Phuket

Concierge.com's insider take:

You don't get a room at hyperstylish Trisara; you get a freestanding villa with a teak sundeck and generous marble infinity pool (as if there's any other kind these days). Swim to the edge for an unobstructed view of the Andaman Sea—the same view you'll see from your outdoor rain shower or oversize king bed. Located on the upscale northwest coast of Phuket, Trisara feels more like a private community than a resort, with a vibe that attracts celebs like Kate Moss. With in-room Thai massage, sprawling bathrooms, and plasma TVs, there's hardly a reason to step outside your villa. But that sense of sexy privacy can be a bit of an illusion—the dense vegetation can't hide everything, and it's not unheard of to glimpse your neighbors flitting about au naturel. In all, the property has 39 villas and 18 residential units, each with the same contemporary color scheme of rich European creams and deep espresso-and-gold Thai accents. However, the relative formality of the decor doesn't always jibe with the beachy setting—beware placing your wet bathing-suited bottom on a silk-upholstered chair. The beach fronts a reef, which keeps out noisy WaveRunners but also makes swimming a little rough. However, boats ferry guests to a deserted island a quick two minutes offshore for swimming and snorkeling. Privately crewed yachts and a PADI dive staff are available for longer trips. One warning: Trisara has only one on-site restaurant, with a Thai-European menu designed by Australian chef Neil Perry. It's excellent, but the cuisine could get repetitive over the course of a longer stay, and the resort is far enough away from other eateries to make regular off-site eating a drag. But the service at Trisara more than makes up for any of those inconveniences. Every villa has a private servants' entrance, you'll never see or sign a bill till the end of your stay (staff remember your room number and keep a tab accordingly), and you're nearly always greeted by name.