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    Phuket Adventure

    Phuket adventure: Scary boat rides, Thai hospitality and bucket list lessons

    Jane Howze
    Jan 2, 2014 | 12:13 pm

     Editor's Note: CultureMap contributor Jane Howze is traveling around the world in 17 days. Her third stop: Phuket, Thailand.

     

    Travel — business or vacation — is usually, if not always, a learning experience. Besides discovering countries, cities, cultures, people, the usual stuff, you learn how to travel. We have done all of the what-to-see, but what could someone who has more miles on her than a United Airbus learn about how to travel?

     

     Don't backtrack

     

    On Christmas Day we left the Maldives on the third leg of our trip around the world for our next stop, Phuket, in southern Thailand. It’s about 1,700 hundred miles as the crow flies — same distance as Houston to San Francisco — so, why did it take us over 24 hours to get from the Maldives to Phuket?

     

     

      Rule No. 1: Time trumps money, and Rule No. 2: Time trumps frequent flier miles.  

     
     

    Rule No. 1: Time trumps money, and Rule No. 2: Time trumps frequent flier miles. To save a few dollars while padding our frequent flier accounts, we chose flights that would take us on either United or one of its partners to save a few dollars and earn a few more miles. To do so, we backtracked to Dubai to fly to Phuket.

     

    Bucket list Rule 1: If for years you plan and save for a vacation, be careful where you economize; Backtracking is one place not to do it. And, we didn’t save that much money. Time was our most scarce resource, yet we ended up with an eight-hour layover in Dubai, which was the opposite direction from Phuket.

     

    Did we regret the backtrack? Of course. Was it worth the hassle? No. Airports and airplanes are not the most pleasurable places to spend vacation time, and security checks are the necessary evil of air travel. The third bucket list rule learned? Read on.

     

     Phuket Zen

     

    Phuket, an island 30 miles long and 13 miles wide, lies 536 miles south of Bangkok and includes 39 other smaller islands. Rubber and tin mining were the main sources of island’s revenue, but they have been overtaken by tourism. Low prices, diving and snorkeling, beautiful beaches, culture and unfailingly polite residents attract more than five million visitors a year. Tourists can choose from more than 1,000 hotels beginning under $100 a night and topping out at the 65 five-star deluxe enclaves, some edging towards $5,000+ a night.

     

    Unlike our prior destinations of Dubai and Maldives, most of the people we met in Phuket who were not tourists but are Thai natives, not imports from Pakistan and Eastern Europe. While Phuket is now the wealthiest province in Thailand, labor is relatively inexpensive, so hotels can afford to hire locals. Perhaps because most of the population is Buddhist, the people are unfailingly gentle, kind and eager to please. Driving in Phuket is on the left hand side of the road, with more motor scooters than cars, and is wildly chaotic and a little scary. But the drivers seem Zen-like, never use their horns, and the seemingly impossible traffic snarls somehow easily clear out.

     

     A special hotel

     

    In Phuket we wanted a hotel that was low-key and local. A good thing, because the time between Christmas and New Year’s is peak season with many hotels requiring a 10-day stay. We settled on the Shore at Katathani, part of a small Thai chain with three properties along the popular Kata beach: a budget hotel, a mega hotel and our choice, a small three-year-old boutique. The Shore at Katathani has 48 villas, all of which are cantilevered on a hill overlooking the spectacular white sand beach of Kata Noi. Rooms are reached by electric buggy or a winding labyrinth of steep stairs, with soft New Age music softly playing from the trees.

     
     

      The staff delighted in creating towel sculptures in our room at at turn-down each evening — swans, elephants, fish, turtles and monkeys. 

     
     

    Our room has an infinity edge pool, a large patio and a bathroom with sliding doors opening to the patio. The hotel has a spa that is simple but Zen-like in design and attention to detail. The staff is warm, nurturing, gracious and unfailingly polite, and frequently asked “How do you like our hotel?” with genuine interest. Our hotel is remote and not crowded—very different from the main trafficked areas of Phuket. Even better, the staff delighted in creating towel sculptures in our room at at turn-down each evening—swans, elephants, fish, turtles and monkeys.

