Best Resort Hotels in Thailand

Modelled on a Thai fishing village, this resort has a rustic feel, surrounded by natural flora and fauna. Most of the villas, retreats and reserves have pools and amazing views across the Gulf of Thailand. GEMs (Guest Experience Makers) are on hand to curate your experiences and ensure your trip is tailored to your needs. Guests can swim in the horizon-edged main swimming pool with its own snack bar, or hang out at Drift at the Beach. There are four further dining options, as well as an in-villa service. The spa incorporates six treatment villas, two dry saunas, two steam rooms and a fitness centre. And there’s a library with a hammock for quiet time with a good book. Thai cooking classes are held daily, as is the programme of kid’s activities.

The Anantara Layan is situated on Phuket’s west coast, with stunning views over a tropical bay. There are 30 rooms/suites and 47 pool villas, surrounding an intimate and secluded beach. A private chef is available for bespoke dining. For complete relaxation, you can visit the Anantara spa facilities. There’s a children’s club to keep the little ones entertained while you relax. For those who want to indulge further, there’s a five-day spa and wellness retreat, featuring rejuvenating spa treatments and nourishing cuisine. If you’re feeling a bit more energetic, there’s a fitness centre, watersports and a cooking school to keep you busy. For the lovebirds, the Anantara Layan has a private wedding chapel nestled on the tropical cliffside.

Located on the west side of the Chao Praya River, this hotel offers a haven-like atmosphere and a huge pool by Bangkok standards. Guests can take Muay Thai boxing classes, sign up for cooking lessons, play tennis, sightseeing on a river cruise or dine as a couple on a restored rice barge, listen to live music beside the water, drink in the swim-up bar and enjoy Elemis treatments in the spa. The kids club offers a cultural and engaging programme of activities. Dining options include Italian cuisine, a global buffet, a cafe and patisserie and freshly cooked delights from a Chinese wood-fired oven (a rare experience).

Set on the edge of Bangtao beach, the Banyan Tree is one of Phuket’s best-known luxury hotels and combines traditional Thai class and elegance with modern creature comforts and pampering that guests have come to expect from this well-established brand. The hotel’s huge grounds play host to a wide range of activities and amenities such as golf on a stunning course, tennis courts, a yoga pavilion and two large swimming pools. Each of the onsite villas and suites is sumptuously decorated and fitted so that it serves as a luxurious retreat, while guests are provided with private beach access and invited to indulge in a little pampering in the world-class spa.

For guests who enjoy trying a little of everything when on holiday, the Anantara Bophut Resort is ideally placed to do just that. Popular with both couples and families, in-house facilities are excellent. Rooms, although not as large as some other resorts, are tastefully decorated, and seamlessly blend traditional with contemporary. Of its three excellent restaurants, the Full Moon Samui is the piece-de-resistance with its many seafood, international and Thai speciality dishes. Amongst its many facilities, the exceptional spa and wellness centre is an experience not to be missed. Add to that being next door to the Fisherman’s Wharf at Bo Phut and only a short taxi ride from Chaweng’s bustling night life makes the Anantara Bophut Resort a fantastic base.

Located along the tranquil Tubkaek Beach with sweeping views of the Andaman Sea and limestone cliffs, Banyan Tree Krabi is a luxury all-pool suite and villa resort with 72 residences. The resort’s contemporary Thai-inspired design combines natural stone and wood with elegant modern touches, creating a calming atmosphere that complements its beachfront setting.

Guests can dine at Saffron, the signature Thai restaurant, enjoy international dishes at The Naga Kitchen, or savour fresh seafood at Beach Grill. Serenity Spa offers a range of holistic treatments inspired by Thai traditions, complemented by hydrotherapy facilities, while the fitness centre is well-equipped for strength and cardio training.

The resort features a large outdoor infinity pool overlooking the ocean and a dedicated kids club. Each villa has a private pools and the option of personalised butler-style service.

Close to the famous Hong Islands and within easy reach of Krabi town and Ao Nang, Banyan Tree Krabi offers a luxurious retreat surrounded by natural beauty and soft sandy shores.

36 cube-shaped villas give a modernist edge to this palm-lined beachfront in Phangnga province. Designed by VaSLab Architecture, the all-pool-villa hotel was commissioned in 2008, with unusual deviated walls, tilted roofs, green walls, rainwater recycling and custom-made furniture by Anon Pairot Design Studio. Casa de la Flora offers round the clock butler service, spa, fitness suite, direct beach access, minbars, mountain bike hire and watersports. Charming afternoon tea is served daily, with dinner taken at the Thai waterside eatery La Aranya -and the cocktails here are epic with variations as imaginative as the resort’s architecture. This chic design property is well suited to discerning couples and adult visitors.

Set among tropical gardens in the Kao Takiap area the Hyatt Regency Hua Hin is known for its royal legacy, golf courses and stunning beaches, and close to a shopping village, the hotel boasts an award-winning spa, gym, tennis court, water slide and several pools. Air-conditioned rooms and suites sport balconies, flat-screen televisions, free WiFi and iPod docks, coffee makers and mini-bars, with a business centre, laundry service and free parking also available. To complete their all-round sense of well-being, guests can choose between five restaurants and bars, including a beach location and a pool-side bar.

Boasting its own private beach club and commanding panoramic views of Phang Nga Bay, this is a stylish accommodation option where guests come to see and be seen by those in the know. Whether you prefer sipping cocktails at sunset while gazing at the ocean, indulging in a romantic evening meal on the terrace or splashing around in the infinity pool, pure style and relaxation are guaranteed. With 27 private villas and just 79 sleek and sophisticated rooms to choose from, the hotel is as exclusive as it is luxurious.

The Banyan Tree Samui resort nestles on the edge of the Lamai jungle. From its secluded position overlooking the Gulf of Thailand this plush five star, 88 room complex whispers tranquillity. With its private beach, three restaurants, three lounges, indoor and outdoor pools, top quality spa, wellness and fitness centres with personal service, guest don’t need to even leave the complex. However, for those wishing to explore more of this idyllic island, water and road shuttle transport is readily available.

Built right into Kata Beach, this sleek aparthotel exudes a modern and minimal Balearic style and is the fanciest you’ll find in the neighbourhood. 34 apartments come with expansive terraces and infinity pools beside the ocean, some suiting couples, others catering to families and groups, with Natuzzi furnishings and Snaidero kitchens. While the resort is right on the coast, it borders a rocky beach (hence the name), however, those in search of sand need only take a five-minute stroll to the main area of Kata Beach. The hotel also has a Mediterranean poolside eatery.

Nestled on a cliffside high above Kamala Beach (where the hotel has its own beach club), Paresa enjoys an address on the ‘Millionaires Mile’ stretch of coast overlooking the Andaman Sea. Its name means “heaven of all heavens”, giving a good indication of the kind of views, service and facilities you’ll have here. Stay in one of 42 villas with private pools and cool, chic decor. Try your hand at some watersports (there’s a free shuttle to the beach), swim in a rose quartz energy pool, dine at the signature Talung Thai restaurant, or opt for some native cookery classes at Paresa’s own culinary school.