Thanyapura Sports Hotel | Retreat in a World Class Sports Hotel

If you were to dream up the ultimate sporting playground and transport it to an idyllic setting among the palms and rubber trees of Thailand, Thanyapura sports hotel Phuket should come pretty close to your vision. Thanyapura sports hotel Phuket is a 23-hectare athlete’s playground, catering to world-class competitors, weekend warriors, school children and everyone in between and it is well on its way to becoming Asia’s premier sporting hub.

Skye Gilkeson | Updated July 2017

A rare quiet moment at the Thanyapura Phuket training and teaching pool. Image © Skye Gilkeson

We arrived at the hotel late in the afternoon, just in time to take a twilight tour around the grounds. It wasn’t until we climbed a set of stairs and met by the 25-metre and 50-metre pools that the scale of Thanyapura hit.

Executive Chairman Klaus Hebben has been described as a “visionary”. The idea for Thanyapura was sparked from his own health battles and as the idea developed it became something much bigger than that; it became a project that could benefit Phuket and Thailand at large, giving local kids and international athletes access to a world-class training hub.

The German National Swim Team training hard in the Thailand sun at Thanyapura Phuket. Image © Skye Gilkeson

The Celebrity Effect at Thanyapura

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As we set about our days of training around the grounds, we were often flanked by any number of athletes from the German, Dutch and French Olympic and British Paralympic swimming teams. It was a surreal experience being in the presence of such inspiring and insanely fit athletes and something I’ve never experienced elsewhere. Athletes are drawn to Thanyapura because it’s effectively a one-stop training shop; the cafe and restaurant is footsteps from the pool, medical attention is available on site. Testament to this, many national teams come to Thanyapura to train for their biggest meets.

Ranomi Kromowidjojo front and centre as the Royal Dutch National Swimming Team warms up poolside at Thanyapura Phuket. Image © Skye Gilkeson

It’s not just the amateur athletes that benefit from having professional competitors on site. We were captivated by groups of toddlers and primary school children splashing about energetically at their afternoon swimming lessons in the pool right next to teams who are preparing to compete in Rio. It was incredible to witness.

For Formula 1 drivers the proximity to racing in Asia is a big draw with Jenson, Marcus Ericsson, Carlos Sainz and Ricciardo all heading to Thanyapura to train and fly in and out to Malaysia and Singapore. Maria Sharapova also stopped in to train at Thanyapura between tournaments in Asia. It’s hoped Thanyapura will become a hub for triathletes from around the world too with new competitions opening up in the region and Thailand offers a much cheaper option as a base for athletes.

It’s not just professional swimmers you’ll see working out in the weights room or sitting next to you at lunch. Thanyapura’s biggest consumer is their weight loss client, particularly people visiting from the Middle East.

The Vision for Thanyapura

Thanyapura’s aim isn’t simple to teach people to move better. They holistically target body, mind and soul through health management and preventative medicine, sports and education. Right now, the compound is home to the Thanyapura Sports and Leisure Club (TSLC), Thanyapura Mind Centre (TMC), Thanyapura Integrative Health Centre (TIHC) and Phuket International Academy Day School (PIADS), but this is only the beginning. Their vision is ambitious.

Within the next five years, there will be a 100-metre pool, ten tennis courts (including a clay court), an MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) centre, CrossFit centre, a multi-use indoor room for wrestling and badminton, a new Wellness Centre and the list goes on. An additional investment will also be made into the school, in the hope that it will become accepted as a United World College. Needless to say the financial investment at Thanyapura has been substantial. These new additions will come at a cost of about $AUD14 million. It’s no surprise Thanyapura is a state-of-the-art facility.

Consultation with Thanyapura Sports Dietitian Marcela Prats as part of the Quick Fix Detox Program. Image © Skye Gilkeson

Thanyapura Retreat

We opted for a Thanyapura Retreat style stay; the 3-day Quick Fix Detox program during our stay. Having been on the road full-time for more than 10 months, we need to give our body a little love. Their quickie detox is more thorough than it sounds. Across our three days, we had a medical consultation with the on site Doctor, Dr Sutthi, body composition analysis (yes, a little scary but also very motivational), a detox foot bath, a lymphatic drainage massage, a stomach massage (to help shift unwanted weight and aid digestion), colon hydrotherapy (to detoxify the colon) and a consultation with Sports Nutritionist Marcela Prats who wrote both of us individualised detox eating plans, particular to our personal goals. The team we worked with during the detox was professional. Three days on the detox, combined with our own daily training schedule we were feeling lighter, more energetic and firmly back on the clean eating track.

The pool at the Thanyapura Sports Hotel. The perfect spot to recover and recharge in between sessions. Image © Skye Gilkeson

Andrew Mates relaxing at the Thanyapura Sports Hotel after a tough morning of training at the sports centre. Image © Skye Gilkeson

A Suite Stay in the Pool Wing

There are two accommodation options; the 77-room Thanyapura Sports Hotel and the 38-room Thanyapura Retreat Hotel. We stayed in a Suite in the Pool Wing at Thanyapura Sports Hotel. The 63 square metre king bed suite was spacious, clean and extremely comfortable. More like a one bedroom apartment, we had a large bedroom with ensuite (double shower, bath tub, his and hers vanities). A separate living area with lounge, dining table, desk, a second bathroom and access to a gorgeous green garden meant it felt more like a home than a hotel room. The hotel has a pool and a lounge bar area with day beds which is a great spot to wind down in the afternoon sun.

The living area with, desk, dining table and patio in the Suite Pool Wing at the Thanyapura Sports Hotel, Phuket. Image © Skye Gilkeson

14 two-bedroom villas and an addition 100 room deluxe hotel will begin construction this year, so the accommodation on offer will match the capacity of the training venue and also further cater to families and the luxury market. With former head of Ritz-Carlton, Philipp Graf von Hardenberg now the CEO and President of Thanyapura, we expect the new accommodation will be impressive.