Swide Magazine by Dolce&Gabbana

Voted the Best Hotel in the world in 2008 by CondeNast Traveller, this must-visit spa resort is a far cry from tourist clogged Bangkok and the usual five star resorts we’re tired of recommending. Sadly not a secret anymore it is however remote enough to ensure you won’t be bothered by your colleagues or passing paparazzi.

The resort is refreshingly inspired by a Thai fishing village (and not for once outer Tibet, the jungle, Japanese forests ….you get the message). Keeping it real however thankfully only extends to its location, the northern tip of Samui Island, Thailand.

The Six Sense Hideaway resort prides itself on offering a sustainable environment and one that offers lots of “serious pampering facilities and cocktails spots” (our words, not theirs, but we are very aware of what actually matters on holiday). The villa accommodations are nestled amongst natural vegetation, with unsurpassed sea views. Open style bathrooms are perhaps one of the hotel’s best features, offering vast amounts of space and light with sea and island views from almost every villa, with most also having private pools so you can swim naked should you wish - just watch the infinity edges. Nude in private is one thing, exhibitionism at a chic resort is another.

At certain luxury spots around the world they can often feel so remote one starts to feel ever so slightly adrift and scarily secluded (privacy is all very well, but monastic silence is just plain weird), but at the Six Senses, we are comforted with the news that all villas come with butler service for all villas, plus all facilities are close to hand. Hidden by a clever design that allows you feel shipwrecked, but simultaneously five minutes stroll will ensure a BLT and a Pina Colada are close at hand.

The sustainable environment is host to sixty six villas that are split level with sundecks and swimming pools on their lower floors. Other niceties include outdoor showers, sunken bathtub, panoramic views, and importantly walk-in wardrobes. “Dining on The Hill” is the resort restaurant with stunning sea views and thankfully a casual dress-code (there are certain resorts we refuse to discuss as they demand attire more suited to a visit with the bank manager and not a tropical isle, who is serving who??).

Located next to a wine cellar, restaurant guests can make their own selections from three hundred labels in addition to wine-tasting sessions available with an in-house sommelier. If you can actually face sitting at a table, and when on holiday it can often be difficult to even lift a newspaper so we fully understand the hardships involved, breakfast, lunch and dinner can be taken 24 hours a day in your room or other romantic locations.

Kerry Olsen

Source: Conde Nast Traveller & Six Senses Hideaway

Photo Credit: Six Senses Hideaway Samui