The Nai Harn Phuket

Not every beach resort has to be on its own far-flung private island. But in a destination as heavily traveled as Phuket, it’s essential to offer some measure of seclusion. The Nai Harn offers more than a measure; its rooms and suites cascade down a hillside overlooking the lovely Nai Harn beach, near the island’s distant southernmost point.

Though the late-modernist architecture places it definitively in the 20th century, the Nai Harn has been kept very much up to date — the interiors are as contemporary-luxe as can be, with a visual simplicity that’s designed to draw attention to the views. Even the Mountain View rooms on the back side of the hotel look out into lush tropical vegetation, and the higher you get on the front side, the more dramatic the ocean panorama. Meanwhile everything’s up to the latest luxury standard, from the in-room electronics to the lavish spa-style bathrooms.

There’s an extensive wellness program, including a gym, a spa, a detox program, and a lovely lagoon-style swimming pool. And it would be difficult to overstate just how pleasant a beach Nai Harn is — not to mention the snorkeling and diving, both here and around the surrounding islands. A generous handful of restaurants and bars completes the package, and goes rather beyond the local norm, with excursions into high-end Japanese fare and an extraordinary wine selection.