How We Booked the Hotel For those of you unfamiliar with the Ritz Carlton STAR program, it is the hotel chain’s premier travel agency partner program. As many of you who are better acquainted with Virtuoso and American Express’ Fine Hotels & Resorts Program probably noticed, the benefits above are identical to those offered by these programs. The reason I decided to book with a Ritz Carlton STAR Travel Agent, however, was because I had heard anecdotal evidence that doing so would elevate me to the top of the upgrade queue - giving me a higher probability of upgrade success than guests who booked through Virtuoso or American Express FHR. Well, I am happy to report that we were upgraded to a Resort Pool Villa, a full three categories above the Reserve Pavilion that we had booked (more on that later)! I should also mention that the rate we paid for the hotel through the Ritz STAR agent was the same rate offered on the hotel’s website, while American Express FHR was charging about 4,000 Thai Baht more for the room – making booking through Ritz STAR even more of a no-brainer. Early Check-In (12PM) Late Check-Out (4PM) Free Breakfast for 2 Guests each morning $100 Resort Credit that could be used at any of the hotels restaurants or the Spa Upgrade Subject to AvailabilityTwo friends and I recently had an extraordinary stay at the Ritz Carlton Reserve at Phulay Bay for one night at the tail end of a short trip to Thailand. To book our accommodations, I utilized a Ritz Carlton STAR member travel agent and received the following benefits: Arrival When we arrived at the gates of the resort, a security attendant asked if we were checking in and upon confirming that we were, he radioed ahead to the hotel staff and opened the security barrier for us to pass. We drove up to the discreet entrance to the hotel and were warmly greeted by a concierge team that swiftly took our luggage away. Around the same time, an extremely pleasant assistant manager approached us and welcomed us to the hotel again. After a bit of small talk about our travels, she showed us the way in to what turned out to be the most spectacular hotel I have ever had the pleasure of staying in.Upon leaving the airport, Krabi strikes you as a province that has been served well by the tourism economy. I was expecting the city to look a lot more like other small towns I have visited in the developing world, but was pleasantly surprised by how well maintained the infrastructure was. The roads in particular were in excellent condition, making our short drive as smooth as could be – with some pretty spectacular scenery to boot.The resort offered an airport pickup service that was around 3000 THB per guest, so we opted to rent a car from National Rental Car at Krabi Airport instead. The car came out to about $71 for a two-day rental, which seemed like more than a fair price to pay. After loading up our economy Nissan Altera with our bags, my friends and I made the short, 45-minute drive to the resort.Krabi’s airport, as you would expect it, is incredibly small – something that I both love and hate. My feelings regarding the airport reminded me of my relationship with New York’s La Guardia – an airport with dire food options and overall amenities, but one that you sure as hell can get in and out of with ease!As it is currently the rainy season in Thailand, we knew we were taking a gamble by booking a stay at a beach resort but luckily for us, Krabi’s forecast called for clear skies for the day we were there.The resort is about 20KM, or a 45 minute drive, from Krabi International Airport (KBV). We flew Bangkok Airways from Bangkok to Krabi, arriving at 11:00AM on what turned out to be an incredibly smooth and uneventful flight. Bangkok Airways really did impress me, as the airlines service stood in stark contrast to what one could expect on a domestic flight in the US. Take, for example, the fact that we were served a meal (and dare I say a delicious one) on a 45 minute domestic flight that was served by a whopping 7 flight attendants – in Economy! Initial Thoughts Minutes later, our butler Tanya joined us and after introducing herself and asking us how our trip to Krabi was, informed us that she was ready to take us to our villa for check-in whenever we were. My friends and I were still enjoying our delicious welcome beverage at this point.  