The best hotels in Thailand
Home to some of the best hotels in Asia, Thailand punches well above its weight when it comes to places to stay. In Bangkok, glossy city hotels rival those found in New York and London, but the country's landmark addresses are saved for the beaches and islands – Chiva Som is regularly voted as the best destination spa in the world, while Aman, Banyan Tree and Six Senses are dotted throughout the best islands in Thailand. There are plenty of boutique and under-the-radar boltholes to be found too, where friendly service and traditional cooking leave you feeling like you've gained a glimpse of life as a local. For a shortlist of our favourites, here we round up the best hotels in Thailand.
Simon BurtThe Siam, Bangkok
Featured in our Gold List of the best hotels in the world 2024.
Compared with many of its rivals, this Bangkok stalwart doesn’t have a location that’s wildly convenient: the postcard sights need a boat transfer, and most top tables are more than a 30-minute taxi ride away. But for me, and the legions of other loyal fans of this monochrome masterpiece by hotel guru Bill Bensley, that’s the point. Pitched up on a lush riverside plot in the hushed Dusit district, The Siam feels like a portal to a bygone Bangkok. Even though it opened a decade ago, it’s easy to imagine it as a plush playground for the city’s erstwhile big guns, the mid-century movers and shakers whose heirlooms – vintage Pan Am posters, tattered travel trunks and chipped ceramics – adorn the marble-floored hallways. I’d be hard-pressed to point friends to a lovelier lunch spot than the hotel’s Thai restaurant, set between the timeworn pillars of three ancient teakwood houses, where butlers in dressy black sarongs deliver the kind of classic Thai hospitality – lilting “sawadee ka” greetings and tables set with fresh orchids – that’s becoming harder to find. None of which is to say that the hotel is stuffy – there’s a tattoo parlour in the spa. An ongoing refurb is keeping suites and private-pooled villas looking fresh. With the opening of a Jim Thompson homeware boutique in the wooden house the illustrious silk magnate helped procure for its former owners, things have come full circle. The Thai capital’s five-star hotel scene gets plusher every year, but this timeless beauty remains in a league of its own. Chris Schalkx
The Standard, Bangkok Mahanakhon, Bangkok
Featured on our 2023 Hot List of the best new hotels in the world
There were barely any surprises left when I checked in just days after the hotel’s official opening at the end of July 2022 – every one of Bangkok’s high-heeled fashionistas and socialites had already TikTok-ed every art-studded nook, DJ set, and Drag Queen Bingo party. And that’s unlikely to change anytime soon because this high-voltage clout magnet in the city’s tallest skyscraper draws the Thai and international in-crowd like bees to a honeypot. The Standard is a five-star with a vibe Bangkok’s hotel scene was still missing, swapping out the predictably serene, Thai-inspired interiors and chi-chi fine dining restaurants of most of its competitors for a riot of colours, clubby restaurants, and the country’s highest rooftop bar. That’s not to say it’s all-out debaucherous, though: The swirling pool, with the CBD’s skyline as its backdrop, is a lovely spot to spend a lazy afternoon, and most of the staff (a mix of Thais and peppy young ex-pats) are a chatty, smiling bunch. Chris Schalkx
InterContinental Khao Yai ResortInterContinental Khao Yai Resort, an IHG Hotel, Khao Yai National Park
Featured on our 2023 Hot List of the best new hotels in the world
Some two hours into the three-hour drive northward from Bangkok, the landscape starts changing. Concrete sprawl morphs into Khao Yai’s undulating hillscape bedecked in thick jungles and fruit orchards, and just off the area’s main road that snakes past pastiche European-looking country clubs and patchworks of farmland, the Intercontinental Khao Yai emerges from behind a hedgerow of towering trees. Dotted around the lush estate, you’ll see railway-themed buildings and train cars – which is the exact theme Bangkok-based hotel designer Bill Bensley was going for. The lobby is built like an old-timey ticketing booth, while suites are set up in upcycled vintage railway carriages and draw inspiration from different Asian railway journeys. Also set up in railway carts are two restaurants and one bar (head to Poirot for champignon-topped mushroom tarts and boeuf bourguignon) and a spa specialising in Thai and aromatherapy massage. Needless to say, this imaginative stay is a hit with little ones, but even grown-ups will appreciate the whimsical respite from busy Bangkok. Chris Schalkx
