Southeast Asia’s most luxurious new beach hotels
Southeast Asia‘s most luxurious new beach hotels will be at the forefront of the region’s big tourism comeback promised for 2023.
Thailand expects to receive as many as 10 million visitors from China alone this year. In the Philippines – “the worst place to spend the pandemic” – tourism is up by more than the global average. Vietnam is equally poised for a boom, and Indonesia is seeing luxury resorts make their first forays into the country.
The SCMP has been taking look at some of Southeast Asia’s most luxurious new beach hotels.
New luxury beach hotels in Thailand
Andaz Pattaya
Jomtien Beach, Pattaya
A two-hour drive south of Bangkok, Andaz Pattaya is the first Thai property under the Hyatt Andaz brand.
Parts of the structure and materials of Thai teak wood houses that originally stood on the property were incorporated into the complex, which includes 200 rooms, suites and villas facing Tawanron Beach in the popular tourist hub of Jomtien.
Six restaurants, three outdoor pools, a spa and a fitness centre are among the amenities.
Opening soon will be two additional houses to accommodate large families and groups, including a six-bedroom “Presidential Heritage House” with private courtyards, pools and butler service.
Open now, rooms start at 8,756 baht (US$270) per night.
New luxury beach hotels in Indonesia
Cap Karoso
Sumba, east of Bali
An hour east of Bali is Sumba, where Cap Karoso’s 47-room and 20-villa resort promises an eco-conscious beach vacation. The hotel was founded by French couple Fabrice and Evguenia Ivara, who first visited the island in 2017, and its management says half of its energy comes from solar panels. There’s an on-site farm to source much of the produce served at its beach club restaurant.
A school for residents will be part of the resort’s way of giving back, providing training in farming and landscaping – skills islanders can then use on their land or in hospitality.
The modern, locally designed suites and villas, which have up to three bedrooms, adjoin a breathtaking beach.
Cap Karoso there’s biking, waterfalls and community-led activities with the island’s famous sandalwood ponies.
Cap Karoso expects to open in April, with rooms from US$300 (10,000 baht) a night for a studio and US$600 per night for a two-bedroom villa.
Kimpton Naranta
Nusa Dua Beach, Bali
Indonesia is getting its first Kimpton property, offering a barefoot-luxury experience.
Fifty villas on a hillside on the southern tip of Bali are surrounded by lush vegetation and outfitted with outdoor rain showers and saltwater plunge pools. While you won’t be directly on the sand, it’s just a 10-minute drive to Nusa Dua Beach.
Five restaurants, a holistic spa, a yoga pavilion, electric scooters and a 24/7 gym will be among the amenities at this resort.
Opening in December this year, rooms are expected to start at US$600 a night.
LXR Uluwatu
Melasti Beach, Bali
Hilton’s luxury collection is opening its first property in Southeast Asia. Perched on cliffs 70 metres above Uluwatu in Bali, 72 villas overlook the clear waters and white sand of tranquil Melasti Beach.
The infinite ocean views from the villas’ pools and bedrooms are likely to be the highlight here. The resort will open in the summer, with rates starting at US$900 for a two-bedroom villa.
The Pavilions Anambas
Anambas Islands
This hotel, 12 villas and 10 luxury residences will open in the Anambas archipelago, part of Indonesia’s northernmost island chain that can be reached only by private boat or floatplane.
There’s a promised 100% no-plastic-use policy, and the villas all enjoy private saltwater infinity pools facing the beach and ocean, as well as floor-to-ceiling windows. The property will be opening this winter.
New luxury beach hotels in Vietnam
Anam Mũi Né
Mũi Né, Bình Thuận
The Asian windsurfing hotspot of Mũi Né, also known for its fishing village, is poised for growth, with a new expressway soon to cut the travel time from Ho Chi Minh City to just two hours.
Among Southeast Asia’s most luxurious new beach hotels, Anam Mũi Né is designed to evoke the Indochine era, with detailed local woodwork, statues, mosaic tiles and lanterns, as well as paintings commissioned by Vietnamese artists.
This is the second property from the independent Vietnamese luxury brand; the first is in the south central coastal city of Cam Ranh.
Already open for business, rooms start at 6,652,800 Vietnamese dong (US$300, 10,000 baht) per night for a premium ocean-view.