Noticing this, the hotel manager told us that we could take the beverages with us to our room should we wish to. We obliged and strapped into one of the hotels numerous golf carts with Tanya and were on our way.Having been at the resort for just under ten minutes, we had already been introduced to 5 members of the hotel staff who all seemed to know us on a first name basis. Perhaps more astonishing was the fact that none of it felt forced or unnatural, but rather, everyone we met seemed like they were genuinely interested in our well being. This was a trend that continued throughout our short stay and is a testament to how good the Ritz Carlton Phulay Bay staff really is.She then sat us down in the reception pavilion, as a member of the hotel staff entered and greeted us with the traditional Thai phrase “saw de ka”, or welcome. We were promptly served a fresh lemon-grass welcome drink and were told that the manager of the hotel would be joining us shortly. As promised, the manager whisked in a few seconds later and welcomed us yet again. He informed us, much to my delight, that they had upgraded us to one of the resorts beautiful Reserve Pool Villa’s and that our butler, Tanya, would be joining us shortly to drive us to our villa utilizing one of the hotels many courtesy golf carts.The assistant manager first explained to us that unlike at a traditional hotel, the property did not have a lobby or reception. Instead, guests would receive a more personalized service and would complete check-in with their butler in the comfort of their pavilion or villa.The hotel, which was constructed in 2008, is the first of a growing portfolio of “reserves” for Ritz Carlton that include properties in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia as well as Puerto Rico. For these hotels, Ritz wanted to create a truly unique experience for guests by creating properties that seamlessly blend into their environments and offer a level of service unparalleled in the world of big hotel chains. Ritz’s first definitely delivers on all of these fronts, and my friends and I found ourselves almost having to pick our jaws off the floor on numerous occasions as we were just that amazed by what we were experiencing. The Room and Resort Waking up to the calming sounds of the waves and a bit of sunshine in my eyes seemed like a made for TV moment. I relinquished my spot in the hammock to a passerby and found my friends hanging out nearby at the Sunset View Bar having one of the resorts excellently crafted Mojitos.After a heavy lunch and an early morning of travel, I wanted nothing more than a few minutes of shuteye. Rather than returning to the villa and crashing on the ridiculously oversized king-sized bed, however, the Ritz managed to offer an even more enticing choice: an ocean side hammock. I left my friends and laid my claim to the hammock, taking in the gorgeous views of Phulay Bay before having one of the best naps I can remember having in awhile.Shortly thereafter, we were led to our seats overlooking the pool and ocean beyond and ordered a variety of different Thai staples that were all impeccable. From the Pad Thai I ordered, to the Panang curry and selection of sates my friends ordered, everything was delectable.After changing into some swimwear, my friends and I headed to the pool for lunch. While lounging poolside waiting for our table, one of the many pool attendants came by and offered us some hot chocolate. While hot chocolate on a hot summer day in Thailand doesn’t seem like the most natural choice – we went with it and it was both super delicious and oddly refreshing.We only had a day at the hotel, so we had to make the most of our time. I asked Tanya for recommendations for lunch and dinner and she recommended that we have lunch at the poolside restaurant and dinner at Sri Trang – the resort’s traditional Thai restaurant. We heeded her advice and she made us reservations at both restaurants – though we didn’t really need them as it felt like we were the only ones at the resort. We later discovered that the hotel was actually at around 70% occupancy, but the grounds were so large that it deceptively made you feel like you were the only one there.Let me tell you – the wait was totally worth it. Words cannot do justice to just how impeccable our resort pool villa. Instead, take a look at the photos below. I also took a 10 minute video of our arrival that I will attempt to upload and post a link to shortly.Enroute to our room, the sheer beauty and magnitude of the resort started to really become apparent. From the manicured lawns, to the beautiful gardens that grew spices, herbs and vegetables used in the hotels many delicious restaurants; the Ritz Carlton team really outdid themselves with the Phulay Bay Reserve. Tanya carefully explained all of the features of the resort to us on the short drive over to the villa. When we arrived, she first walked us down to the beach and sunset bar to give us a lay of the land before leading us back to the room for check-in. The hotel grounds continued to leave us speechless, so much so that one of my friends half-joked that he forgot that we still hadn’t seen our room! The Spa After our massages, Tanya met us outside of the Spa facility to whisk us away to the