Veranda High Resort MGallery

Just outside Thailand’s northern metropolis of Chiang Mai, the Veranda High Resort is proof that there’s plenty of creative mileage left in the genre of the Southeast Asian villa-style luxury resort. The walled compound gathers the bulk of its units in a low-slung concrete structure, and from here the views of the surrounding valley are picturesque enough; it’s in the pavilions, however, the two-story timber-supported structures laid out in a curving row along the hillside overlooking the rice terraces, that the views are most exquisitely framed.

The accommodations themselves are available — in the main building the options range from the studios and deluxe rooms to the one- and two-bedroom suites. Even at the low end you’ll have a balcony and a spacious rain shower, and as you move up the range you’ll acquire separate bathtubs, sitting rooms, even kitchenettes. It’s the pavilions, however, that grab the headlines — these are oversized, open-plan, with wraparound floor-to-ceiling windows, massive open bathrooms with separate baths and showers, and either a jacuzzi or a plunge pool.

A rather elaborate spa completes the package; the presentation is theatrical, the facilities are expansive, and the treatments, as you’d expect from a Thai spa resort, are intensive. Meanwhile the restaurants feature communal outdoor terrace dining as well as private options, in a selection of small private rooms or cabana-like booths. And the pool, on the same upper deck as the Higher Room restaurant, shows that sometimes the execution counts more than the concept — the infinity-edge pool is hardly a new idea, but when it’s placed in so sublime a setting, it’s still capable of demanding your attention.