest experience. The recent recognition from MICHELIN is a testament to the resort’s blend of awe and authenticity, with the guide praising its theatrical entrance, elegantly styled villas, spa, private pool retreats and discreet yet attentive butler service. It remains one of only eight hotels in Thailand awarded the top three Key distinction.

What Makes a Ritz-Carlton Reserve Property

What Makes a Ritz-Carlton Reserve Property? – Ritz-Carlton Reserve properties are rare and highly individual retreats designed to offer a deeper, more immersive experience than traditional luxury hotels. Each one is set in a remote, unspoiled location and reflects the natural beauty, culture and traditions of its setting. With no more than 115 rooms at any resort, the experience is intentionally intimate and highly personalised. Craftsmanship and cultural integrity are central, with each Reserve embracing locally inspired design, exceptional service and meaningful rituals. Guests can expect intuitive hospitality, authentic culinary journeys, and an emphasis on wellness and connection to nature.

Phulay Bay, as the original Reserve, established many of the brand’s hallmarks: dramatic architecture, immersive settings, and a sense of time and space that encourages you to fully disconnect.

Lobby & Check In

Arrival at Phulay Bay feels ceremonial as guests are led through a narrow passage flanked by towering indigo walls, emerging into a vast reflection pool and at its centre the resort’s wooden welcome pavilion. The sound of a gong and drums mark your arrival. Guests are welcomed with a cool towel, delicately rolled and presented like a gift, followed by a chilled herbal drink and a floral garland, placed around the wrist with gentle ritual.

There is no formal reception desk, check-in (and check out) is handled discreetly by your butler (who is assigned to you at check-in) in your villa or suites. You’re escorted to a golf buggy that will take you to your suite, via a series of spectacular open-air rooms in the entrance complex.

Location

Located on Tubkaek Beach, approximately 45 minutes from Krabi International Airport. With views of jungle-covered limestone karsts, the setting feels far removed from Thailand’s better-known tourist hotspots. The resort has direct access to the shallow waters of the Andaman Sea, and boat trips around Hong Island and Phang Nga Bay are a breeze. Along with day excursions to Railay, Ao Nang and Krabi Town, however, many guests find little reason to leave the resort’s calming embrace.

Rooms & Suites

Part of Phulay Bay’s appeal is its intimacy, offering just 54 accommodations. Each generously sized and entirely private, with interiors that lean into Thai traditions of soaring ceilings, teak accents and handwoven silks.

Entry-level Reserve Pavilions start at 90 sqm with oversized beds, sofa lounges, and shaded outdoor spaces. Bathrooms come with terrazzo soaking tubs and separate rain showers, and walk-in wardrobes. Ocean Pavilions sit closer to the shoreline, offering sundecks and sea views, while the Ocean Pavilion Suites expand to 150 sqm, with two bathrooms and separate living rooms ideal for longer stays.

The Beach Villas (90 sqm) edge closer to the sand and include private pools, outdoor lounging areas, and an indoor-outdoor living that makes it easy to lose track of time. Oceanfront Beach Villas offer uninterrupted sea views and a stronger connection to the elements, while still providing shaded terraces and oversized daybeds.

For full seclusion, the Reserve Villas (110–150 sqm) are designed for total retreat, with private pools, spacious indoor-outdoor living areas. The Reserve Villa Sea View category offers the same layout with the added benefit of uninterrupted views across Phang Nga Bay. These villas feel particularly private and atmospheric, making them well-suited for honeymoons, special occasions, or simply switching off from the world.

At the top of the accommodation category, the Royal Beach Villa offers 150 sqm of beachfront living, with panoramic sea views, a private infinity pool, and a secluded garden. The villa includes a whirlpool large enough for four, a separate dining area, and a living room. With its expansive layout and sense of privacy, it’s ideal for special celebrations, extended stays or couples seeking a truly memorable escape. A private chef can also be arranged on request for in-villa dining experiences tailored entirely to you.

Every guest, regardless of room type, is assigned a dedicated butler available around the clock via WhatsApp.

My Suite During My Stay

During my stay, I was hosted in Villa 12, one of Phulay Bay’s Reserve Villas tucked discreetly within the resort’s landscaped grounds and moments away from the sea. This category offers complete privacy cocooned by mature tropical foliage, creating a natural green curtain around the entire perimeter.

Enter via the garden where you are greeted by a sleek lap pool that runs the length of the space. At the bottom, two crimson-cushioned sun loungers are positioned under dappled shade, while on the other side, a shaded terrace features a built-in daybed with bolsters, which levitates over the pool’s edge along with a dining table for alfresco dining.

At the heart of each Reserve Villas is one of the most extraordinary features I have ever seen – the bed, or rather, beds. Two king-sized mattresses have been combined to create one vast sleeping platform, so wide you could lie horizontally and still not touch the edges. It’s so unique in scale that the resort commissions bespoke linen to dress it, with everything from fitted sheets to duvets made to measure. The result is a bed that feels less like a place to sleep and more like a place to inhabit.

Behind the bed and running its length lies a long stone writing/dressing table, at its corner holds a Nespresso machine and glass-bottled water in woven holders. A compact minibar is hidden behind dark wood panels, Singha beer, fresh juice, Veuve Clicquot, and a mix of local snacks like dried mango and root vegetable crisps presented in a leather-strapped pantry box below. A drawer nearby holds ceramic cups, spoons and a neat selection of coffee pods, teas and sweeteners. Soft drinks, beer and water are complimentary throughout your stay. One of my other favourite things to see – complimentary milk in the fridge for coffee.

