Best Resorts in Asia

This guide features the 13 Best Resorts in Asia. 

What makes it different and credible? Every resort here has awards, great reviews, or unique experiences. They offer top service, stunning locations, and rich cultural connections.

We’ve also included who each resort is best for. This makes it easy to find the one that fits you.

1. Viceroy Bali, Indonesia

Viceroy Bali is a boutique jungle resort based in Ubud, Bali.

Recognition: International awards, including the Tripadvisor Travellers Choice Award 2024 and Luxury Hotel Awards Global Winner for 2024.

The Experience:

• Nestled in Ubud’s lush landscapes.
• Features 40 five-star villas and suites with a private heated infinity pool and stunning valley views.
• Home to:
  • Apéritif Restaurant: Fine Dining restaurant with degustation menus and a curated wine selection.
  • CasCades Restaurant: Serves gourmet meals.
  • Pinstripe Bar: Known for signature cocktails.
• Offers rejuvenating treatments in a serene setting.

• Known for 24/7 highly personalised attention. 
• It’s one of the few jungle resorts with a private helipad for a grand arrival.

Best For: Honeymooning couples and travellers looking for personalised luxury.

2. Capella Singapore

Capella Singapore has a mix of colonial and modern design with breathtaking views of the South China Sea.

Recognition: Ranked 33 in The World’s 50 Best Hotels 2024. 

The Experience:

• The resort is surrounded by a rainforest and feels peaceful and amazingly private.
• Rooms and villas blend modern design with Asian elements. 
• Its in-house Auriga Spa offers rejuvenating treatments. They are inspired by the lunar cycle.
• Dining options include Chinese fine dining and Mediterranean flavours.
• Located near Universal Studios and Resorts World Sentosa.

Best For: Wellness enthusiasts seeking a luxurious retreat near city attractions.

3. Six Senses Laamu Maldives

Six Senses Laamu is Laamu Atoll’s only five-star resort. It’s known for luxury with a sustainability focus. 

Recognition: Winner of the Skål Sustainable Tourism Award for marine conservation.

The Experience:

• The resort has overwater and beachfront villas. They’re made with eco-friendly materials. Some come with private pools.
• It offers different dining experiences like an adults-only restaurant with fresh, organic meals.
• It provides water activities like snorkelling, diving, surfing, and dolphin cruises.
• It includes a kids’ club for families, and an ice cream and chocolate studio.

Best For: Nature lovers and adventure seekers who prefer luxury with a green approach.

4. Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle, Thailand

This retreat is inspired by nature in its luxurious experiences. 

Recognition: Travel + Leisure Luxury Awards 2024.

The Experience:

• The resort has fifteen luxury tents. They’re designed like a 19th-century explorer’s camp. There are no walls, no air-conditioning, and no TV.
• You get to interact with rescued elephants ethically and up close.
• Dining options comprise Thai, Laotian, and Burmese flavours. Meals are served at Nong Yao, the resort’s open-air restaurant.
• It has open-air pavilions where you can get a traditional Thai massage surrounded by the jungle.

Best For: Adventure lovers and wildlife enthusiasts looking for seclusion and old-world charm.

5. Amanoi, Vietnam

Amanoi is a secluded retreat inside Nui Chua National Park and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. It blends upscale luxury with protected nature.

Recognition: Vietnam’s Leading Honeymoon Resort 2024 from the World Travel Awards.

The Experience:

• Located on a clifftop with panoramic views of Vinh Hy Bay.
• Features a private golden sand beach. It’s accessible only to guests.
• Offers ocean-view villas and residences. The design mixes modern and local styles.
• Serves Vietnamese and international dishes.
• The Aman Spa specialises in local-inspired treatments. Facilities include hydrotherapy suites, and a Pilates and yoga studio.

Best For: Couples, nature enthusiasts, and travellers looking for a peaceful retreat.

6. Taj Lake Palace, India

Taj Lake Palace in Udaipur is a stunning white marble palace built in the middle of a lake. It looks like it’s floating on water. It’s one of the world’s most iconic hotels.

Recognition: Rajasthan’s Leading Heritage Hotel 2024 by the World Travel Awards.

The Experience: 

• The hotel is accessible only by boat. It creates a feeling of seclusion and exclusivity.
• Facilities include exclusive heritage walks and boat rides on the lake.
• The hotel offers exquisite dining experiences like a floating pontoon restaurant or boat dining.

Best For: History lovers and couples desiring a royal experience.

7. The Datai Langkawi, Malaysia

The Datai Langkawi is a 5-star resort. It’s set in the heart of an ancient rainforest and overlooks a stretch of white sand and turquoise waters. The resort blends seamlessly into nature.

