In 1982, The Pansea opened, named after Pansea Beach, which it faces. The resort was nestled in a cove overlooking the clear waters of Thailand’s Andaman Sea. Thatched-roof cottages dotted the hillside and lined the white-sand beach, linked by a network of open walkways. The property embodied a kind of Robinson Crusoe chic, and its hexagonal swimming pool, clad in black anthracite, became an emblem of the design-led island retreat.
At the time, Phuket was still relatively unknown to international travellers. Electricity was available for only a few hours a day – a luxury in such a secluded location. Today, guests can focus instead on what the resort has to offer. It is also no longer The Pansea, but The Surin. Over the past four decades, the resort has taken on several identities and undergone multiple renovations by Ed Tuttle (1945–2020), the American architect and designer credited with setting a new benchmark for luxury tropical resort design through his modern interpretations of space and place.
In 1995, Tuttle was commissioned to renovate The Pansea, which became The Chedi Phuket under General Hotel Management (GHM). He is also known for designing many Aman properties, including Amanpuri – the group’s first resort, located next door. During this period, YTL Hotels & Resorts and the Aman Resorts Group became co-owners of the property. It was only in 2011 that the resort was rebranded as The Surin, a name said to allude to ‘protector’ in Sanskrit or ‘city of the golden sun’ in Thai.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/experiences/surin-phuket-luxury-resort-6001021
