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Then take the small and winding Laem Sai road, also on your right,
climbing up past the Peach Hill Resort until you reach The Breakers
on your left, almost at the top of the hill. Phew! It's quite a
climb, even on wheels. The complex comprises 12 apartment blocks
laid out in "boomerang" formation along a niche in the
hillside. Two rows of three blocks are positioned either side of
a central reception/lobby area on the upper level and the swimming
pool on the lower level. Each block has three floors with one apartment
occupying an entire floor, thus giving greater privacy than having
neighbours on the same level.
The project is being developed by The Breakers Resort & Development
Co. , Ltd and is the joint brainchild of Rudi Meyer, the company's
M. D. , who hails from Hamburg, and his architect, Khun Saroch Tantipattanaseri,
M. D. of PMC Co, . Ltd. , in Phuket.
The mild-mannered Mr Meyer has a long history of family construction
business in Germany and, in more recent years, in Hong
Kong. He is clearly a man who thrives on hard work. "Like
many expats, I discovered Thailand
and Phuket
while on vacation from Hong Kong. I've visited many other locations
in Asia but found that overall, Phuket
is the best place to be. The charm of the Thai people was also a
major factor for me and now the infrastructure and facilities we
have in Phuket
are just the cream on the cake, " he enthused. After he built
his own house on the Nakatani estate in Kamala some years ago, he
felt a certain vacuum. "You have to do something, " he
continued, "and I just decided to go for a bigger project.
" He wasn't kidding. "I still have my business in Hong
Kong, but I'm spending the major part of my time here now, to concentrate
on getting this project completed. "
The site occupies almost three acres (about 7. 5 rai). Due to the
slope of the site some serious thought had to be given to design
concepts. Rudi favoured something totally different from the almost
standard Thai-style sloping roofs, which moreover would have obscured
the view from the upper apartments. The theme he eventually decided
upon was based on Mayan and Aztec architecture. The whole site is
terraced, with the buildings laid out in such a way that no two
views within the site are the same. Elegant columns and balustrade
supports are adorned with stucco shaped in ancient geometric patterns.
Colours throughout the complex, both inside and out, are very easy
on the eye, being primarily pastel shades of yellow, green, brown
and grey. Entering the reception area, one gets the feeling of curvatious
elegance, both in the structure and in the inlaid floor patterns
as well as those crafted into the walls. A lift, off to the left,
serves all levels, as do generous circular staircases. To the right
of and below the lobby area is a circular, three-tiered cascading
waterfall; the lower pond of which is due to be plentifully stocked
with fish. The pool and sundeck area, whilst essentially on the
lower level of the development, is itself a split-level affair;
the upper pool cascading down into the lower one. My tour took me
back up to the top level and into what will, by now, be the show
apartment. The total apartment area is a very generous 210 square
metres; 170 for the indoor areas and 40 for the balconies.
Each apartment is divided into three basic areas. From the main
entrance, you enter a central kitchen and living area. Off the main
living area, to the right, is the master bedroom; to the left is
the guest bedroom. The kitchen features a breakfast bar which also
cunningly doubles as a regular "beer & spirits" bar,
jutting unobtrusively into the main living area. The master bedroom
is almost as big as the central area. Walls here are angled to allow
inset windows to add additional light and to give an impression
of ample space - which there is! The integral bathroom area is ingeniously
designed in such a way as to enhance this space. The enormous circular
shower unit forms an effective room divider whilst also creating
a useful storage area in the bedroom. Twin vanity units allow for
a squabbleless "His & Hers" regime.
Clinching the luxurious taste, the area sports a sensibly sized
Jacuzzi. To the other side of the central living area is the guest
bedroom. This is laid out in a similar fashion to the master bedroom
but with two major differences. The integral bathroom has a shower
and twin vanity areas, but not the luxury of a Jacuzzi. The twin
vanity units here, however, are set in a tight curve, unlike the
in-line counterpart of the larger bathroom. The other main difference
is a second front entrance, the guest entrance, to enable the apartment
to be split into two quite separate units. A very useful feature
if you want to live in one half whilst renting out the other. It
also allows the possibility of sharing the common central area.
Should the mother-in-law insist on coming to visit you in Phuket,
she too can be securely and separately accommodated! The enormous
doors joining the master and guest suites are specially insulated
so as to enhance privacy. From all of the three areas is a large,
but separate, terrace. Full-width Sunparadise aluminium windows
separate the indoors from the terraces, but are of the fully-folding
type, to take advantage of the incoming breeze. Additionally, folding
doors between the central and guest terraces offer optional privacy
if desired. Each terrace faces almost due south. To the left, or
east, the predominant view is of Kata Bay and the promontory separating
the two Kata bays from Nai Harn bay. To the right, or west, is the
main part of Laem Sai hill, within which is the remote hillside
restaurant of the Club Med complex, invisible from The Breakers.
Looking down to the sea beyond, the klong - or small canal - is
very attractive. Local long-tail boats wait patiently for a chance
to take tourists out to nearby islands or to go and catch an evening
meal. From the upper apartments there is the additional delight
of the extremely-well-laid-out roof gardens of the lower blocks.
The shrubs have been expertly arranged in circular Chinese patterns,
giving a very pleasing effect. The complex is due to house one main
and two boutique Restaurants. A fitness centre and spa are under
consideration. Clients will have the option of hotel-type services,
such as room service and laundry facilities. "It's true that
Phuket is getting more competitive, " confessed Rudi, "but
I believe we'll be able to compete on our quality of product and
services offered. "
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