At 10AM on October 1st, massive crowds sailed thru the doors and into Hua Hin’s brand new BluPort Resort Mall. In the works for close to four years, there had been huge anticipation for opening day and the excitement was palpable as the vast masses had their first look inside the immense, 200,000 square meter shopping mall.
The more than 5-billion-baht project is a joint venture between the Mall Group – known for their luxury Bangkok shopping Malls such as Siam Paragon, The Emporium and their latest EM Quartier – and the Liptapanlop family’s Proud Real Estate Company. Proud owns the InterContinental Hua Hin Resort located across the street from BluPort and at the beginning of this year opened their BluPort Wing which is attached to the shopping mall.
Guests staying at the InterContinental BluPort Wing will have the ability to ride the elevator to the Mall for shopping dining and movies, then walk over to the Beachfront InterContinental Resort to avail themselves of all that it offers.
Hua Hin Asset Co., the joint venture operating BluPort expects 20,000 visitors a day on weekdays, 40,000 on weekends and 60,000 on big holidays.
Opening Day started with a Religious Ceremony at 7AM and a Marching Band at 9:45. When the doors opened to the public for the very first time at 10 AM, many restaurants had their staff out in front of their businesses performing synchronized dances and chants. Balloons filled the air as guests got their first look after the long four-year wait.
At 7:30 PM there was an opening ceremony presided over by Khun Suwat Liptapanlop, former Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand; Miss Supaluck Umpujh, Vice Chairman of Hua Hin Asset Co. Ltd, as well as Vice Chairman of the Mall Group; and, Mr. Pasu Liptapanlop, Executive Director of Hua Hin Asset Co. Ltd. Everyone gave speeches and then there was a photo session on stage with Thai Super Stars Nadech Kugimiya & Urassaya “Yaya” Sperbund. Yaya arrived wearing the one and only Blue Sapphire, adorned with 370 carats of diamonds, the necklace & bracelet were crafted especially for this occasion by Gem’s Pavilion and are worth a whopping 250 million baht. A blazing fireworks display highlighted the celebrations ending with a DJ “Blu” Party with cocktails and wines provided by the InterContinental Hua Hin Resort.
When entering BluPort you will notice that there are distinct ports of call within the Resort Mall. Their FASHION & LIFESTYLE PORT allows shoppers to relax in a colonial beach house style atmosphere and peruse the world-class fashion brands, well-known Thai brands, and other exclusive brands such as H&M, UNIQLO, KIPLING, JASPAL, CHAPS, AIIZ, X=ACT, LYN AROUND, SHOE BAR, and NARAYA. Additionally, here you will find BEACH STORY – the first lifestyle fashion concept store in Thailand that gathers every type of beach accessories in one place, things such as beach resort wear, sarongs, bikinis, sunglasses, beauty products, and much more.
PORTWALK offers lifestyle merchandises, fashion shops, trendy home décor stores, home spa products, DIY craft shops, florist, and food trucks with over 200 stores, covering 10,000 square meters. This area was designed to give shoppers the feeling that they are walking around a chic beach resort town.
The GOURMET MARKET & DINING PORT lets you step into a premium supermarket that is spacious, covering 10,000 sqm., which has meticulously selected fresh and superior quality products from around the world. Examples include: CHEESE & CHACUTERIE, fresh seafood, exquisite wine from some of the most globally renowned vineyards, imported premium beef, and award-winning produce. There are also unique services ready such as YOU HUNT WE COOK , THE DOCK OYSTER & SEAFOOD BAR and PIZZA BAR BY PETIT PLASIR. In addition, there are many other customized services like VACATION PLATTER, whether you feel like a Seafood Platter, a Charcuterie and Cheese Platter or an Oyster Platter, the service caters to every foodie’s dream lifestyle party planning. GIFT & WRAP services and pleasantly, an Online Shopping and Delivery Service by Happy Fresh, are also conveniently available.
