Banyan Tree Krabi is a 72-key boutique resort that we have been watching at LuxeGetaways since the grand opening this past October. They really got our attention when they recently celebrated the opening of their new spa that boasts a unique hydrotherapy facility and eight treatment rooms, each of which has been fitted with a selection of colored lighting designed to help enhance the well-being of each individual guest.
Banyan Tree Krabi: The Resort
The new resort — Banyan Tree’s fourth in Thailand following hotels in Phuket, Bangkok and Koh Samui — is located at tranquil Tubkaek Beach, a 45-minute drive from Krabi International Airport, and just north of the main tourist areas of Railay and Ao Nang. Nestled in the northernmost corner of the beach, Banyan Tree Krabi is flanked by nature — it tiers into a verdant rolling landscape known as Naga Crest Hill, while facing out over stunning limestone cliffs and the sapphire waters of the Andaman Sea.
A freshwater stream winds downhill from Naga Crest Hill into the property where Banyan Tree’s innovative design team has sculpted a beautiful tropical canal to ferry the springwater to the sea. The rush of water is a recurrent sight and sound at the floral 10-acre resort, where guests are constantly treated to the trickle of streams or the cascading of waterfalls, from the spectacular water feature gracing the lobby to a small waterpark for kids.
Banyan Tree Krabi: The Spa
And nowhere is the element of water accentuated more than at the pavilion of Banyan Tree Spa Krabi, host to The Rainforest, a maze of hydrotherapeutic stations, including a steam room and sauna, ice fountain, jet pool, and an array of waterjets designed to simultaneously stimulate and soothe the body and mind.
Among the massage options available to guests and visiting customers is lava shell treatment, which begins with body wrap of pearl powder, followed by a special technique created exclusively at Banyan Tree Krabi using a heated lava shell.
“Pearl powder contains trace minerals and is high in calcium, which is conducive to healthy skin,” said spa manager Bussayawan Chanchai. “And the effect of massaging it into the muscles with a hot lava shell is ideal for relieving tension and stiffness.”
Bussayawan heads a team of therapists each thoroughly versed in the Banyan Tree brand of well-being. She previously studied a Science Program in Integrative Medicine where she discovered the benefits of color therapy, which she has now adapted at Banyan Tree Spa Krabi.
“We chat with each client when they check in and ask how they are feeling,” she said. “Someone who has come from a cold climate may well be recommended red lighting, which boosts energy and increases warmth. Those who have just had a long flight or have not been sleeping well could be offered blue. We also have white, green and yellow lighting, and each helps to immerse the guest in an ambience that will create positive energy and benefit their health.”