FIVE HOTELS FOR A CHARACTERFUL STAY IN THAILAND
The Barai, Hua Hin
Hua Hin’s Barai has perhaps the most ostentatious spa in Thailand – from the outside its ochre walls are reminsicent of a Moroccan kasbah. Inside, the aesthetics and tranquillity of a Khmer temple take over. It’s located right on the beach, and part of the Hyatt Regency group, with eight huge suites that have arched ceilings and enormous bathrooms dominated by white marble tubs. The wellness focus comes into its own with carefully calibrated detox treatments and a supremely tasty – and healthy – menu at beachside restaurant McFarland House.
Doubles from £348 including breakfast (00 66 32 511 234; thebarai.com). See telegraph.co.uk/tt-barai
Banyan Tree Samui, Koh Samui
Thai beach resorts are rarely more splendidly isolated than the Banyan Tree Samui, which is nestled in a jungle-covered horseshoe-shaped bay of rocky headlands and azure water. The huge, sumptuous villas all have their own pools and are spaced far enough apart to make encounters with other guests unlikely. On the beach, an incredible variety of often free sports and wellness activities reinforce the sense that the Banyan Tree Samui is one of Thailand’s best selfcontained resorts.
Doubles from £407 including breakfast (00 66 77 915333; banyantree.com/en/thailand/ samui). See telegraph.co.uk/ tt-banyantreesamui
Rachamankha, Chiang Mai
In the historic centre of Chiang Mai, this sumptuous boutique hotel offers just 25 lime-plastered, highceilinged rooms, arranged around a central courtyard, as if straight out of a Shaolin temple in a vintage martial arts movie. The ownerarchitect’s collection of antiques, with items from across Asia, Europe and Africa, goes back to the 13th century and lends extra authenticity to the historic ambience of this adultoriented resort. A library of several thousand titles (many on Asian art), a small museum and a 65ft-long, retro-chic pool in a well-kept garden round off this genuinely sophisticated affair.
Doubles from £102 including breakfast (00 66 53 904111; rachamankha.com). See i telegraph.co.uk/ttrachamankha
Prince Heritage Theatre Stay, Bangkok
The two retro-themed master suites, all wooden floors and shutters, at the Art Deco Prince Heritage Theatre in Chinatown are quite unlike any other hotel rooms in Bangkok, located right behind the huge screen of this former 100-year-old cinema. The lobby, which features the aforementioned screen (often used for silent classic film footage accompanied by eclectic ambient sounds), a vintage projector and a bar that serves movie-themed cocktails, also houses a small exhibition documenting the history and restoration of this spectacular property. Doubles from £38 including breakfast (00 66 20 902858, princeheritage.com). For a full review and to book, see telegraph.co.uk/ttprinceheritage
Praya Palazzo, Bangkok
One of Bangkok’s most private hotels sits on the banks of the Chao Praya River, close to the Thai capital’s historic sites, and is only accessible by boat. The ochre-coloured Italian-style villa was built by a royal tax collector a century ago, a heritage rarity in the city’s hyper-modern hotelscape, and is embedded in a luscious garden with a pool at its centre. The popular restaurant re-emphasises the old-world ambience with a sumptuous palette of Thai dishes rooted in different eras of the kingdom’s history, while the wooden patio is the perfect place from which to watch river life or read a book, cocktail in hand.
Doubles from £60 including breakfast (00 66 81 402 8118, prayapalazzo.com). See telegraph.co.uk/ttprayapalazzo
Tom Vater