DINING PORT offers an international selection of the best restaurants and cafés, including over 50 shops, all under the design concept. THE PORT gives familiar eateries a new and improved facelift. Just a few of the restaurants include; GREYHOUND CAFÉ, DEAN & DELUCA, THE COFFEE CLUB, PEPPINA, WINE CONNECTION, SUSHI HIRO, and many other famous restaurants from Hua Hin and Pranburi.
WHALEY PORT is a magical land set under the sea, and is the first interactive underwater world theme park in Thailand and covers 2,000 sqm. Built a cost of 200 Million Baht, WHALEY PORT is an innovative edutainment experience that broadens the imagination and develops youths’ minds. This area is divided into 3 zones: Zone 1 is the INTERACTIVE PORT; a new kind of playground that uses the latest innovations in INTERACTIVE technology and MAPPING PROJECTION sent directly from renown gaming companies in Japan and South Korea. Zone 2 Is PLAY PORT; an adventure zone that explores the enormous, whale’s belly, and many other fun playground essentials like the slider and an enormous ball pit playpen. Zone 3 is GAME PORT; an exciting games arcade that brings the cutting edge technology from Japan
BLÚPORT CINEPLEX BY MAJOR GROUP is a world-class cinema that has gone through the stylish resort interior design makeover and is fused with the best technologies in its six theaters, with 1,200 seats and special VIP seats
BLÚ CONCIERGE & TOURIST SERVICES gives exclusivity and convenience in the shopping experience, starting from restaurant reservations to accommodating tourists with information and services, such as currency exchange, VAT Refund & Tax Invoice, Delivery Service and much more.
The BLÚPORT DEPARTMENT STORE is a spectacular, stunning phenomenon, providing the most relaxing and delightful shopping experience and services. This 25,000 sqm dream destination is decorated to put you into a seaside resort mirage, offering the best of the best in every department. This area is also designed in zones. The BEAUTY HALL is the kingdom of cosmetics and beauty products with over 70 famed brands, such as: CHANEL, MAC, ESTEE LAUDER, LANCOME and SHISEDO. Other zones include; LADIES’ BOUTIQUE , SHOES & BAGS SALON, ACCESSORIES BAZAAR, LINGERIE SALON, MEN INTREND, WATCH GALLERIA , and SPORTS MALL, showcasing respectively the leading sports fashion, athletic lifestyle products, and sports equipment. It has a collection over 200 leading brands from around the globe and covers 2,000 sqm.
POWER MALL – the front-runner in electronics technology and IT – covers 2,000 sqm. and is a one-stop shop for techies everywhere. Here you will find a collection of 80 quality brands and Brand Consultants who are experts in this field. BETREND holds all the lifestyle products that boost the creative imagination with over 100 famous brands and over 30,000 products many of which are Limited Editions.
KIDS’ PLANET is a dream world for children, with toys galore for youngsters of every age; from products that parents can trust for sensitive new-borns, to kid’s fashion, and edutainment toys that will help the learning process. Over 100 brands are represented in the 1,200 sqm area. The excitement continues with the new LEGO SHOP that is the largest in the upper southern parts.
More than 200 million baht has been budgeted for the grand opening of BluPort with 60 Million allocated for celebratory activities, another 60 Million Baht allocated for Advertising and Public Relations Media, and the balance of 80 Million Baht allocated for campaign promotions. This investment is projected to yield 2.5 Billion Baht in the first year after the opening.
According to part-time Hua Hin Resident Norman Stacey, J.P. from Auckland, NZ , “Everything about Hua Hin’s spanking new shopping destination is superlative; its newness, its size, its exhaustive range of goods, number of outlets and bewildering range of entertainment. Inclusion of a Gourmet Foods depicts its shared DNA with SIAM Paragon. The vision of Hua Hin’s, BlúPort Resort Mall developers reveals huge confidence in Thailand’s Royal Resort. At 200,000 square metres of retail space, the facility is built not just for today, but for the future.”
When walking thru the BluPort Resort Mall for the first time, one can’t help but string together superlatives. To steal from Thailand’s Tourism Authority, it’s not just Amazing Thailand, it’s now Amazing BluPort too!