A ground breaking ceremony has been carried out for the Alila Villas Koh Russey after its November launch in Hong Kong and is set to be completed in 2015.

Alila Villas will occupy 25 hectares on Koh Russey, an island in the Koh Rong archipelago in the Gulf of Thailand, with easy access from Sihanoukville via the Ochheuteal jetty. The chain has announced that it will focus on adding sustainable energy features during the initial design; this includes an agreement that only 15 per cent of the total site area will be used for resort structures.

The resort will also feature a nursery, which aims to protect more than 20 species of trees indigenous to the island, and an exclusion zone 200 metres around the resort that will preserve the marine environment – fishing boats will dock at jetties at the northern side of the island. The villa resort will have 132 villas and 47 duplex apartments, ranging from one-bedroom to four and each of the villas will have a swimming pool.

Just 25 minutes by private car and speedboat from Sihanoukville Airport, the Alila Villas Koh Russey will offer another high-end beach holiday destination in the growing demand for luxury beach accommodation in Cambodia.