Bless the day Princess Letizia Ruspoli opened her Marrakech retreat to paying guests. She fell under the city’s spell several years back, and after chancing upon an old house close to the Sidi Benslimane mosque, gave top Marrakchi designer Gérome Vermelin free rein to renovate and decorate. His soothing choice of colours, textures and furnishings provides a perfect counterbalance to the sensual onslaught of the surrounding medina. Staying at Dar Seven you feel like a privileged guest of the Ruspoli family, even though they’re more likely to be in Rome or at their Chianti wine estate.

Tucked away on one of Indonesia’s most unexplored islands, Nihi Sumba Island​ is a resort with a conscience. Almost entirely preserved from urban development, Sumba’s spectacular landscape is the setting for truly romantic escapes: surf the world-famous breaks, explore the bush on horseback, work on community projects or simply while the days away by your dreamy private pool. Right on the cliff edge, Marangga villas have jaw-dropping ocean views and an outdoor bale where guests can sleep overnight. Built in the style of a Sumbanese house, Kanatar Sumba Houses have an upstairs bedroom with a terrace and bathroom among the trees. Crowned by distinctive conical roofs thatched with local Alang Alang grass, all the villas encourage breeze-cooled outdoor living, with private gardens, pergola-shaded bales and sweeping ocean views.

Christina Ong's COMO Metropolitan sleek minimalist design, cool dining and top-notch service have set the standard for others to imitate. Large Zen-style rooms and suites feature one-off art works, yoga mats and luxe limestone bathrooms. But, thankfully, this is designer style without the attitude: the staff may be kitted out in glam black uniforms by Comme des Garçons, but they're smiley, helpful and genuinely charming. The hotel is located on Sathorn Road in Silom, the city’s upmarket business and embassy district. Bankgok's main shopping areas and Patpong's infamous nightlife are close by, but you'll find it hard to leave this serene cocoon.

Phuket has long been a magnet for tan-by-day, party-by-night tourist hordes, but Thailand’s biggest island also offers a luxurious, lemongrass-scented escape for those who just want to chill. The north is much quieter than the throbbing south and Sala Phuket is the ultimate place to decompress and pamper yourself. You just need to go to Mai Khao Beach for Sala Phuket, whose spa and wine are award-winning, whose pool glitters temptingly from a green lawn, and whose irresponsibly romantic suites and villas come with open-air bathrooms and tropical gardens where birds sing gleefully.

Two years after successfully opening the boutique resort of Aleenta Hua Hin on Thailand's east coast, US-educated Anchalika Kijkanakorn created a stunning sister hideaway on the tranquil west coast. Situated on a pristine 10km beach a short dash from Phuket, it lies on a peaceful and refreshingly undeveloped stretch of coastline and is designed with the signature 'Outside Living In' philosophy.
Expect sumptuous Thai and fusion cuisine, highly personalised service, great attention to detail and extensive spa treatments based on the 4 elements of moon, sun, earth and sea, including yoga retreats and supervised detox sessions. This is much more than sun, sea and sand: it bills itself as 'a sanctuary of mind and body'.

Chiang Mai is a mighty urban sprawl around a seductive square mile of charm. Naturally, most visitors congregate there, and right in the heart of the old city, where you’d expect it to be noisiest and hottest, is this oasis of cool and calm. Built around a 200-year old tamarind tree, approached through a long bamboo tunnel, this collection of buildings with verdant courtyards inspired by rural temple cloisters is a gem of a hotel. Simple bedrooms that make the best use of the limited space, a large swimming pool, an unbeatable breakfast buffet and friendly staff combine to make Tamarind Village a top choice in Chiang Mai.

The teak villa that gives this resort its name was once the Thai headquarters of the Borneo Company, a buccaneering scheme to rob southeast Asia of its timber. Neglected for many years and believed by locals to be haunted, it has now been restored to rather more than its former glory and forms the centrepiece of this airy, luxurious hideaway. 137 Pillars House sits behind the temple in the sleepy Wat Gate area, with its craft shops, galleries and funky cafés. All rooms are painted white with attractive moulded ceilings and colonial furniture, decorated with daguerreotypes of old Chiang Mai, whose elephant theme is echoed by little pachyderms marching across the curtains.

Silavadee is an exclusive paradise on one of the world’s busiest islands, Koh Samui - nestling high amongst limestone rocks between Chaweng and Lamai beaches, it feels a world apart. Designed in sympathy with its spectacular setting, the hotel - whose name means ‘Beautiful Rock’ - is a collection of rooms and villas built from all-natural materials and surrounded by lush palms and the sparkling sea. Tranquility and relaxation take over from the moment of arrival, and a range of enticing treatments are on offer in the spa for a touch of bliss. Float away in one of the 2 infinity pools and take in the breathtaking views over the azure Gulf of Thailand, or revel in the solitude of the sandy beach.

Near Anjuna, North Goa, India
Brushed by breezes coming in from the coast and surrounded by paddy fields full of egrets and grazing water buffalo, YogaMagic is a very rejuvenating place to be. Sleep close to the elements in tented eco lodges or splash out on a gorgeous suite. Laze in leafy gardens, surrounded by frangipani, papaya, palms and pineapple trees or lounge by the naturally filtered swimming pool. Daily yoga classes are held each morning in the light and airy yoga space, with evening classes twice a week. A range of healing therapies and Ayurvedic massages is on offer to bliss you out even further.

The Jalakara, Andaman Islands, India
Havelock may not be the easiest place in the world to get to, but wow, it's worth the effort. A coral-ringed island with some of the most spectacular beaches on earth and an abundance of nature's other pleasures awaits: mangrove creeks teeming with birdlife and crystal-clear seas filled with a dazzling array of aquatic life. It was an overgrown banana plantation until British chef and entrepreneur Mark Hill enlisted a crack team of architects, artisan builders and crafters to clear the land and blend traditional Indian materials and techniques with fluid lines, modern minimalism and imagination. The result is a sublime hideaway with a laid-back vibe and luxe finishes. Rooms are arranged over staggered levels, leading down to an expansive decked platform and the glittering infinity pool. There’s an open-air massage suite, yoga classes, even a badminton lawn. Book island hopping excursions, private beachside picnics and jungle foraging walks then return here for a sundowner and some of the best views on the island.

You arrive by boat to find a 2km crescent beach with forested mountains rising behind; you step ashore to discover your very own butler waiting to whisk you off to a private villa. Six Senses Ninh Van Bay is an A-Z of luxury with every conceivable indulgence packed onto this remote peninsular (you’ll think you’re on an island). As for the villas, they simply take your breath away. Each one has its own pool, some under palms in the garden, several on the hill with views across treetops, others built into the rocks with steps down to the sea. Wherever you end up, you find heaven.

Song Saa Private Island hotel in the Koh Rong Islands, Cambodia is an eco-luxe escape spread over a pair of pristine isles, with thatch and stone villas dotted among the jungle canopy or lolling above the sea. Being green-minded has never been so glamorous. All of the villas offer ocean views, private pools and an effortlessly luxe blend of thatched roofs, rustic timber beams, earthy stone and polished marble walls. Four-poster beds, Moroccan lanterns and carved tribal statues add flair to each eco-chic space. This is one resort with serious eco cred. Song Saa is situated in a self-made marine reserve measuring one million square metres. There's a team of marine biologists on staff, recycling and waste initiatives are in place, and the hotel is involved in sustainability projects in nearby villages.