Aleenta Retreat, Chiang Mai
There's a small-town feel to this northern Thai retreat, which opened in April 2023 in Chiang Mai's leafy Umong district. At its heart, four antique Thai dwellings with their hand-carved gabled roofs and teakwood frameworks still intact harbour the hotel's main facilities, from a four-bedroom villa with breezy balconies and a private pool to a boutique selling local crafts. Pitched between the bamboo-fringed communal pool and a stilted meditation lounge, the wellness centre is a highlight, whether you opt for the week-long mindfulness retreats or a quick reflexology-focused fix-up. The restaurant, taking over one of the Thai villas, is just as wellness-minded: days here start with ginger-turmeric elixirs, good-for-you superfood bowls and tofu-stuffed Thai lettuce wraps, but the rest of the menu is far from hair-shirted: options feature Northern Thai noodles and Lanna-style riffs on comfort classics – think tacos with pulled wild boar belly and fish and chips from snakehead fish with spicy khao soi ranch dressing. And with their bright interiors accented with local textiles and wickerwork, the 44 rooms and duplex suites hit the sweet spot between rootsy Thai and comfortably modern. Chris Schalkx
Six Senses Yao Noi, Phang Nga
Featured on our 2022 Gold List of the best new hotels in the world
Six Senses have perfected the castaway experience on the hilly little island of Yao Noi, poised in Phang Nga Bay halfway between Phuket and Krabi. Shoes are shed on the speedboat ride to the resort, driftwood signs point to the white sand beach, the hilltop half-moon infinity pool and a collection of stilted thatched-roof villas. Everything feels like an adventure – searching for the spa hidden inside traditional long houses in the jungle, traversing the multi-level bamboo and clapboard restaurants for dinner, and watching movies on the beach under the stars. Look out for the pairs of sooty black hornbills and borrow one of the hotel's bicycles to loop the island weaving through the fishing village and rubber plantations. LC
Chris SchalkxChiva Som, Hua Hin
Chiva Som is the undisputed queen of the Thai wellness scene – when they arrived on the scene 27 years ago spa breaks in Thailand weren't even a thing. There have been plenty of pretenders since but none have yet managed to usurp the original, with its life-boosting combination of cutting edge-fitness (new machinery includes Iron Man-like Vision Bodysuits), medical diagnostics (blood works, gene testing), traditional Asian healing therapies and hyper-intuitive staff. There are 16 different retreats to choose from – stress and pain management, fitness boost, immune resilience, senior health – each of which will be minutely personalised to meet all of your mental, physical and emotional needs. This is the place to change the habits of a lifetime. LC
Phil ClarkBanyan Tree Samui
A lotus flower floats in your villa's private pool, backed by unbeatable panoramic views of Lamai Bay. Buggies ferry guests around winding steep pathways that connect the villas, private beach, spa and elevated restaurant The Edge. Villas rise from the peninsular in different shapes and sizes, but all come with a sea or garden view. In the family and couple villas, rainfall showers are big enough for two, and grand bedrooms open up to reveal private infinity pools. A wooden deck is kitted with beanbags to slump and watch the sun rise from the sea horizon. Spend the day on the private beach with kayak rental and private boat tours, or try afternoon tea at the beach restaurant. Visit between April and May and you might be lucky enough to watch resident turtle hatchlings make their way into the ocean. A visit to the spa is a must, especially for the hydrotherapy massage. The Rainforest treatment includes a steam room experience followed by an ice-cold shower and ending with hard-powered water jets focusing on back muscles. Sophie Knight
Four Seasons Chiang Mai