Recognition: Top 10 Resorts in Malaysia, DestinAsian Reader’s Choice Awards, Asia

The Experience:

• Authentic Malaysian flavours and international dishes in unique, scenic settings.
• Spa treatments are inspired by nature. Therapies use local ingredients for deep relaxation. Yoga is done outdoors.
• Activities like guided rainforest walk, and playing golf at an award-winning course nearby.

Best For: Travellers who love wildlife, beaches, and lush landscapes.

8. Soneva Jani Luxury Resort Maldives

Soneva Jani is all about space, privacy, and luxury. It’s one of the world’s lowest-density resorts.

Recognition: Ranked No. 36 in The World’s 50 Best Hotels 2023.

The Experience:

• The resort features some of the Maldives’ largest overwater and beach villas. Each has private pools. The villas are spread across a peaceful lagoon. Many villas include retractable roofs for stargazing and water slides leading into the lagoon.

• Top chefs create the menus. 
• You can enjoy kayaking, private beach dining and starlit movies at the overwater cinema.

Best For: Travellers looking for unique and rare experiences in the Maldives.

9. Banyan Tree Higashiyama Kyoto

Banyan Tree Higashiyama Kyoto is a luxury retreat. Set on a hilltop, it’s surrounded by bamboo forests and city views. This is Kyoto’s only urban resort with a Bamboo Pavilion.

Recognition: Architectural Digest 2023 Hotel Awards as one of ‘The 21 Best New Hotels Around the World.

The Experience:

• Rooms and suites blend traditional Japanese design with modern comfort. Some rooms have private onsen baths with natural hot springs.
• The hotel has a Noh stage like no other. The open-air design blends it into the forest.
• Authentic Japanese meals and a sake bar.

Best For: Travellers looking for luxury with cultural activities.

10. NIHI Sumba, Indonesia

NIHI Sumba offers rustic charm and relaxation. It gives you exclusive access to a private beach.

Recognition: 

• Ranked No. 10 in the world by The 50 Best Hotels.
• Named Best Hotel in Indonesia by Condé Nast Traveler.

The Experience:

• Villas reflect traditional Sumbanese design with modern comforts.
• Amazing horseback riding experiences along virgin beaches.
• Exclusive access to ‘Occy’s Left’ — a private surf break for world-class waves.
• Guided visits to traditional Sumbanese villages.
• Relaxation at the clifftop spa with ocean-facing open-air treatment rooms.

Best For: Luxury travellers who prefer seclusion in a wild, natural setting.

11. Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp & Resort, Thailand

Anantara Golden Triangle is about luxury and wildlife immersion like you’ve never known before. This resort overlooks the Mekong River and provides jaw-dropping views of three countries — Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar.

Recognition: Awarded two MICHELIN Keys for exceptional stays. ​

The Experience:

• Rooms and suites are designed in a modern-Eastern style.
• Home to an award-winning elephant camp. You experience once-in-a-lifetime elephant encounters, interact with elephants ethically and learn about elephant history and conservation efforts.
• Serves Italian and Northern Thai cuisines.

Best For: Travellers who seek wildlife and cultural experiences in a serene setting and luxurious ambience.

12. A Ritz-Carlton Reserve Hotel Jiuzhaigou, China

This serene retreat is located in a UNESCO World Heritage Site valley. It’s surrounded by snow mountains, villages, and ancient forests. This resort immersively connects you to Tibetan culture.

Recognition: LIV Awards 2024 for architecture.

The Experience:

• The resort’s villas offer alluring views of the Minshan mountains.
• Spa treatments use ancient Tibetan healing practices.
• Dining options include Tibetan, Sichuan, Cantonese, Italian, and Southeast Asian flavours.
• Offers interesting activities like sound therapy with traditional singing bowls, and waterfall yoga sessions.

Best For: Travellers seeking luxury with cultural immersion.

13. Gangtey Lodge Bhutan

Gangtey Lodge is a boutique hotel situated on a hilltop in the Phobjikha Valley. It offers spectacular views of the Himalayas. It combines traditional Bhutanese design with modern luxury. Gangtey Lodge is an intimate retreat in one of Bhutan’s most stunning valleys.

Recognition: Bhutan’s Leading Boutique Hotel 2024 at the World Travel Awards.

The Experience:

• Offers 360-degree views of the Himalayas and the surrounding valley.
• Rooms reflect Bhutanese architecture. Each features a fireplace and a deep soaking bathtub.
• Fresh, local cuisine. Meals are served in a warm, communal setting.
• Monastery rituals like blessing ceremonies, butter lamp offerings, and prayer flag hoisting.
• Traditional hot stone baths and spa treatments for relaxation.

Best For: Travellers seeking luxury in a quiet mountain setting with Bhutanese hospitality.