     

     Teeing it up with the Thais

     

    As die-hard golfers, we could not resist the opportunity to tee it up. Phuket has six golf courses, a 40-minute to two-hour cab ride away from our hotel. We played Loch Palms, the closest and third-ranked. It was a pleasure. We were totally charmed by the group of caddies waiting outside the clubhouse — all women dressed in matching lime green outfits. Each player was required to take a caddy and a cart, which the caddie drove. Some golfers took two caddies, one to hold an umbrella to shield the golfer from the unrelenting sun and one to caddy. With up to five players in a group, it looked like a small army advancing toward the green.

     

    None of the caddies play golf, but they can read putts, give you exact distances, find lost golf balls and keep scores with unerring accuracy. The course was not particularly memorable, but spending time with these amazing women, all of whom are raising families and delight in this highly coveted position, was a high spot.

     

     Rule three of bucket (or any other) travel list

     

    Many of our friends suggested we visit some of the outlying islands for snorkeling and beautiful beaches. One friend recommended Ko Phi Phi but cautioned, “The trick is finding places that aren’t overrun with tourists.” I should have wondered, “What does that mean?” But running with the idea, we quickly booked a tour, expecting a deserted island with beautiful beaches.

     

    Our first clue that we had misjudged the situation came when we were picked up by a van that made four hotel stops, eventually loading 20 people in a carrier for 15, and drove us at break-neck speed and suicidal passing to a pier so crowded it made Grand Central Station look like a museum. There were hundreds of people signed up for the same itinerary awaiting to be packed into a convoy of 20-passenger speedboats.

     

     

      After 20 minutes of milling with the hundreds of tourists, I had a moment of sheer panic where I could not find our boat nor any of our fellow passengers. I was sure the boat had left without us. 

     
     

    Within 30 seconds after leaving the dock for the 45-minute ride in a high-powered speedboat, we were cautioned, “Don’t sit on the bow of the boat, it will break your back. Rough water today.” What an understatement! It was so rough that our small boat bounced airborne from wave top to wave top, plopping in the troughs with such a hard thud that every bone in my body shook. We were all soaked from the spray, in spite of the boat being covered. After 10 minutes, one person was vomiting uncontrollably, two babies were crying hysterically and one adult (that would be me) was having a panic attack.

     

    (To support my lack of exaggeration, all boat trips were canceled for the following day because of high seas and safety issues which were about the same as what we experienced).

     

    When we finally reached our first island, Hat Nopharat Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park, we saw what I can best describe as a speed boat jam — 50 boats double parked near the beach, with passengers disembarking in waist-deep water for a 30-minute stay to visit a restroom, enjoy the beach and get back on the boat before the tide went out. We were instructed to keep our shoes on to avoid cuts from the small but sharp rocks on the bottom (there went my sandals), with waves crashing on us (there went my Blackberry with camera), only to arrive at a small beach with hundreds of people, no functioning restrooms—in short, a nightmare.

     

    Our fearless guide said to be back on our boat in 30 minutes. After 20 minutes of milling with the hundreds of tourists, I had a moment of sheer panic where I could not find our boat nor any of our fellow passengers. I was sure the boat had left without us. After five minutes of frantically searching, I found our boat moved 100 yards away from the beach because the tide was receding faster than normal. We now had to wade out further (chest deep) to get back to the boat.

     

    I don’t know if finding the boat was a blessing or curse. We had four more stops and islands to “experience” before we were done. Don’t get me wrong. The beaches are beautiful, the water spectacular, and we made new friends with the other similarly miserable American couple on the boat, who, as it turns out, knew friends of ours in Los Angeles. It gave new meaning to the phase — “we are both in the same boat.”

     

    Which leads me to Rule No. 3 for bucket list trips. Ask friends for recommendations and then do your own due diligence.

