Zannier Bai San Ho

We’ve written extensively about the lengths to which Arnaud Zannier goes to ensure that places like Omaanda and Phum Baitang are not just flawless small-scale luxury hotels but fully immersive experiences, and venues for creating the kinds of unforgettable memories that travel, at its best, is all about. Zannier Hotels Bãi San Hô is another extraordinary addition to the family, set on 240 acres alongside a powder-white beach on a secluded peninsula in Vietnam’s seaside province of Phu Yen.

With 73 villas it’s the largest of the Zannier hotels, but thanks to the plentiful space and the privacy of the accommodations it’s a perfectly tranquil place to be. Each villa is as comfortable and well-equipped as any five-star hotel suite, but thanks to the hand-crafted, well-worn aesthetic, they feel charmingly unpretentious. The styles all pay tribute to indigenous forms of housing, and vary according to site; all but the built-on-stilts Paddy Field Villas come with plunge pools, and some look out directly onto the beach.

Along with the slightly larger scale come some impressive facilities: not just a pool and spa but tennis, yoga, a kids’ club, and no fewer than three restaurants. Meanwhile the experiences and excursions include anything from picnic lunches to temple tours; the focus, naturally, is on surfing, sailing, snorkeling, and anything else that can be done by sea.