Stepping off the chaos of a Bangkok pavement and into the blissful retreat that is the Banyan Tree Bangkok, you’d be forgiven for thinking you had accidentally drifted on to the most remote of paradise islands.
With mini waterfalls and shrubbery outside the lobby windows, the real world and fast-paced city outside feel a million miles away from the moment you arrive. And as you check into your luxe hotel room or suite, all of which are topped off with luxury touches – think warm silk fabrics, exotic fruit baskets and typically Thai incense burners.
But be sure to leave your room, as you simply cannot leave the hotel without dining at rooftop restaurant, Vertigo. The eatery boasts views out over the vibrant city and has a menu that matches up to, if not beats, the surrounding vista. If Bangkok’s notoriously unpredictable weather fails you and the skies open up, then fear not as your meal won’t be cancelled, just moved downstairs to the grand Pier59, which offers spectacular views from floor-to-ceiling windows. After dinner, don’t miss the chance for a relaxed drink at Moon Bar, the beverage menu is impressive and the bubbly cocktails are a special way to toast being on hols.
While the dining options are a treat, the Banyan Tree brand is best known throughout the world for the quality of its spa, and the menu is packed with exotic treatments all designed with total relaxation in mind. We recommend booking in for one of the signature packages, and the Royal Banyan is a massage style that’s been practiced for centuries in royal Thai palaces, and includes a lemon and cucumber scrub, acupressure and herbal massage and a therapeutic herbal bath. Guaranteed you’ll leave feeling every inch a queen. After your massage you’ll be whisked away to enjoy a post-treatment chillout with green tea and fresh fruit, and can relax by the hotel’s refreshing outdoor pool, sitting 21 floors above the
fast-paced city below.
Spain
Ocean Club, Marbella
When Team GB’s celebrated young Olympians wound down their intense, competition-packed summer, there was one place they all jetted off to, Marbella’s Ocean Club. Gold medal cyclist, Dani King, and medal winning gymnasts Kristian Thomas and Louis Smith have all been spotted at what many have dubbed the best beach club in Europe. The southern Spain outdoor venue boasts a giant pool, where you’ll find plenty of girls posing in bikini’s and guys working their stuff in trunks, all sipping on bubbles pool-side throughout the day, it’s a glitzy venue where the young and beautiful to flash their cash.
www.oceanclub.es | +34 952 908 137
Maldives
Niyama Maldives
Niyama is a honeymoon perfect destination, with endless white sandy beaches, crystal clear waters and more dining options that you’ll know what to do with, you’ll be totally spoilt throughout your holiday. The luxe experience kicks off with a 40 minute seaplane from the Maldives’ capital, Male, straight to the resort (which you’ll get for free if you book before October 31), and then you’ll be immersed in total heaven as you check out your stunning pavilion or studio, 64 of which come complete with a private pool. When it comes to dining, you can choose between no-less than seven eateries, including the extremely impressive Tribal, where you dine on the sand and is labelled, “modern campfire dining,” where you’ll enjoy international flavours by the sea, lit by tiki torches.
www.niyama.peraquum.com | +960 6762 828
