The Best Resorts In Thailand

Aerial view of Lao Lading island in Krabi, Thailand.

The Best Resorts In Thailand
Travel / 12 months ago

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The Best Resorts In Thailand

By Rebecca Cox

12 months ago

Thai resorts we’re dreaming of escaping to right now…

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This is a destination beyond white sandy beaches and turquoise seas. Thailand is alive with energy, culture, art and cuisine. Throw yourself into Thai life and you’ll be torn between a whirlwind trip through bustling streets and smoky cities, or slow and easy days laying by the pool and sipping sundowners with locals. Whether it’s a family-friendly jaunt, an eco-trip, or a wellness detox that you’re seeking, look no further. We’ve found the most enticing luxury resorts in Thailand – here they are.

Read The C&TH Responsible Tourism Guide

Best Thailand Resorts 2023

RAKxa

Bangkok

This integrative medical retreat in Bangkok opened in 2020, providing high tech equipment and advanced medical treatments for the ultimate wellbeing break. RAKxa offers tailored wellness programmes from three days to two weeks long, designed by certified medical doctors that combine advanced medical treatments with revered holistic therapies. Alongside 27 villas and one restaurant Unam there is a high-tech medical gym with Olympic athlete training equipment, hydrothermal spa facilities, an anti-inflammatory food philosophy, a cleansing tea lounge, an organic garden, and plenty of workshops and activities to try.

BOOK: rakxawellness.com

Kamalaya

Koh Samui

Built around a tiny cave where Buddhist monks used to come to mediate, this is the perfect spot for some post-lockdown healing. This holistic spa offers uniquely-tailored programmes, delicious food and incredible treatments and its loyal clientele return year after year to relax and recharge. Sounds pretty appealing right about now, doesn’t it?

BOOK: healingholidays.com

Mandarin Oriental

Bangkok

On the hunt for the best spa in Thailand? Check out The Oriental Spa at Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok, a leading hotel spa for more than 25 years. Reached by crossing of the Chao Phraya river to the teak spa by private boat, early morning guests will see monks collecting their alms. Treatments include northern Thai-inspired therapies such as the Lanna Ceremony which involves using local herbs and rhythmic tapping, or the Spirit of Isaan, a body wrap treatment using black sticky rice and jasmine rice soap to detoxify the body. Or if a year of hunching at a home desk has left you crying out for some muscle relief, try the Muay Thai Massage, a passive form of deep oil massage emulating typical Muay Thai movements, including gentle punches, along with a massage that uses elbows and knees to provide a deep sense of invigoration and rejuvenation.

BOOK: mandarinoriental.com

Rosewood

Phuket

Check in to the Rosewood Phuket and check out the Asaya spa to enjoy a wide range of treatments or sign up to the Cleanse or Balance programme combining physical and emotional aspects of treatments for a truly holistic experience. The Thai culinary class is an immersive cooking class to get to grips with some Thai classics, a welcome change after a year of banana bread.

BOOK: rosewoodhotels.com

The Peninsula

Bangkok

This urban oasis is launching The Peninsula Mental & Physical Wellbeing programme with a personalised two-night package, ‘Active Body and Healthy Mind’, focusing on four key pillars of wellness: food, exercise, sleep and mindfulness. The mindfulness element includes attending mindfulness breathing sessions or participating in meditating with Thai monks. Guests can also enjoy the arts through music, dance, painting and artist-in-residence programmes. To complement the healthy eating programme, check out the ‘Thai Herbal Discovery’ herb appreciation class to explore and learn about Thai cuisine, discovering Thailand’s most popular herbs and spices.

BOOK: peninsula.com

Rayavadee

Krabi

Situated in the beautiful Phranang Peninsula on the border of Krabi Marine National Park, this resort was built with the idea of living in balance within this unique environment. The accommodation was constructed to nestle in between the property’s many trees, none of which were cut during the process. Built with sustainability in mind, low-key approaches to building were employed so that the habitat of the areas many varieties of birds and animals was not disturbed. The resort utitlises sustainable water and waste management, as well as energy efficiency. As part of the Premier Group of Companies, the resort has a strong and longstanding commitment to staff, local communities and it donate a portion of its annual profit to company-run charitable organisations, including Pan Kan, Food4Good and the Yuvabhadhana children’s scholarship fund.

