Hotels in Thailand

Also featured on the Gold List in: 2005, 2006

"We go for the sublime setting and fantastic views" of Pansea Beach from this resort on a former coconut plantation. Stand-alone bungalow suites sprinkled among the palms have teak furniture, maka-wood paneling, and outdoor terraces. Staff are "helpful but never impose on you." Just steps from the water, the Beach Terrace hosts torch-lit barbecues. The spa offers complimentary yoga classes.

40 pavilions

Amenities: Beach, Pool, Spa, Tennis, Water sports

Also featured on the Gold List in: 2005

Although the hotel's business-district location is "inconvenient,there's not much you can walk to",staff compensate: "They are lovely, a pleasure to be around." Retire to suites with teak walls and views of the Chao Phraya; spa suites have their own treatment rooms. Pier59, a faux underwater chamber, specializes in seafood.

216 suites

Amenities: Pool, Spa

New to the Gold List

Staff that are "gracious, accommodating, and eager to please," which explains the perfect Service score at this resort comprising a string of pitched-roof villas decorated with Thai art and landscaped private gardens. Some new villas have both traditional and infinity pools. Enjoy treatments in spa rooms that have stone Buddha sculptures. Health-conscious diners can sample the seafood and spa cuisine at Tamarind; Saffron offers Southeast Asian dishes.

127 rooms

Amenities: Golf, Pool, Spa, Water sports

Also featured on the Gold List in: 2006

This four-year-old hotel in a mixed-use complex is "away from it all" but near the Suan Lum Night Bazaar. The lobby has high ceilings and a Thai granite staircase, while rooms are decorated with silk, teak, and fresh flowers and are "at a six-star level." Order a sauteed crab claw served on willow branches at Liu: "The Chinese food and service are consistently outstanding." Live jazz is performed most nights at the Diplomat Bar.

391 rooms

Amenities: Pool, Spa, Tennis

Also featured on the Gold List in: 2005, 2006

"We've never been disappointed by a Four Seasons, and this was no exception." This 1983 low-rise on Rajadamri Road has a central lobby decorated with armies of silk panels. Its perfect Service score is no surprise: "When our room was too small for the whole family, they moved us to a suite within minutes and didn't even charge extra." Shintaro re-creates a neighborhood sushi bar, while draft beer and martinis are the draw at the courtyard bar Aqua. Recent renovations brought a khaki and cream color scheme to guest rooms.

353 rooms

Amenities: Pool, Spa

Also featured on the Gold List in: 2005, 2006

"I cried when I arrived,it's that beautiful." On a working rice farm, this 1995 resort with northern Lanna architecture has accommodations in pavilions with teak floors and regional art. On-site cooking classes begin with a morning trip to the market. The eggs at Terraces are "so fresh I wondered if there was a chicken in the kitchen." The spa offers a number of Thai treatments. "This place defines tranquillity."

64 pavilions

Amenities: Pool, Spa, Tennis

Also featured on the Gold List in: 2005, 2006

This five-year-old resort 15 minutes from the airport is set in gardens fronted by the Andaman Sea. Rooms have traditional triangular Thai cushions and Jim Thompson silk fabrics. The 12,000-square-foot Mandara Spa offers everything from "rigorous Thai massages to soothing herbal wraps." The Ginja Cook school opened in July 2006 and teaches students how to prepare local dishes.

265 rooms

Amenities: Beach, Pool, Spa, Water sports

Also featured on the Gold List in: 2005, 2006

At this 23-year-old riverside tower, the first floor is connected to River City,the largest antiques arcade in Bangkok. That and its adjacency to the Siphraya Pier make the location "convenient but pretty noisy." Tara Thong, in a wooden pavilion with low tables, serves Thai food with celadon china and bronze cutlery. Bathers choose from two riverfront pools.

740 rooms

Amenities: Pool, Spa, Tennis

Also featured on the Gold List in: 2005, 2006

This two-wing property is the only riverside hotel with direct Skytrain access (Taksin station). "Large and comfortable" rooms in the newer Krungthep wing have marble bathrooms, "bedding that is out of this world," and modern European furnishings. On the Horizon Cruise II, choose from an international dinner buffet while sailing past Bangkok by night. Tennis devotees enjoy the rooftop court.

799 rooms

Amenities: Pool, Spa, Tennis

Also featured on the Gold List in: 2005, 2006

"The proximity to the vibrant waterfront is a plus" at this riverside landmark. To celebrate its one hundred and thirtieth anniversary, the hotel poured $75 million into refurbishments, revamping restaurants and the health club. Suites in the original wing, named for authors, "provide a glimpse into Thailand's past." The spa across the Chao Phraya is "a special treat and a unique space." Butler service means "someone is here instantly when the bell is rung." Lord Jim's has a seafood focus.

393 rooms

Amenities: Pool, Spa, Tennis

Also featured on the Gold List in: 2005, 2006

Each room at this W-shaped tower in Thonburi,"one of the finest hotels in all of Asia",affords views of the Chao Phraya. The use of silk and teak gives the hotel's contemporary Thai decor "elegance and taste." Staff are "very kind and always smiling." Jesters couples Pacific Rim cuisine with live jazz. In December 2006, the hotel opened a three-story spa on the river.

370 rooms

Amenities: Pool, Spa, Tennis

Also featured on the Gold List in: 2006

"Serenity abounds" at this hotel whose name translates as Dawn of Happiness. A palm-lined driveway, six acres of gardens, pitched-roof buildings, and plenty of art re-create Sukhothai, the kingdom's first capital. Alas, its location near the embassies is "a bit of a nuisance." Have Sunday brunch overlooking the water garden at the newly refurbished Colonnade. "Staff anticipate your needs from the moment you arrive."

210 rooms

Amenities: Pool, Spa, Tennis