The 8 Absolute Best Hotels in Phuket

A distinct lack of beach seems a small price to pay to stay at one of the most secluded sleeps in Phuket. COMO Point Yamu, on an isolated hillside overlooking Phang Nga Bay, is the very definition of castaway luxury: 106 rooms are open and airy, with soothing palettes of blue and white, spa bathrooms, and glorious views of the bay. The 328-foot-long infinity pool, ringed with white loungers, is a natural hangout, as is the spa, where you can relax post-snorkel or take a hatha yoga or tai chi session. The sun-filled La Sirena restaurant serves breakfast and lunch—highlights include Italian dishes like wood-fired pizzas and a beautiful tropical fruit spread—but for dinner, Nahmyaa is your best bet for authentic Thai specialties like river prawns and crab curries. If, after all this, you’re still pining for the sand, a staff-manned boat or car is at your disposal for reaching Como’s Beach Club.

It doesn’t get more idyllic than Six Senses Group’s outpost on Yao Noi, an island just off Phuket. The 54 thatch-roof villas are all serviced by 24-hour butlers and come with private sun decks and infinity pools, while ocean view villas look out towards a row of gravity-defying limestone karst formations that rise up out of turquoise Phang Nga Bay. Bonus: Guests can rent kayaks and boats, and bicycles are available for cruising around nearby villages.

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Guests reach Naka Island via a short speedboat ride from the resort-lined beach of mainland Phuket. Its 67 tropical thatch-roof villas—built with clay and surrounded by jungle—have their own private pools and outdoor showers and are carefully arranged around the property’s lagoon-like community pool and spa, renowned for its therapies that draw from the best of Chinese, Indian, Indonesian, and Thai techniques. After kayaking, mountain biking, or exploring the area by bicycle (parked just outside your door), time your happy hour at Z Bar for sunset before digging into Thai cuisine at Tonsai (or, if the mood calls, a private meal on the beach or in your own digs).

It probably doesn’t matter which of the 48 rooms you check into at Trisara (including 39 pool villas, natch)—each one comes with its own infinity pool, sundeck, indoor and outdoor rain showers, and gorgeous views of the surrounding bamboo and banana tree forest and Andaman Sea. We could imagine never leaving bed at all—its position angled towards the sunset couldn’t be better placed—but there’s lots more worth exploring, including a holistic destination spa, tennis courts, top-tier restaurants, and a gorgeous beach lined with queen-size daybeds.

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It could be argued that the 60 cliffside villas of Sri Panwa have the best views in Thailand. Rooms are divided between suites, villas, and residences, but the pool villas, which come with private patios and infinity-edge pools, are the best. If you can tear yourself away from those sweeping views of the Andaman Sea, you’ll find a lively social scene at Baba Nest, Sri Panwa’s rooftop bar, where guests and locals come to snack on small seafood plates and sip fruity cocktails alongside 360-degree sunset views.

There’s only one resort on Coconut Island, a private isle off the coast of eastern Phuket, but it’s a good one. A free water taxi whisks guests from Phang Nga Bay right up to the dock; further inland, you’ll find 236 beautifully secluded rooms, many with private pools and garden terraces, along with a communal pool with its own lazy river. Check the day’s schedule for a host of arranged activities, like yoga, Thai boxing, mountain biking, or snorkeling, then refuel with Thai and Asian specialties (green papaya salad with soft-shell crab; Peking roast duck pancakes; stir-fried rice noodles with tiger prawns and chives) at Kabang Restaurant, located beachside beneath a massive tamarind tree. The best part? Unlike other resorts on Phuket proper, guests have Coconut Island’s palm tree-fringed beach all to themselves.

You won’t go wrong with any of the 136 rooms at this low-rise bungalow resort, whose rooms overlook the landscaped garden, saltwater lagoon, or Bang Tao Bay—but if we had to choose, we’d spring for one of the pool villas for their open-air bathtubs and combination infinity pool and hot tub. More perks we love: 24-hour butler service and in-roof chefs, so you never have to be anywhere but poolside.

Both Beyoncé and Brad Pitt have been spotted at this former coconut plantation turned Aman masterpiece, no doubt because of its secluded location on a rain-forested peninsula far removed from Phuket’s more populated beach towns. Elevated walkways link 40 standalone villas to the property’s black-tiled pool, private beach, and teakwood spa, where expert instructors lead yoga and guided meditation sessions.

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