JetSetMeister

GET A ROOM: ABODE OF THE WEEK

Something tropical this way comes. Or however you say it. Really, the only criteria for the abode of the week is that it has to be DROOL-worthy. As in, the pictures of it, the feelings of longing it evokes in you, make you salivate.

Here’s one that always does the trick for me. I treated myself to a stay at the Banyan Tree Phuket in Thailand for my 21st birthday. The resort is simply breathtaking. Every detail has been thought of and executed flawlessly. Instead of traditional hotel rooms, the Banyan Tree Phuket is an all-villa resort. Why stay in a room when you could have a whole house? Ah yes, the price. If you’ve never stayed at a Banyan Tree, then know that it may ruin you for life.

I had just graduated from college and was working in Singapore, so a weekend getaway to Thailand was in order. Naturally. And since turning 21 means nothing in a country where the drinking age is 14 (hmm), I spent my paycheck on a fat present to myself.

Hello private villa that smells like lemongrass mingled with frangipani. Hello outdoor stone bath fringed by palm fronds and blue skies. Hello private yard with sparkling pool and hello sumptuous lounge area that resembles a pagoda.  Whenever you want to leave your villa (but why would you?) the staff will pick you up in a golf cart and whisk you to wherever your heart desires. Hello paradise.