More Escapism: Hotels, Resorts and Gardens around the World by Bill Bensley

Encapsulating the wonder and sheer joie de vivre of Bangkok-based American designer Bill Bensley in a discrete package is no easy task, but this lavish 500-page tome makes a fine effort. Presenting only 12 projects, the book is able to give maximum focus to the full-bleed, full-colour imagery that showcases Bensley’s idiosyncratic blend of regional vernacular,

Art Deco and modern. The designer’s home, Baan Botanica, is included first, and gives some context to the remaining hospitality projects, which range across Southeast Asia and include waterside resorts, urban retreats and tented camps. Each project is detailed in an introductory text and image captions, but the irrepressible imagery is where the tropical-luxe inspiration lies.