William Heinecke’s ultimate bachelor pad

Where do you holiday when you’re the king of resorts, running some of the world’s most stunning hotels?

Hotelier William Heinecke can choose to live pretty much anywhere he pleases, but he calls Thailand home, splitting his time between his executive suite above the throng of Bangkok’s crowded streets and his tropical perch high up on a hill overlooking Layan Bay in Phuket. 

Villa Similan is Heinecke’s actual home, but on the days he doesn’t stay there, the villa can be booked by guests as part of the Layan Residences by Anantara in Phuket. The design of the villa is one of the last masterpieces by the late Indonesian designer Jaya Ibrahim. To truly make the residence one-of-a-kind, Heinecke also commissioned other highly sought-after specialists to create unique abodes within his residence, from a surrealistic spa room to the most fantastical, sybaritic man cave.

With a glass-clad wine cellar to one side and a game room on the other, the latter space is outfitted with dark leather sofas, recliners and Heinecke’s personal treasures, including his antique custom-made billiards table from Thailand and the actual Golden Gun from the 1974 James Bond movie that was shot in nearby Phang Nga Bay. Completing the man cave is an adjacent gym studio and a private cinema. Most people go to Phuket for the sun and sea, but there’s a slight risk you’d never want to leave this boy’s paradise.

In this Story: #travel / #hotels & resorts