     

    Most “tourist” spots have something to offer or they wouldn’t be tourist spots, but not every tourist spot suits every tourist. When you have limited time, know what works for you and ask questions. Do not count on the tourist brochures to sell you on an excursion. Phuket deserves all the accolades it receives— spectacular people, scenery, food and beaches. But as my friend says “the trick is finding places not overrun with tourists.” Amen.

     

     Next stop: Sydney.

    The towel sculptures amazed us, and they were different every day.

    Jane Howze Phuket Thailand December 2013 The towel sculptures amazed us. Different ones every day
      
    Photo by Jane Howze
    The towel sculptures amazed us, and they were different every day.
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    news/travel

    Montrose's new boutique hotel

    Houston influencer opens an antiques-filled boutique hotel in Montrose

    Emily Cotton
    Jul 3, 2025 | 2:18 pm
    The Marlene Inn boutique hotel
    Photo by Julie Soefer
    The Mattingly Room at The Marlene Inn.

    A shared existential crisis dreadfully looms over Houston preservationists when a beautiful old home hits the market: what will happen to it? What if a cash-hungry developer buys it as a tear down, what if it gets sold as a multi-unit rental space by some conglomerate and it falls quickly into disrepair, just to see the wrecking ball anyhow? Let’s try this on for once — what if it doesn’t? What if, for once, the perfect person buys “her.”

    There are no aggravatingly “millennial font” house numbers attached to 109 Stratford Street in Historic East Avondale — recently-opened as a boutique hotel called The Marlene Inn and its soon-to-be-hopping Bar Madonna. Instead, the original, iconic blue-and-white one-by-one tiles hold fast to tradition on the welcoming steps to this historic Montrose home, as they should. The addition of “The Marlene” tiled one step above the address assures guests and visitors that nothing short of tradition lies beyond the deep, rocking chair-outfitted porch stretching the width of the house — for added comfort, the porch ceilings are painted the faintest, Haintest shade of blue — original, of course.

    Lily Barfield, known to her nearly 50,000 Instagram followers as Lily’s Vintage Finds, has literally done what every antiques and vintage lover longs to do — open a boutique hotel, fill it with antiques, and attach a lobby antique store and jewel box bar to it to boot. Barfield’s “new,” nine-key boutique inn and bar offers every antique lover a glimpse of the dream, front and center.

    Spread across three residential lots, The Marlene invites guests beyond her stately iron gates, salvaged from an old bank in downtown Houston, and into this newly-protected landmark property. Thanks to the assistance of helpful and sleuthy Stratford Street neighbors, Barfield was able to work with Preservation Houston to gain protected landmark status for The Marlene, once known as the John S. Stewart House (of Stewart Title fame). Interestingly, three of the five previous owners have already stopped by to visit and chat with Barfield, offering stories and tidbits about the home’s former lives. As it turns out, The Marlene has always taken in visitors in one way or another. From taking on boarders to being a bed and breakfast and a pseudo antique store, the property is continuing a legacy Barfield knew little about when she purchased the house — which is something she finds delightful.

    “I always had wanted to do something in hospitality, it has been my pipe dream,” Barfield tells CultureMap. “I didn’t think it would happen when I was 29. I thought this was a dream I’d accomplish when I was 50!”

    Suites at The Marlene Inn start at $290 per night and offer en suite bathrooms, Bellino bedding, Grown Alchemist bath products, Nespresso machines, and more. Each suite offers an entirely different style. With everything from Brunschwig & Fil fabrics to Isidore Leroy wallpapers, there is something for everyone. Guests in the Nanette Suite have access to the second story porch, with bistro table and lounge area, plus a hidden, speakeasy style in-room bar. The Mia Suite and Mattingly room have access to a large sun porch, and can also be connected. The Marlene also offers a carriage house that sleeps up to six people, making this an ideal property for groups.