Treetop pavilions, private residences and pool villas sit in 31 acres of manicured gardens and a rice paddy within the Mae Rim Valley. Come sundown, the rice farmers parade through the fields singing and celebrating the end of a working day. Two buffalo bathe daily in the lake, which acts as a hub for activities from sunrise yoga to pottery making, Thai boxing, tennis and textile dyeing. For guests who prefer to spend their stay wallowing in the sunshine, there are two infinity pools that stretch out into the paddies. It's a lush and serene scene from every angle. Private residence guests can spend the day without seeing a soul, in grand gated homes built for families who enjoy hiding away in pure luxury – private pools, a kitchen space to hire private catering and a wrap-around terrace for al-fresco dining and entertaining. Eating here is a highlight, especially breakfast which draws on colour and cuisine from all walks of the world, from Chinese dumplings to English breakfast, and coffee orders taken by the friendliest of staff. Sophie Knight
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Villa Mahabhirom, Chiang Mai
A ten-minute drive from central Chiang Mai, this stay is a welcomed escape from city life and a blissful break in a jungle landscape. Tall bamboo canes and palms line the paths to the 24 traditional Thai teak wood homes, of which 14 are used for guests. With space for only 28 guests at a time, it feels more like a home than a hotel. The villas were once Thai family homes and date back over 120 years, carefully restored and renovated. Built on stilts, each has an open-air living area, dimly lit bedrooms, marble bathrooms and cosy balconies on the upper level. Larger villas have private pools and garden space. Antique furniture and ornaments are displayed throughout the property – vintage chandeliers, shabby-chic wardrobes and grand taxidermy make a walk through the grounds feel like an open-air museum. The pool is a work of art, reflecting its well-designed surroundings of green foliage, clay sculptures designed by a local artist, hanging lanterns and plush sunbeds. Poolside is also where breakfast and supper a served. Dine from the delicious Vietnamese menu and sip cocktails from the daily happy hour – it’s the only time you’ll see other guests emerge. It’s also a chance to see the resident deer who lives and wanders on the grounds. Sophie Knight
Langkhai Garden, Koh Tao
Koh Tao is the sleepiest of the Chumphon Archipelago islands, only a 25 minute ride from one side to the other, so you’ll get to know the island fairly quickly. On the quiet south east coast, Langkhai Garden's four private villas are built for families and couples looking for long stays on the island. The bolthole is the product of a three year project by a French couple who met on the island and dreamed of opening a place – doors opened to guests in 2018. The villas are epitome of modern cool, with polished concrete walls and high wooden beam ceilings that lead up to thatched straw roofs (also home to some local lizards). Huge four poster beds sit next to vases with freshly picked flowers, lounges are big enough to fit the whole family, kitchens come with all the trimmings and there's a wrap around balcony with outdoor dining and a private pool – not to mention panoramic sea views. If cooking isn’t your thing, order in from nearby restaurants that will deliver to your door. Scooters can be rented from friendly reception staff, with the island's coves bubbling with marine life just a short ride away. Time it right and you might be lucky enough to swim with turtles or whale sharks. Once you’ve got into the swing of slow island life, peeling yourself from the villa will be tough. Sophie Knight
Chris SchalkxRaya Heritage, Chiang Mai
Featured on our 2021 Gold List of the best new hotels in the world
There are no ornate rooftops at this hotel along the Ping river. It’s unlikely that sai oua sausage or khao soi soup, two beloved staples of local cooking, will appear on the menu. Time-worn Buddha statues? Virtually none. Yet no other hangout feels more rooted in place than Raya Heritage, where the typical temple-inspired teakwood-and-gold look has been eschewed for a straight-lined approach to let crafts take centre stage. Terracotta brickwork. Woven reed baskets. Hand-loomed textiles. Jolts of indigo. It’s a celebration of the ancient culture of Lanna, the cross-border kingdom of which Chiang Mai was the capital some 700 years ago. Not Disney-fied but fresh and bright, it’s the sort of place where only your conscience holds you back from stuffing your suitcase with hand-dyed throws or lacquered bamboo catchalls (with that in mind, Raya Heritage opened its Him Gong shop in 2019). But it’s not just the interiors that draw on the region’s cultural patchwork. At the restaurant, linen-clad waiters serve noodle salads from Burma, Chinese kung pao chicken and Shan-style river prawns. The spa focuses on bone-cracking Burmese massages and a steam room uses a rare blend by a master herbalist from a nearby village. Excursions to meet artisans can be arranged, although the 33 rooms – some with private pools – are inviting enough to loll around in all day. This address is exemplary in a country that’s slowly starting to re-appreciate the richness of its crafts, offering a blueprint for Thai design without the tropes. Chris Schalkx
Phulay Bay, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Krabi
A short drive around the coast from Krabi, Phulay Bay, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve was designed to reflect the area's Muslim history, with soaring red ochre walls, oversized keyhole doorways, candlelit reflective pools and lush gardens redolent with frangipani and jasmine. Looking across Phang Nga Bay's prehistoric landscape of rugged limestone karsts, the rambling villas come with extravagant pillared bathtubs, double-height hand-painted murals and beds so big you could roll around all night and never touch your lover. The resort's movie star good looks have earned it a number of starring roles, including the setting for the wedding in The Hangover 2. Lee Cobaj
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Frederic LagrangeCOMO Point Yamu, Phuket
From the outside, COMO Point Yamu's architecture appears almost brutalist, seemingly too grey and severe to suit the curvaceous coastal location. But follow Asia's coolest crowd inside and you'll find the hotel is as light and airy as birdcage; columns of concrete chop the Phuketian sunshine into shards; razor-sharp lines frame a luminous green bay wrapped in rippling limestone hills; a 100-metre long white-tiled swimming pool shoots out towards the Andaman Sea. It's these good looks, along with tip-top service, zingy cuisine and a wondrous spa, that has made this hotel a favourite with LGBTQ+ Thais and travellers. LC
Amanpuri, Phuket
Opened more than three decades ago, Amanpuri was the first resort in the Aman empire and remains one of the jewels in the crown. The location, on Pansea beach, is sublime: a scythe of golden sand studded with gigantic black boulders and palm trees as tall as skyscrapers. From here, a set of monolithic stairs rise to a sultry black-tiled swimming pool and a pretty puzzle of wooden walkways which zigzag to graceful teak villas with sliding doors, outdoor salas and, sometimes, swimming pools. There's a selection of sophisticated restaurants – Thai, Southern Italian and Japanese – and a world-beating spa offering in-depth health and wellness programmes. LC
Four Seasons Koh Samui, Koh Samui
Curling around a private peninsula on the serene northeast coast of Koh Samui, the Four Seasons offers all you could want for a grown-up beach break. Thatched-roof villas percolate down the hillside, some peering into the Gulf of Thailand, some rolling straight onto the beach, all decked out in breezy ivories and teals, with dark wooden shutters, netted beds and egg-shaped bathtubs. Plonk yourself on a stripy daybed by the oceanfront infinity pool and allow attendants to deliver lemongrass-infused cold towels and skewers of pineapple, or at the spa, where treatments incorporate healing herbs plucked from the garden. The more energetic can hire yachts, take up Muay Thai boxing or plant coral babies. Everyone should regroup at the Rum Vault for a tiki-lit tasting as the sun goes down. LC
Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp and Resort, Chiang Rai
As the name suggests, the Anantara Golden Triangle's main attraction is its elephant sanctuary, an ethically-run NGO which offers guests the kind of up-close interactions Dumbo-lovers dream of. You can walk with the gentle giants through fields of lemongrass grass and bamboo as the soft morning light, feed them watermelon and pumpkins for lunch, or spend the night inside a bubble room as they wander the forest around you. But, the hotel has a myriad of other attractions, too, not least its plot on the Mekong River overlooking three countries – Thailand, Myanmar and Laos – best viewed at dawn with the amber sunlight refracted through the cloud forest mist. LC
