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Plenty has changed on Phuket since Sri Panwa opened its doors 20 years ago, but this hotel’s secluded spot on the southernmost tip of the island will help you feel blissfully cut off from the lively hubbub elsewhere. It’s here, on a steep hillside dotted with astonishing suites and villas with pools, that you’re just as likely to bump into a celebrity (Gordon Ramsay, Jason Statham, and Rita Ora have all stayed) as much as on an old-timer (some guests have been visiting twice a year for two decades).
It’s tempting to hole up in your suite or villa for your entire stay: each has a private pool, simple, clutter-free interiors, and sensational sea views. But venture out, and you’ll discover what really makes Sri Panwa special: like sinking into a floor cushion and sipping cocktails beneath an apricot-hued sky at Baba Nest (easily one of the best sundowner spots on the island) or settling in for a 15-course Japanese tasting menu at iki.
In the the thatched-roof rooms of the spa you can try any number of treatments, from the quirky (mango sticky rice body polishes, for example) to the highly effective (the Thai herbal healer, which starts with a warm compress of galangal, kefir, lime, and lemongrass, is followed by a deep tissue massage that will quickly soothe any long-haul flight tension). More recently, a collaboration with the BDMS clinic has seen everyone from stressed-out CEOs to burnt-out influencers (yes, really) check in for two- to 14-night sleep programs, with personalised sleep testing and curated IV therapy, mindfulness, sleep healing, and massage sessions that promise to address the root causes of sleep disruption. And while the focus of a stay here is on slow moments and deep relaxation, you’re just a 20-minute drive from the pretty architecture and charming energy of Phuket Town. —H.C. and C.S.
