Walk into a villa at Anantara Mai Khao and you walk into a luxurious refuge from which you may never want to emerge. Accommodation at Mai Khao resort consists entirely of pool villas and we had the pleasure of staying in a expansive sala pool villa which is quite simply one of the most beautiful hotel accommodations we have ever experienced.

The dark wood floors of the room contrast with the white linens and muslin drapes dressing the supremely comfortable king bed and the tastefully off-white walls. Directly opposite the bed are patio doors which open that entire wall up to the pool, creating an airy indoor/outdoor living space. The spectacular bathroom also opens up onto the outdoor area and includes a sunken, glass-sided bath which sits within the swimming pool.

The villa is surrounded by a slated wooden fence and not overlooked, affording complete privacy as you swim in the blue mosaic-tiled pool, take an outdoor shower, or laze on the huge day bed or sun loungers with a drink from the poolside minibar.

Villas are dotted around a serene lagoon where incredibly green tropical vegetation and water lilies abound, and the resort itself sits on Mai Khao beach, one of the more unspoilt and stunning beaches on the entire island. Golf buggies are on call to ferry you around the resort and there are lots of bicycle stations if you prefer pedal power although the resort is not so large that you can’t easily walk from one end to another.

Dining options include the culinary delights at the beachside Sea.Fire.Salt restaurant which specialises in freshly-caught seafood. La Sala restaurant in the heart of the resort serves a buffet-style breakfast before changing to a flavour-packed Thai menu throughout the day and evening.

Whether you choose to cocoon yourself in your villa for most of your stay (and you will be tempted to do so!) or enjoy the resort’s varied activities including a cooking school; muay Thai lessons; an infinity edged beachside pool; a trip to Phuket old town in the hotel limo; or a few spa treatments at the renowned Anantara Spa, one thing is for sure: you will be dreaming of your next visit to Anantara Mai Khao as soon as you depart its magical realm.

Designed and owned by an accomplished interior designer, the Cabochon Hotel is throwback to the period of Shanghai chic in the 1920s. Although only a few years old, as soon as you glimpse the hotel’s ivory-coloured colonial facade and step across the threshold onto the exquisite mosaic-tiled floor you are transported to a different era.

The hotel has a wonderful location down a short, quiet lane off Sukhumvit Road, a busy Bangkok thoroughfare with restaurants, malls, grocery stores and clothing stores.

Check-in is done in the tiny library while sipping on coconut water straight from the fresh nut. The atmospheric room is packed with vintage magazines and books, old-style packing cases and other antiques. Soon we are being shown to our third-floor room which, like all thirteen rooms and suites, is decorated simply in muted colours and filled with vintage fixtures and fittings from light switches to doors to entire antique windows. We loved the aged wooden floor boards and the retro white tiled bathroom complete with a very modern first class raindrop shower (bring your own hair conditioner, none is supplied).

The spacious room shares a large lounge area and kitchen with three other rooms (although we had it all to ourselves whenever we used it). The fantastic kitchen has heavy wooden cupboards, huge marble sinks and a large fridge stocked with soft drinks and plenty of drinking water. There’s also a kettle, microwave, stove top and small supply of tea bags.

The highlight of the property is the long and inviting rooftop pool. Set on the 5th floor, the very comfortable sun loungers catch the breeze on oppressively hot Bangkok days and provide an ideal resting spot between daytime sightseeing and nighttime eating and drinking.

The imposing private house at the centre of this riverside boutique hotel was built over 100 years ago by Prince Chakrabongse and is now owned and occupied by the prince’s granddaughter, Narissa. Scattered amidst the lush tropical gardens which surround the former royal home are 13 rooms and suites, lovingly designed by Narissa to offer a place of peace and serenity in a city which is sometimes overwhelming.

The comfortable standard rooms are entered through intricately woven Balinese wooden doors and are decorated with Moroccan-influenced fabrics which contrast with monochromatic walls. The rooms have some storage space and are en-suite, have shared tea and coffee-making facilities and a plentiful supply of bottled drinking water.

The suites are more extravagant, particularly the River View suite and the most recent addition, the Chinese suite. The former is a first-floor one-bedroom teak apartment with a very large wraparound deck and sun beds gazing out over the Chao Phraya River towards the Temple of the Dawn.

The Chinese suite is the hotel’s most appealing accommodation. It’s a uniquely styled apartment filled with Chinese antiques, wooden doors and furniture, and ample space for four people. The suite is set over two floors and includes two private terraces with sunbeds and a seating area.

Downstairs consists of a well-equipped living room and kitchenette and a twin en-suite bedroom. Up the spiral staircase you’ll find an en-suite double room with four-poster bed and red silk-clad walls. There is also a wooden desk and chair and striking antiques.

The Chinese suite has direct access to the hotel’s saltwater pool which in turn leads to the riverfront and the restaurant. Breakfast and dinner have to be ordered in advance from a set menu so the chef has time to buy the food fresh from the colourful local market.

Enjoying a freshly-cooked Thai meal in Chakrabongse’s restaurant while watching the river traffic on the Chao Phraya is a perfectly peaceful end to a busy day of soaking up Bangkok’s countless attractions.

Just 25 minutes from the centre of Chiang Mai, the lush green setting of the North Hill City Resort gives the impression of being deep in the Thai countryside. Surrounded by the lush fairways of the adjacent golf course, this new hotel is the perfect place for golf fanatics or those looking for a tranquil location within easy reach of the city.

The hotel’s 40 deluxe rooms and two spacious suites are stylish and comfortable with free wifi, large LED TV with satellite channels, and a DVD player (there is a free DVD library with a good selection of English-language films and series). The rooms have a bathroom with a glass wall to the bedroom but there are blinds to cover the glass when privacy is needed. The separate shower has options for overhead, shoulders and back jets – a kind of in-room massage if you don’t have time to visit the spa.

The hotel has an appealing Italian restaurant and three bars. There is Vivace, a classy dark furnished lounge, the rooftop Astro bar and the casually chic Rock bar outdoors near the pool.
The hotel’s outdoor area of rock pools and lawns around the swimming pool is unusual and an attractive place to while away a few hours reading a book or catching some Thai sun.

As a newly opened resort, North Hill City feels like it’s still finding its feet and staff seem a little nervous and unsure of themselves. I have no doubt it will get into its stride soon and become a popular destination, especially for those wishing to take advantage of the resort’s ‘stay and play’ packages for golfers.