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Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok
“It is a lovely place and I am fonder of it than ever,” mused Nöel Coward following his 1929 visit to the Mandarin Oriental. Fast forward a century and a multi-million dollar refurbishment later and Bangkok's grande dame is arguably even more charming than in the famous wit's day. Most of the creamy wood-panelled rooms have balconies overlooking the gardens, the swimming pool and the Chao Phraya River. Suites pay tribute to the literary giants who have visited in the past, including Joseph Conrad, Graham Greene and John Le Carré. The Bamboo Bar has been around since the 1940s and has still got that swing. Two Michelin star Le Normandie (one of 10 restaurants) is now helmed by Alain Roux. The spa, reached via a carved teak boat, will have you unravelling like a lotus flower in the sun. LC
Trisara, Phuket
Privacy is assured at this indulgent spot, which rolls down a tropical hillside onto a quiet corner of upmarket Layan Beach in the northwest of Phuket. 40 frangipani-scented acres and 2,000 metres of Andaman Sea coast are dedicated to just 39 peaked-roof villas and 30 palatial private residences – all with private pools and panoramic sea views – spaced far enough apart that guests can happily frolic naked without ever being seen. Fully dressed, you can eat at Pru, the only restaurant in Phuket to have a Michelin star and the only one in Thailand with a Michelin Green star, or join one of the buzziest Sunday champagne brunches on the island. Disrobe again for a visit to the temple-like Jara spa to try some integrative Thai therapy, combining massage with wooden hammers and chisels – and perhaps a little bit of magic. LC
137 Pillars House, Chiang Mai
Set within Chiang Mai's ancient city walls, steps from the ornate Wat Gate temple, 137 Pillars House feels like arriving at a beautiful 19th-century countryside oasis that has been future-fitted with every modern accoutrement. Originally the northern headquarters of the East Borneo Trading Company, the main two-storey building is a delight of teak pillars, white painted timber, intricate fretwork and Asian antiques. Echoing the elegant Anglo-Lanna style are 30 suites, with patterned tiled floors, four-poster beds and verandahs with rocking chairs. Throw in the fragrant tropical gardens, outdoor swimming pool, excellent food and atmospheric spa and easy to forget the 21st-century world exists. LC
The Standard, Hua Hin
Featured on our 2021 Hot List of the best new hotels in the world
In a beach town dominated by could-be-anywhere mega-resorts, The Standard Hua Hin brings a much-needed dose of youthful energy to a place usually associated with snowbirding retirees and hi-so (high society) Thais driving down from Bangkok. In lieu of teakwood floors and jasmine garlands, guests are greeted by fresh contemporary art and midcentury-modern furnishings; then pathways palisaded with bamboo and bougainvillea snake to the boho-beachy villas (where disco balls hang in the bathrooms). The main action happens at the pool, where Bangkok’s beau monde lounges under candy-striped umbrellas and two restaurants serve drinks and Thai-with-a-twist bites until until 10. Chris Schalkx
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Chris SchalkxRoukh Kiri, Khao Yai
When it comes to design inspired by foreign destinations, Thai hotels often walk a fine line between clever and kitsch. They can look awkward and out of place, with a there-but-not-really-there feel that’s hard to shake off. Khao Yai, a Hampton-esque hillside hideout about two hours north of Bangkok, harbours some of the worst offenders – a Disneyfied replica of a Tuscan village and a Scottish castle clad in gypsum board. With a brief that read European farmhouse, newcomer Roukh Kiri could have joined those ranks, but young-gun architecture studio Onion gave the concept a refreshing spin. Spread out across a mango orchard, the 12 villas have archetypal gabled roofs and cobblestone walls, even sliding barn doors made from recycled timber, but they’re stripped of all frills, resulting in a small village of elegant houses in a whitewashed and linen-licked rustic minimalism. Picture windows open to indoor-outdoor bathrooms and private sandstone swimming pools are immersed in fields of feather grass that look out over the emerald-green valley below. That same valley is the view from the communal fireplace – nights can get chilly here – and the reclaimed-wood restaurant where the menu draws on the organic garden’s produce and delivers riffs on classic dishes (try the krapow with rosemary). Finally, a Khao Yai resort worth the detour. CS
