Story highlights
From all-inclusive resorts to low-key hideaways, these are the best beachside hotels
Among them is Soneva Kiri, a luxurious escape in Koh Kood, Thailand
From Australia to the Caribbean, there’s no shortage of beautiful beachfront hotels around the world from which to choose. But some are, quite simply, more beautiful than others.
Whether you’re after a glitzy, all-inclusive resort or a low-key island hideaway, we’ve picked 21 of the world’s most stunning places to stay:
1. Soneva Kiri (Koh Kood, Thailand)
Situated on the island of Koh Kood – just off the coast of Bangkok – Soneva Kiri is one of Thailand’s most luxurious and exclusive beachfront escapes.
The resort, wedged between the jungle and the ocean, features just 36 thatched villas made out of sustainably sourced wood and recycled materials.
Each villa has its own private infinity pool, sundeck and a lavish indoor-outdoor bathroom.
The resort’s pièce de résistance? Its jungle-enshrouded Cinema Paradiso, an open-air movie theater set above a lagoon that screens films nightly.
2. Le Guanahani (Saint-Barthélemy)
Editor’s note: As of mid-April 2018, this resort continues to rebuild from two hurricane hits with a targeted reopening date of late 2018.
Fresh from a four-year, $40 million renovation, this classic St. Barth resort – located on its own private peninsula – is more beautiful and extravagant than ever.
Its newly revamped guest cottages are painted in bright shades of turquoise and buttercup yellow, and feature plush, modern colonial furnishings.
All rooms have spacious terraces and many feature their own swimming pool and private tropical garden.
Property highlights include two pools, two white sand beaches and a reef-protected lagoon.
3. Hotel Fasano (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
Located at the tip of Rio’s legendary Ipanema Beach, Hotel Fasano has views that alone are worth the trip.
From its luxurious rooftop infinity pool, guests can admire the entire expanse of Ipanema and the distinctive Morro Dois Irmaos and Corcovado mountains. The hotel itself is as impressive as its location: it was co-designed by Philippe Starck and blends a contemporary aesthetic with quirky retro touches.
Its 79 rooms and 10 suites follow suit, mixing the ultramodern with the eclectic (think ear-shaped mirrors and colorful Sergio Rodrigues loungers).
4. Hotel du Palais (Biarritz, France)
Napoleon III built this lavish venue in France’s glitzy Atlantic resort town as a gift for his wife, Eugénie, in 1855.
It still channels the same Old World grandeur it did back then with its seemingly endless marble, crystal chandeliers and plush décor.
Its 153 rooms