Anantara

Mr & Mrs Smith have a trip to this Koh Samui boutique hotel in the diary, and just as soon as they’ve unpacked their swimwear and sarongs, a full account of their stay in Thailand will be with you… Meanwhile, just to whet your wanderlust, here's a taster of this tropical island hideaway:

A huge stilted pavilion marks the gateway to Anantara. There’s something rather dramatic, and perhaps a little unsettling, about strolling towards your Thailand boutique hotel across a wooden walkway lined with flaming torches. By the time you reach the lobby, however, you realise that, rather than wandering into the set of ITV’s latest tropical island reality show, you’ve in fact landed in a luxuriant and luxurious beachfront resort where the friendliness of the staff is matched by the beauty of the surroundings.

The lobby, all arches and marble, eschews the ‘modern tropic’ decor that many Thai hotels entertain. Instead, Anantara has been touched with Moroccan influences – a cluster of North African hanging lamps forms the lobby’s centrepiece, and warm vermillion and terracotta tones cheerfully dominate the walls.

Beyond the lobby, a mosaic-bottomed infinity pool weaves between palm-tree islands and seems to merge seamlessly with the jade-tinted ocean. Cushioned sun loungers line Bophut beach, which is more relaxing and less rambunctious than many of Koh Samui’s more touristy areas. Five minutes walk away, the aptly named Fisherman’s Village offers an array of appealing restaurants, bars and cafés but with so much to do, so many places to eat, and such attentive service at Anantara itself, it can be difficult to tear yourself away.