BOOK: rayavadee.com

Soneva Kiri Resort

Koh Kood

Make your travel a little more eco: this eco-friendly five-star resort is positioned on the largely undeveloped island of Koh Kood, southeast of Bangkok. Thailand’s least populated island, it is a place of raw, natural beauty with untouched slopes, wild interiors and pristine beaches. The rustic-chic-designed villa suites offer living spaces cliffside, bayside, or beachside, ranging from one to six bedrooms. Outdoor bathrooms and private swimming pools allow you to immerse yourself in this beautiful jungle hideaway. Soneva Kiri has worked hard to reduce its carbon footprint and develop the natural beauty in the area, banning imported bottled water, launching coral restoration projects to help local marine life flourish, and raising $5.5million through a carbon levy to help thousands of people in need.

BOOK: soneva.com

Six Senses Yao Noi

Phang Nga Bay, Yao

Are the kids ready to ditch the buckets and spades and learn how to be an eco-warrior? Take budding conservationists to Six Senses Yao Noi located in the beautiful Phang Nga Bay on the small and unspoilt Thai island of Yao, 45 minutes from Phuket by speedboat. The Junior Eco Warrior Program features various sustainability activities over a three-day rotational itinerary from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm daily. Guests will collect fresh eggs and spread seeds that grow into the lush produce they will harvest later on for a cooking class. They will battle against trash before seeing how it can be turned into treasure through “Do-It-Yourself” projects. Then at the 3R Workshop, young conservationists will build nests for the VIP residents of the Hornbill Villas. While children are occupied, parents can relax in one of the 55 elevated Pool Villas or take a trip to the spa.

BOOK: scottdunn.com

COMO Point Yamu

Phuket

Enjoy top notch wellness facilities, sunrise yoga and delicious Italian cuisine on the secluded and peaceful east coast of Phuket. The resort boasts panoramic ocean views and bright aquamarine and burnt orange interiors to reflect the sea and Thailand’s Buddhist culture and the colourful influence of Phuket’s Peranakan culture. The COMO Shambhala retreat sits at the tip of Cape Yamu with treatment rooms overlooking the ocean and the limestones of Phang Nga bay, offering a menu of Asian inspired therapies.

BOOK: comohotels.com

Four Seasons Tented Camp

Golden Triangle, Chiang Rai

Hidden within bamboo jungles overlooking Myanmar and Laos, the Four Seasons Tented Camp offers tailor-made experiences close to some of Thailand’s oldest civilisations. The Superior Tent offers a breezy living area, rustic wooden furnishings and a refreshing outdoor shower, plus themed décor that reflects the culture of Northern Thailand. Fans of Thai food can enjoy daily tasting sessions, cooking classes, and a private wine-pairing dinner in the resort’s wine cave. You’ll want to take the opportunity to explore the wilderness with mahout guides to visit the local elephant population and check out the outdoor spa offering rituals inspired by Asian traditions and mountain botanicals.

BOOK: fourseasons.com

Banyan Tree Veya Phuket

Phuket

Having opened earlier this year – the first edition to Banyan Tree Group’s wellbeing brand – the Banyan Tree Veya Phuket is located in the lush and tranquil Laguna Phuket, a short walk from Bangtao Beach.

With wellness at the heart of the hotel, guests have exclusive access to the Wellbeing Centre, featuring Thailand’s first ever sensory detox and meditative practice space White Room, alongside a traditional herb farm-pharmacy workshop. Upon arrival, guests have a private consultation with wellbeing hosts – certified and trained in eastern medicine, naturopathy and coaching – to determine personalised needs and an itinerary to address these needs.

Lovely villas elevate the experience, designed for optimal rest with soft bedlinen, nightly aromatherapy and music, and blackout curtains. Rooms are also equipped with space for wellbeing practice, including a wellbeing minibar, yoga mats, sound therapy bowls, and exercise stretch bands.

BOOK: banyantree.com

The Standard

Hua Hin

Nestled in a lush landscape, The Standard brings a contemporary edge to Hua Hin – once a sleepy fishing village, now a popular coastal destination frequented by Thai nobility. With 199 rooms, suites and villas – all decorated with signature pops of colour – The Standard is as relaxing as it is vibrant. By day, lounge by the pool, wander down to the beach, grab a drink at the Juice Cafe, or wind down in the spa; by night, head to Praça, The Standard’s beach bar, for boozy cocktails and delicious Thai bites.

BOOK: standardhotels.com

Absolute Sanctuary

Koh Samui

Head to the spa capital of Thailand and check into the simple but wonderful (or should that but simply wonderful?) Absolute Sanctuary. A perfect kick-start to that long-planned detox or health-kick, the yogis at the sanctuary are world-class (and train yoga instructors from around the world). Also on the menu is Reformer Pilates, Box Fit, a host of other exercise options and a 7-night detox programme to leave you looking and feeling at your best.

BOOK: healingholidays.com

Featured Image: Lao Lading island in Krabi, Thailand (c) Getty.

This article is part of our series on Winter Sun destinations. Discover more here.