Chris SchalkxCapella, Bangkok
In a city where almost every smart hotel brand has already made its mark, it takes something extra-special to turn heads. Yet when this place finally opened after a seven-year tease, the hi-so set swooped in like magpies. Capella’s first foray into Thailand is the only city hotel with villas right on the Chao Phraya river – multi-roomed retreats with private gardens and swimming pools lined with marble. Suites in the main building, a blocky, low-slung affair with 101 rooms, come with private balconies, and the property has tapped star chef Mauro Colagreco of Mirazur in France to head up its signature Mediterranean restaurant Côte. Crystalline coupes of private-label Champagne accompany check-in, brunches and turn-down service, but that’s as flashy as it gets. While the jewel-like tea lounge references Thai motifs in the latticework and a scattering of local antiques, the rest of the space feels relatively subdued with pared-back interiors of blonde wood, taupe and cream. Service is hushed but switched on, and the spa eschews new-fangled treatments for humble, age-old healing practices with tok sen hammer massages and luk pra kob herbal compresses inspired by the Thai-Chinese community just outside the gates. Bangkok’s hotel scene gets more sophisticated every year, but for now Capella has the last word. Read more at our full Capella Bangkok hotel review. CS
Chris SchalkxFour Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River
Plans for the hotel group’s return to Bangkok (its former location closed in 2015) were hatched long before spontaneous international travel took such a body blow, but this Jean-Michel Gathy-designed reincarnation on the banks of the Chao Phraya River feels elegantly tailored to the city’s regulars. For those who have ticked off the usual sightseeing hits, this escape has significant staying-put appeal: there’s a multi-tiered swimming pool with thick-cushioned loungers for all-day lingering, vast bedrooms with deep bathtubs and DIY cocktail corners, and floor-to-ceiling windows on multiple sides that frame knockout views. The restaurants – there are four, plus a vermouth-forward bar – are set for lazy lunches, with sardine tartines and mignonette-drizzled oysters at Brasserie Palmier, perhaps, or citrusy crudo with a crisp rosé on Riva del Fiume’s riverside terrace. It’s a place that feels all-encompassing, right down to the Thai spa, which does hi-tech anti-ageing treatments and lo-tech bamboo massages, with a separate lap pool for aqua aerobics and stand-up paddle-boarding. An urban edge shines through in the contemporary art collection: towering works depict the curves of the Chao Phraya and the folds of a monk’s robe hang from the marble walls of the cavernous lobby, while a rotating exhibition in the gallery wing puts the spotlight on local talent. Over the years, artsy boutiques have transformed this corner of Bangkok into a de-facto design district. Now that Four Seasons has joined the fray, it has reached its zenith. CS
Chris SchalkxThe Mustang Blu, Bangkok
Only a small sign above the door of this crumbling 19th-century building on the fringe of the capital’s dizzying Chinatown reveals that it’s no longer the run-down former bank turned massage parlour it once was known as. Following a slew of young creatives setting up shop in this former spice-trading district, stylist Ananda ‘Joy’ Chalardcharoen took over the lease for her next project, following The Mustang Nero in the Phra Khanong suburb.
In just five months, she and her team transformed this dilapidated late-night spot into the area’s most photographed stay. They renovated only what was needed, keeping relics such as the original vault door intact; the atrium, spanning three floors, was opened up again after being closed for decades. Chalardcharoen shows off her design skill in paint-peeled hallways filled with her signature taxidermy mix – a horse and a glass-encased ostrich skeleton greet guests in the lobby – next to artfully arranged books and European antiques. It’s a style that is continued in the 10 rooms, all of which have marble-tiled bathrooms, freestanding roll-top tubs and velvet curtains.