Leading through large teak doors into the bathroom, which is a destination in itself, dramatic, opulent and completely indulgent. At its centre, a sculptural lotus-shaped bathtub, from here, the space radiates into dedicated zones for dressing, grooming and showering. The vanity area features scalloped stone basins set beneath large windows looking out onto a private zen garden, while the walk-in rain shower, with its oversized bronze taps, offers a spa-like experience.

On the other side, the walk-in wardrobes feature plenty of space for two people’s luggage, along with robes, slippers and wide-brimmed straw hats. A Dyson Supersonic hairdryer, illuminated make-up mirror, and carefully curated amenities, which are replenished twice a day speak to the hotel’s attention to detail.

And, as if one sculptural bath wasn’t indulgent enough, a second is located in the back private garden, complete with ornate hippopotamus-shaped spouts and leaf-shaped taps.

Even the turndown offers additional surprises; nightly chocolate creations are hidden beneath glass bell jars, waiting to be savoured. One evening, it was a Thai pavilion rendered entirely in chocolate, another, a solid white chocolate elephant on a banana leaf.

But the care goes far beyond aesthetics. After misplacing a hat on a boat trip arranged with an external company to Hong Island, I returned to the villa that evening to find a new hat provided by the hotel placed in my room. I hadn’t even mentioned it. Somehow, they just knew.

Food & Drink

Phulay Bay’s main dining venues each bring a different mood and menu and we experienced the following.

Lae Lay

The resort’s most elevated dining experience, both literally and figuratively. Set above the sea and wrapped by a mirror-like pool, which you must cross to enter. Lae Lay offers a six-course tasting menu, the menu opens with smoked kingfish, cucumber and Oscietra caviar, followed by steamed black cod in wasabi beurre blanc with daikon and watercress. Andaman lobster arrives next, rich with Thai curry, carrot and calamansi, leading into seared Hokkaido scallop with cauliflower, hazelnut and shavings of black truffle. The fifth course, Tajima wagyu tenderloin with purple curry, beetroot and red onion, is a showstopper, while the dessert of pandan yoghurt with mango, kaffir lime and young coconut was as playful as it was refreshing.

Jampoon

Jampoon serves as the hotel’s breakfast venue, along with all-day dining setting. Offering an indulgent start to the day with a combination of à la carte dishes and an extensive buffet. The spread is nothing short of impressive: from tropical fruits and detox juices to made-to-order egg dishes, delicate dim sum, Thai noodle soups, charcuterie, artisan cheeses and freshly baked pastries. A dedicated butter station features truffle, salted and unsalted options, while yoghurts, chia pots and compotes are beautifully presented in glass jars. For those in the mood to celebrate, there’s even champagne chilling on ice.

Breakfast

Lunch

Chomtawan

For sunset, head to Chomtawan, the resort’s open-air beachfront bar. Sip cocktails as the sky fades into pastel hues behind the limestone karsts. The vibe is relaxed with a central thatched-roof bar, comfortable seating and candlelit tables.

Each week, the resort hosts a relaxed cocktail evening in the garden area just in front of the pool. As the sun sets behind the iconic limestone islands, guests gather beneath the palms to enjoy live acoustic music and complimentary drinks from a pop-up bamboo bar. Movie buffs might even recognise the setting, this very lawn featured in The Hangover Part II as the backdrop for the wedding reception scene.

Plai Fah

And for lighter bites and Mediterranean-style lunch options, head to Plai Fan by the pool.

Candlelight Dinner at Sala Srichan

For something intimate and truly breathtaking, the resort offers private dining experiences at Sala Srichan. Dining tables are surrounded by shimmering water and thousands of candlelit reflections, this extraordinary Thai pavilion delivers a dramatic and theatrical backdrop for an unforgettable evening.

Spa, Wellness and Pool

The spa sits as a standalone building overlooking a green lagoon. Offering a range of holistic treatments inspired by ancient Thai healing traditions. The highly skilled therapists use natural, organic products during massages, invigorating body scrubs, and facials. There is a vitality pool, saunas, steam baths, and a spacious relaxation area. There is a 24-hour fitness centre with Muay Thai boxing facilities, along with a yoga and wellness studio offering yoga, pilates, and stretching classes, along with soundbath experiences.

Outdoor Pool

The beachfront infinity pool faces the bay, flanked by shaded loungers and daybeds and connects with the restaurant Plai Fah.

Experiences

The hotel also curates a collection of experiences that reflect its local setting. These include long-tail boat trips to nearby islands, Thai cooking classes, monk blessings, and guided jungle hikes. During our stay, we crossed the sea to Hong Island. The journey itself is breathtaking, departing from the hotel’s pier, the boat skims across the sea. We passed hidden coves and rock formations that seemed to rise almost impossibly from the ocean before arriving at the island’s sheltered lagoon. From here, a short but energetic climb leads to a viewpoint with sweeping views across the archipelago, followed by some swimming and beach time to relax. On the journey home, a coconut with a frangipani bloom and fresh fruit was served as we made our way back to the hotel – the whole experience taking around a half day in total.

Leaving Ritual

And just like that, two days of relaxation were over, and it was time to depart. As part of Phulay Bay’s farewell ritual, guests are invited to choose a handmade friendship bracelet before departure. Made from violet threads and tiny beads, they symbolise connection, care, and are a memory of your time at the resort.

Final Thoughts

Phulay Bay is less a hotel and more a feeling, from the way it makes you pause to the quiet thoughtfulness woven into every detail, the experience leaves a lasting imprint. It’s no surprise it holds Thailand’s highest MICHELIN distinction. Few places get luxury quite so right.