BANYAN TREE KRABI

While Krabi’s beaches have been lined with resorts for decades, Banyan Tree still managed to snap up one of its prettiest stretches of sand: a golden slice of Tab Kaek beach bordering the jungle rolling down Dragon Crest Mountain. It’s this mountain, or rather the ancient folk tales based on it, that inspired the design of the 72 rooms and villas, with purple scalelike motifs in the whitewashed rooms and a hilltop lobby lounge designed like a gold-studded dragon’s lair. All rooms open to both a private pool and an outdoor jet tub, but the resort’s trump card is its spa, where treatment rooms come with therapeutic lighting and Krabi’s first hydrotherapy lounge is equipped with a steam room, sauna, vitality pool, and ice fountain. A funicular leads to the jungle-clad Saffron restaurant where Thai cuisine leans toward the finer side of dining, while the poolside Naga Kitchen dishes up comfort food from breakfast to dinner. banyantree.com; doubles from US$330