On the ground floor, the café dishes up treats such as upside-down banana cake and epic breakfasts of herb-rubbed chicken or baked salmon, accompanied by fruit and pastries on ceramics bearing the owner’s illustrations of The Mustang Blu. It closes at night, but finding a top-notch feast in this street-food-dense area is hardly a challenge. For after-dark fun, Soi Nana, home to some of the city’s best cocktail joints – Asia Today and Teens of Thailand among them – is just a short stroll away. If Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel had been set in Bangkok, it would surely have been filmed here.
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Chris Schalkx9 Hornbills Tented Camp, Koh Yao Noi
One of the best islands in Thailand, with its stilted fishermen’s villages and deserted beaches, is reminiscent of Koh Samui or Koh Phi Phi before the big-brand developments swooped in. On a moped drive around its criss-crossing dirt tracks, visitors are more likely to bump into grazing water buffaloes than sunbathing farang (foreigners), and most of the sand remains blissfully quiet. It feels a world away from buzzy Phuket, a 30-minute speedboat trip across the strait, which was the main reason for Swiss entrepreneur Jean-Michel Germing and his business partner setting up low-key escape Koyao here nearly 20 years ago.
Just up the hill is 9 Hornbills Tented Camp, named after the nine hornbills Germing encountered during his first site inspection. Ten safari tents fan out across a former rubber plantation with their own pools and large gardens, plus four-poster beds and outdoor rain showers clad in salvaged wood – just one of a number of eco-smart design details borrowed from the Six Senses one hill over, which Germing also directed.
The bar at the top of the estate is a lovely spot for sundowners, and the sister hotel offers an excellent restaurant and semi-private beach, connected to the camp by a buggy service. At-the-ready butlers can fix everything from candlelit dinners to island picnics and floating breakfasts served in Thai tiffin boxes. But the biggest draw here is the gigantic, moss-covered karst formations immersed in the ocean – quite possibly the best view in the whole country.
Chris SchalkxHotel Gahn, Khao Lak
Opening along the rather lacklustre main road instead of the area’s honey-coloured beaches might sound like an ill-informed business move for a boutique hotel, but owner Rabiab Anusasananun felt it was the right thing to do. With a twinkle in her eyes, she explains that she built it as a tribute to her late grandfather who came to Thailand in 1928 aboard a Chinese junk to work in the then-thriving tin-mining industry.
Over time, these migrants blended into the local culture and are now known as the Baba Nyonya people, with their offspring still living in Sino-Portuguese settlements dotting the Malay Peninsula all the way to Singapore. With this project, the family aimed to preserve their rich traditions while simultaneously recasting them for the next generation. They tapped into Phuket-based architecture studio Locomotive’s expertise to realise their vision, taking inspiration from the ancestral home with its terrazzo floors and arched columns but giving it a fresh spin with exposed-concrete ceilings and vintage desk lamps. Artworks on each of the five floors offer interesting insights into Baba culture, while the small shop is stocked with colourful batik items.
In the Juumpo restaurant, decorated with heirlooms from the old family kitchen, Anusasananun herself cooks up staples following recipes passed down by her grandfather – the melt-in-the-mouthmoo hong (stewed sweet pork with herbs) is an undisputed highlight. The nearest beach is a five-minute taxi ride away, but that’s a small concession to make for this endearing departure from the could-be-anywhere hotels more commonly found around town.
Chris SchalkxPhu Chaisai, Chiang Rai
The 45-minute drive from the town’s airport to this hilltop hideaway in the Golden Triangle is a fast-blast tour of the countryside: flashes of neon-green rice paddies, ornate orange-golden temple roofs and tea plantations stacked on slopes set the tone for a stay in northern Thailand in its purest form. Between a jumble of swirling vines and swaying bamboo forest, 33 red-clay cottages look out towards the rolling mountains on the horizon. Inside they’re bedecked with bamboo and proudly local touches such as cushions made from hill-tribe textiles.