    “I’ve always thought there is a really natural connection between antiques and hospitality. I think that selling an antique is one thing, but experiencing them in a fully-immersive experience where you look to the right and there is this big, old antique cabinet, and there is a refurbished light fixture, and these mirrors, and this art. Just the experience of sitting in it, in a full room that’s decked out with these special pieces and the feeling that it gives you, to me, is the beauty of antiques. I always, always wanted to run a bed and breakfast, and my husband will tell you he’s always wanted to open a bar.”

    A bar to behold

    Situated to the rear of The Marlene is Bar Madonna. Large, light-filled windows offer a gorgeous view of the meticulously-landscaped grounds and European-inspired garden patio. Bar Madonna earned its name from the nearly nine foot wooden painting of the Virgin Mary keeping a watchful eye over her patrons. Taken from a decommissioned 18th century church in France, the gem of the room is sure to be an Instagram staple.

    Inspired by the Church of Saint-Germain-des Prés in Paris, the hand-painted ceiling mural is the work of Mary Evans of Verdigris Finishes and is truly a sight to behold. Notably among the very few items that were not sourced by Barfield on one of her sourcing trips to Europe, tabletop lights by Pooky Lighting are sprinkled throughout the bar and adjoining sunroom, offering the perfect backdrop for one of Bar Madonna’s gorgeous libations.

    General manager Tom Hardy, formerly of Hotel Saint Augustine and the Bludorn Group, created a unique menu of cocktails that embody both European sensibilities and southern flair. With names like the “Southeastern” and “Wild O’uest,” guests are invited to experience cocktails that embody the best of both worlds.

    The Marlene’s namesake, Barfield’s late grandmother, was an avid tennis player. In honor of Marlene, her now vintage tennis trophies play double-duty around the bar, functioning as both decor and swizzle stick storage.

    Hotel guests are treated to a daily breakfast of fresh pastries, fruit, and charcuterie in the dining room and adjoining sunroom. Hanging over the breakfast buffet is an impressive full set of 18th century Majolica plates. Finding a full set of these dishes is no easy task. In a fun twist, Barfield made a plea to her Lily’s Vintage Finds followers and they were happy to oblige.

    A little help from my friends

    In the year and a half it took Barfield to complete The Marlene, she worked closely with designers she’s known for most of her life. “I love interiors, I love beautiful things, I love furniture, I love art, but there is something that only an interior designer can do,” says Barfield. “I couldn’t have done this without her,” she says of working with childhood friend and designer Helene Dellocono (formerly of Marie Flanigan Interiors). “There is a lot of back and forth that you can only get with a friend.”

    Barfield also enlisted the help of her family’s longtime interior designer and color specialist Ellen Kennon to create a customized color palette throughout the house. Kennon designs full spectrum paints, which include all seven spectrums of visible light.

    “Her paints have this unique quality where they almost feel alive — it’s like a chameleon color. It’s really, really interesting, and it’s something everyone who has come here has commented on,” says Barfield.

    Neighbors welcome

    The Marlene has already attracted members of the neighborhood who want to visit and mingle with one another, something that Barfield warmly encourages: “I want this to be a place for the neighborhood. I want to have people walking over from a street away and coming to hang out and enjoy it, have a cocktail. I want it to be a place where people enjoy being, and a place where people connect.”

    Multiple rooms and seating areas sprinkled throughout the main floor allow people to find a nook to relax and enjoy a book, or work on their laptops. Cozy seating areas invite multiple parties to join in one another’s conversations, should they be so inclined.

    “I want people to sit on that front porch and feel like they aren’t being rushed out,” says Barfield. “I want them to feel like they can sink in and really be here whenever they are.” Montrose locals are already getting familiar with Barfield and the house, with people popping in for drinks multiple nights in a row. Holidays at The Marlene promise to be something to behold. The home’s Neoclassical design truly lends itself to festive decorations, and Barfield invites the community to visit for holiday photos and festive holiday gatherings.

    Check out antiques at the hotel during the day, then stick around for Bar Madonna to open at 3 pm on weekdays and 12 pm Saturdays and Sundays.

    The Marlene Inn boutique hotel
      

    Photo by Julie Soefer

    The Mattingly Room at The Marlene Inn.

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