making waves

Pattaya has long had a reputation as one of the raunchier destinations in Asia. By day, a somewhat sleepy and nondescript town 90 minutes south of Bangkok, at night its beachside district wakes up to the brash beats and neon lights of bars and clubs that line the infamous Walking Street and adjacent roads.

While Pattaya is unlikely to shake off its risque image, there are signs that the town is becoming aware that it has a lot more to offer particularly to those looking for a quick escape from Bangkok for some weekend seaside relaxation.

As a result, Pattaya is experiencing a burst of new hotel development by both international and local operators to accommodate the more discerning traveller. On the local front, this has included the new DusitD2 Baraquda Pattaya hotel, part of Thailand's long-established Dusit group.

The group already had a Dusit Thani beachside hotel in Pattaya. Set well away from the bar zone in expansive and lush tropical grounds, this hotel appeals to travellers looking for international five-star standards with an overlay of traditional Thai ambience.

But, like many hotel groups, Dusit has realised that it needs to diversify to meet the demands of a younger, design-savvy market. D2 Baraquda is its second property under the new Dusit D2 brand that sets out to offer a more boutique and contemporary approach to hotel accommodation.

Designed by DWP's Bangkok office, D2 Baraquda sits on the edge of the bar district, one block back from the seafront. DWP architecture design director John Stenton says the initial challenge was how to establish a presence for the 10,000m² hotel on a site that was 150m deep but with only 30m of road frontage.

"The owner is a keen diver, and we wanted to express this affinity with the ocean in the hotel with a sense of water, movement and luxury," says Stenton. "So the front of the hotel has been given strong sculptural elements reminiscent of a super yacht."

The cool white colour of the building also conveys a sense of calmness among the bright pulsating colours of its surrounds.

DWP executive director, Scott Whittaker, says the strong oceanic themes continue inside the hotel.

The entrance to the hotel puts a new spin on the check-in process, treating the curvaceous reception desk more like a bar, and providing plenty of lounge-style seating and a view through to the pool.

"The undulating wall beside the reception bar creates a sense of the movement of the sea, and was constructed from fibreglass applied to a steel frame," says Whittaker.

The third-floor Deep Bar takes this marine theme further. Cantilevered out 12m at the front of the hotel, it needed to act as beacon from outside as well as blend in with the bars that it overlooks.

During the day, the stark white surfaces and sculptural fins that encase the ceiling take their cues from the underside of an iceberg. But few people experience it this way. The Deep Bar is very much a night-time venue, transformed by a flood of coloured light from underwater aquas and greens to fluorescent yellows and reds.

Meanwhile, the Sunset Lounge on the roof provides sea views and the more sedate feel of sipping cocktails while lounging on the top deck of an ocean liner.

The 72 guest rooms include eight suites and four two-storey D Suites. Clever design features such as a combination headboard and desk, and not dividing off the bathroom from the bedroom give the rooms a spacious feel and allow the inclusion of freestanding circular dipping tubs in the suites.

Scott Whittaker says the design processes and execution of other Dusit properties DWP has worked on provided the basis of trust needed for them to take calculated risks in the D2 Baraquda project.

"D2 Baraquda will become a destination magnet for resort travellers and a new business generation wanting a more personalised and hip experience from the hotels they stay in," he says.

Story by: Paul Taylor

Photography by: Woraphot Jangkamonkulchai