Thailand’s best boutique hotels
Thailand offers a slice of luxury at a fraction of the price of the Indian Ocean or the Caribbean, with some of the most stylish private pool villas at an affordable £200 a night. Now Mr & Mrs Smith's handpicked global collection includes a new selection of 30 boutique getaways in tropical Thailand.
Whether you’re seeking a relaxed seaside escape or a sophisticated city stay, Mr & Mrs Smith has the best boutique hotels all ‘Thai’d’ up – from Bangkok to Koh Samui, Krabi and Chiang Rai.
Bangkok-bound couples will love glamorous Ma Du Zi Hotel, a private home-from-home in the heart of buzzing bar district Sukhumvit, or for the ultimate urban playground, Tenface serves up some of the city's sexiest cocktails in its hip DJ bar.
Two serene wilderness getaways within weekending reach of the capital, near Khao Yai National Park, have recently been added to the collection. Spa fanatics can unwind at rustic retreat Muthi Maya, and true romantics will love the safari-style tented villas at Kirimaya Golf Resort Spa.
If an island escape is more your style, Smith’s latest discovery, KC Resort & Over Water Villas in Koh Samui, is an essential stop-off. Perched on stilts over a saltwater pool, these stylish villas are the perfect lovers’ playpens – you can even arrange an in-room chef so you'll never have to leave the comfort of your quarters.
Still on Koh Samui, book-loving bolthole The Library combines chic contemporary design with leftfield flourishes: a scarlet-tiled swimming pool, a state-of-the-art reading room and cartoon-art statues bearing books.
Over on beach-fringed Phuket island, our Smith scouts recently uncovered The Pavilions, Phuket, a child-free hilltop hangout with 25 pool villas where you can eat, sleep and skinny dip in total privacy. Chic retreat Trisara, situated on a private bay, is popular with high-flyers, and combines top-notch service with spectacular ocean views.
In northern Chiang Mai we’ve unearthed an elegant sanctuary within the Old City walls: Rachamankha teams characterful heritage architecture with affordability: double rooms start from around £138 a night. Nearby, in rustic Chiang Rai, our spies fell for the jungle-flanked Anantara Golden Triangle Resort & Spa, with its own elephant camp and views of three countries.
For more information on each of these hotels, or to see what other stylish stays the Mr & Mrs Smith Thailand collection holds, visit mrandmrssmith.com.
Mr & Mrs Smith’s top five must-try Thai treats:
1. The salt sommelier at Anantara Phuket Resort & Spa, Phuket
2. The Dr Fish spa treatment at Anantara Si Kao Resort & Spa, Krabi, where tiny fish nibble rough skin from your toes in a soothing footbath
3. The views of lapping water through the floor of your villa at KC Resort & Over Water Villas, Koh Samui
4. The handy ‘magic box’ all guests at Tenface, Bangkok, receive in their rooms, including herbal toiletries, Skytrain pass, a local sim card, and an iPod Nano loaded with city-tip video podcasts by in-the-know locals
5. Private dining amid the rice paddies beside the Mekong River, or on a jungle hilltop, at Anantara Golden Triangle Resort & Spa, Chiang Rai. The sunset dinner with baby elephants is our favourite (you can also learn the art of elephant riding from the mahouts)
