In with the new: 9 boutique hotels to have on your radar

Wish you could step into the screen for a White Lotus-inspired holiday? Us too. Our newest Thailand hotel is just the ticket for tented, adults-only retreats along Bangtao Beach. This month, we’re casting away to the Caribbean, setting our sights on Italian city breaks, and dreaming of the Himalayan wilderness. For colder climes, our sustainable lodge in the Swiss Alps might just persuade you to squeeze in a ski trip before the season ends.

1. Twinpalms Bangtao Phuket Tented Resort, Thailand

On the soft sands of Phuket’s Bangtao Beach, glamping is given a luxurious makeover by Twinpalms Bangtao Phuket Tented Resort, which offers sunrise yoga sessions and lotus flower folding workshops in a leafy lagoon-side setting. Tents with private pools are spread around the lagoon and dotted across the beach, where each evening you’ll fall asleep to the soothing lull of the ocean. There’s a luxury spa tent for indoor-outdoor treatments, and long-tail boats or yachts to transport you over emerald waters to nearby Koh Phi Phi.

4. The Agora Hotel, Cyprus

Copenhagen meets Cyprus in the UNESCO-listed village of Lefkara, where a chic Danish couple have transformed a former market hall into a design-forward, just-for-grown-ups stay. You’ll soon feel part of the family (and thoughtfully chosen furniture) at The Agora Hotel, while sparking conversations with fellow guests throughout live jazz, trivia and cinema nights. If you’re bedding down in a Grand Room, soak it all up from the freestanding bathtub, with bubbles courtesy of Copenhagen’s FRAMA studio. Lounge on candy-striped seating beneath retro fringed parasols, planning tomorrow’s cycling route into the hills and olive groves as you cool off in the saltwater pool.

8. ROMEO Roma, Italy

An architecturally pleasing stay just a few scenic steps from Rome’s Piazza del Popolo, ROMEO Roma brings together meticulously considered palettes and lighting, curated artworks, and restored frescoes in some rooms. The artistic influence of the late Zaha Hadid can be seen throughout the avant-garde, near-futuristic interiors, and the dining experience is equally forward-thinking, presenting an inventive menu overseen by 20+ Michelin-starred chef Alain Ducasse.

9. The Plein Hotel, Italy

Taking its name (and whimsical interiors) from German fashion designer, Philipp Plein, many of the restful rooms in this fashion-forward hotel come with private saunas and bedside bathtubs. Playing host to must-attend parties and pop-up events across its low-lit bars, nightclubs, and terraces, The Plein Hotel effortlessly balances a buzzing atmosphere with dedicated spaces for downtime in the heart of Milan.

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