It’s back to basics and disarmingly unpretentious – although some cottages have private swimming pools – which makes sense when you meet the venerable owner. After a successful career as an interior designer, with projects in embassies and royal palaces under her belt, she grew tired of the city’s bustle and packed up her household – literally, moving her mansion all the way from central Bangkok – to create this slow-paced jungle retreat where traditional crafts and eco-conscious living play leading roles.
There’s Akha-tribe coffee and jungle honey at the breakfast table, all-natural spa products and marked hiking trails through the surrounding forest. With the help of Aman and Four Seasons veteran Jason Friedman, who zhuzhed up the place five years ago, the hotel has built up a loyal following of insiders and clued-in urbanites who check in multiple times a year. Among them is Bangkok-born British chef and author Kay Plunkett-Hogge, who is due to launch her own cookery school in the building adjoining the restaurant.
Chris SchalkxBaan Pomphet, Ayutthaya
This temple-studded place might be known as Thailand’s historic capital, but a flurry of eye-catching cafés, dessert bars and cool stays have given it a contemporary edge over the years. One of those spots is the eight-room hotel and restaurant pegged on the T-shaped riverbank where the Chao Phraya and Pasak rivers meet. Taking its name and design cues from the brick-walled Pom Phet fortress next door, Bangkok-based architecture studio Onion has created an MC Escher-esque structure from hand-moulded red brick and salvaged timber, with steps, stairs and roofs each laid out in different patterns.
Intricately carved wooden lights from Chiang Mai and doorknobs in the shape of the monkey god Hanuman balance straight lines with a more organic edge. A scaffolding-like contraption connects the two buildings by way of a footbridge and marks the division to the guests-only area, where an ancient bodhi tree shades a swimming pool from the sun. Contrasting with the tactile exterior, rooms are starkly minimal but snug in jackfruit yellow or leaf green with pod-like beds and black-tiled bathrooms. Those on the ground floor have a small outdoor shower, while the corner room on the second floor is the one to book for its views over the fortress.
Day-trippers from Bangkok, which is only 50 miles away, stop in at the restaurant for passion-fruit- and pineapple- laced smoothies and giant river prawns from the grill. Come sunset, the wooden shutters of the rooftop swing open to reveal a well-stocked bar – order a bael-fruit Shakerato or Mojito with roselle and Thai basil to sip while watching the day’s last boats sputter by on the hyacinth-covered river below.
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Chris SchalkxHotel Des Artists, Ping Silhoette, Chiang Mai
The glittering temples of Chiang Mai’s moated Old Town are enchanting, and the buzzing Nimmanhaemin district is on the pulse when it comes to artisanal coffee and local designer boutiques – but leafy Wat Ket, delivering a bit of both, remains one of the loveliest spots in the city. Here, rootsy art galleries line the streets and restaurants on the banks of the Ping river dish up khao soinoodles and cocktails under banyan trees lit up with fairy lights. This is also where some of the most charming boutique stays are found, taking over villas from a bygone era.
The Ping Silhouette, however, is inspired by an even earlier time when this part of the city was still a thriving multicultural merchant district dotted with Chinese-style warehouses. Behind a façade of glazed tile roofs and antique French shutters lies a stone-paved courtyard where large glassless windows frame manicured bonsai trees and cosy tea nooks. A long, goldfish-filled pond is a zen antidote to the frenetic markets, while ancient artefacts from China (ornamental doors, stone horses) extend the theme. Rooms are done up in white and teal, and most have terraces overlooking weeping willows and an inky-blue lap pool in the riverside garden.
The café, where walls are stacked with chinoiserie teapots and blue-and-white ceramics, prepares breakfasts of Thai rice porridge and sweet treats such as pa tong go doughnuts served in bamboo steamer baskets. A striking standout on the teakwood- dominated local scene, and a perfect fit for this curious corner.