restaurant for dinner in one of the hotels courtesy vehicles. You could spend a week at this property and not walk more than a couple of steps each day, as your butler will literally offer to drive you anywhere you want to go at anytime.All three of us hopped into one of two of the spa's humungous jacuzzis before deciding to get a 60 minute massage that was nothing short of spectacular. After the treatments we felt so relaxed that it was hard to keep our eyes open during dinner!We returned to the room to freshen up a bit and then made our way over to the gorgeous spa facility. At the resort, the Spa is completely complimentary to use unless you are getting a treatment. That means you can relax for as long as you want in the Jacuzzis, steam room, sauna, relaxation suites and shower suites without paying a dime extra. All spa-goers get assigned a locker, a plush robe, slippers and a towel by one of the many excellent spa attendants upon entering the facilities.Tanya came by the Sunset Bar to greet us and check in on how our stay was going so far. She recommended that we head to the spa before dinner to relax in one of the two oversized Jacuzzis and/or the steam room and sauna. She also mentioned that the spa was having a 50% off sale on all treatments, so we decided to schedule some private massages as well. Dinner at Sri Tang After a relaxing hot shower in the comically large rain shower suite in our room, I was asleep within minutes of me settling down on what was and is the most comfortable bed I have ever slept on. In a word, this thing was plush. Imagine a marshmallow twice the size of a king sized bed and you wouldn’t be too far off from an accurate description.After dinner, we were so tired that we felt like we were going to collapse. Thankfully, Tanya was right outside waiting to drive us over to our Villa!In a few short minutes, we arrived at Sri Trang and were met by the executive chef Alex (from Spain) who welcomed us and sat us down at the table. Alex proceeded to then go over the menu and explained each of the dishes thoroughly. He made a pretty strong case for some of the local Krabi recipes, so we went with whatever he recommended and did not regret it in the slightest. The food was AMAZING. It was hands down one of the best Thai meals I have ever had in my life – which is saying a lot since I live in San Francisco and grew up in Texas, two places with no shortage of delicious and authentic Thai restaurants. The Next Morning: Gym, Breakfast, More Spa Time I decided to spend the rest of the day relaxing at the Spa and Beach, while my friends took some of the complimentary Kayaks for a quick spin around Phulay Bay. The time finally came for us to pack up our bags and wish Tanya and the rest of the amazing Phulay Bay staff a farewell.Our flight from Krabi back to Bangkokg was later that evening, but luckily we had a guaranteed 4PM checkout that was graciously extended to 5PM as we booked through a Ritz Carlton STAR agent. That meant that after breakfast, we only had about 7 hours left in Paradise.After a brief workout, we headed to another one of the hotels restaurants, Jampoon, for our complimentary breakfast. The breakfast consists of a buffet, as well as a menu that you are entitled to order one item off of. All non-alcoholic beverages including fresh fruit juices, coffees and teas are also complimentary. Working up a bit of an appetite from our morning workout, we pigged out at the buffet and topped it off with the secret recipe French Toast that both Tanya and the chef, Alex, recommended. Like many superlatives I experienced at this hotel, the French toast too was among the best I have ever had in my life.The next morning, we woke up super refreshed and headed to the gym for a quick work out before breakfast. Of all of the facilities the hotel had to offer, the gym was definitely the most underwhelming. The equipment was fine enough, but the room felt a bit dingy compared to the rest of the hotel. That’s a shame, as I know many people (myself included) like to get a good workout in when they are at a resort, as it helps with overall relaxation. Overall Impressions Having the privilege accumulating tons of loyalty points and premier status at various hotel groups through my previous career as a consultant, I have been fortunate to have staid at many extraordinary hotels and resorts in my life. I can say with absolute confidence, however, that none of them even comes close to what I encountered at the Ritz Carlton Reserve Phulay Bay. Not only was the hotel one of the most beautiful properties I have ever seen, but the service was simply unparalleled. Needless to say, if you find yourself in Southern Thailand anytime soon, do yourself a favor and splurge on a night or two at the Ritz Carlton Phulay Bay – you won’t regret it.