The Best Pool-Enhanced Hotels In Thailand
If you want to go in search of the cast of The White Lotus, these are the best Thailand hotels with A-list-approved pools.
More than two decades after Alex Garland and Leonardo DiCaprio made everyone want to go in search of that beach, Thailand is set to be in the spotlight again, with talk of season three of The White Lotus being filmed there. If you’re hoping to join the cast and crew in South-East Asia, there are the best hotels in Thailand – and even better, they all have private pools.
Popular with backpackers and luxury lovers alike, Thailand is so much more than just paradise islands (though there are several of those). See temples, palaces, floating markets and giant Buddhas the capital Bangkok, before a token trip to Khao San Road.
North of the capital, Chiang Mai has more ornate temples, but its mostly famous for its rice fields. It’s also a great place to stockpile Thai handicrafts.
Then there are the beautiful beaches and remote islands, which all of us at least occasionally dream of packing up and moving to (with or without a hand-drawn map).
Six Senses Yao Noi on a bay overlooking the Andama Sea has wellness programmes at its spa, romantic dinners on the beach and watersports for those who are averse to flying and flopping. Or make like tourists from the Twenties and head to Hua Hin for a stay at the party-ready Standard outpost there.
From Phang Nga to Koh Phangan, these are the best Thailand hotels with private pools.
Six Senses Yao Noi, Phang Nga
Six Senses has amazing outposts all over Asia, including in Vietnam and right here in Thailand – Yao Noi is in Phang Nga, a province in the south on the edge of the Andaman Sea.
The hotel has a superlative spa, with treatments in shalas set on a tropical hillside, a meditation room and a wellness pavilion. There’s also an all-day restaurant near the beach, but for peak romance, have your butler arrange an in-villa champagne breakfast or a candlelit dinner on the sand.
Mason, Pattaya
Over in Pattaya, Mason has villa-style suites with private pools. The beach-front resort is in Na Jomtien, with views of the Gulf of Thailand on display. The sea is also showcased from the hotel’s three restaurants and lobby. There’s an espresso bar to energise you before expending very little energy all day by the pool, along with a bistro serving Thai and international dishes, and a bar on the beach.
It’s close to the village of Angsila in the Chonburi province, which is home to a community of artisans (including some who are especially adept at rock-carving).
The Standard, Hua Hin
For a Thailand hotel with a playful, party-loving spirit, look no further than the Standard in Hua Hin, which brings the brand’s colourful aesthetic (see: the yellow sunloungers lining the pool) to South-East Asia. It’s perfectly at home in Hua Hin, which has been a beach retreat for Thai people ever since a railroad linked it up to Bangkok more than a century ago.
The revellers, which included Thai nobility, came for the pretty Gulf of Thailand coastline – and it’s as attractive as ever today. The hotel has a juice café, a Thai restaurant on the beach and a spa.
Anantara Rasananda, Koh Phangan
At Anantara Rasananda in Koh Phangan, book a suite with a shaded pool in the garden for a smug way to keep cool on a humid day. The resort has villas right on the beach, a spa surrounded by jungle and lots of towering palm trees.
Dining options include a Japanese restaurant, a bistro on the beach and a beach club for colourful cocktails and international food – or make the most of the brand’s ‘dining by design’ concept for a dinner you won’t be forgetting in a hurry.
Raya Heritage, Chiang Mai
Raya Heritage in the northern city of Chiang Mai has several suites with a private pool out on the shady, leafy deck. The hotel is on the banks of the Ping River, a 20-minute drive from the centre of Chiang Mai.
You’ll be able to try some of the famous local rice in Thai dishes at the restaurant, plus there’s a terrace for sipping tea as you sit back and enjoy the view of the river rushing past. There’s also a sleek cocktail bar, ready for pre-dinner drinks.
COMO Point Yamu, Phuket
Phuket is on most people’s list of Thailand pitstops, not least for its old town with its 19th-century shophouses. For something set back from the bustling city, check in to COMO Point Yamu, which has pool-enhanced villas overlooking Phang Nga Bay.
The spectacular interiors were created by Italian architect Paola Navone, who managed to strike the perfect balance between modernity and reflecting the locale. The resort is on the east coast of Phuket, 25 minutes by car from the airport.
Villa Mahabhirom, Chiang Mai
The individual villas at Villa Mahabhirom in Chiang Mai have wooden walls, vaulted ceilings and slipper bath tubs – but the highlight is unsurprisingly the outdoor space with a palm-fringed pool.
If you’re having trouble pronouncing the name, don’t worry – just know that ‘Mahabhirom’ means ‘great pleasure’. Guests are likely to experience joy from the gorgeous gardens, the historic gabled houses, the antiques and sculptures, and the rotating artworks.
Langkhai Garden, Koh Tao
Langkhai Garden on the island of Koh Tao has private villas so guests can borrow their own Thai holiday home – there are two- and three-bedroom options for families or friends. Most of the villas overlook the sea as an added bonus, with lush jungle as the backdrop.
The concierge is on hand to craft your stay, whether you want a private yoga class on your terrace, a guided snorkel or a massage. It’s run by a French couple who met on the island and couldn’t resist channelling Leo and upping sticks to paradise.
Trisara, Phuket
Sea views and private plunge pools await at Trisara in Phuket, which has self-contained suites featuring outdoor showers, teak decks and separate living spaces. The hotel’s tagline is ‘the garden in the third heaven’ and all quickly becomes clear at this jungle-shrouded retreat, where the terracotta-topped villas are strung along the shoreline and secluded in the lush greenery.
Making paradise even better is a private stretch of sand, a spa and chefs who head to the market every morning for their produce.
Phulay Bay, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Krabi
Ritz-Carlton’s Phulay Bay is in Krabi on the west coast of southern Thailand, a province famous for its limestone cliffs, mangrove forests and multiple islands. As is to be expected from the brand, the resort is luxurious, with butlers on hand 24 hours a day to ensure every whim is met.
The villas and pavilions have mastered the art of indoor-outdoor living, but chances are you’ll be spending most of your stay out by your private pool.
Caroline Lewis has been a travel journalist for more than a decade, reviewing luxury hotels and covering destinations all over the world, but with a soft spot for Greek islands and absolutely anywhere in Italy.
Among her most memorable trips are a month spent subsisting almost solely on guacamole in Mexico, sleeping in a room made of ice in Swedish Lapland and a rather lengthy but thankfully bear-free drive across America's wild west.
She was previously deputy chief sub-editor on the print team at Harper’s Bazaar and is a long-time contributor and editor at Mr & Mrs Smith. She writes about travel for Hearst Digital titles such as Harper’s Bazaar, ELLE, Red, Esquire and more. She read English and Philosophy at Durham, before doing a master's degree in magazine journalism in her hometown of Bournemouth.
When she's not testing out the buzziest new hotels, she's at home in London, probably baking.
From Bars To Boutiques, The 7 Most Fashionable Places To Visit In Copenhagen
ELLE UK's Guide To Bodrum
The ELLE Guide To Costa Smeralda
Forget What You Think You Know About Marbella
