Koh Samui Hotels in

Thirty years ago it was a Robinson Crusoe island where the hippies used to hang out. Today, Samui is home to some of the world's best-known luxury hotels and top of the line accommodation is still being built. The brands best known among leisure travellers in Thailand - Evason, Anantara and Le Meridien - all have opened flagships properties here.

Bungalows and guesthouses offering lodgings for Bt1,000 have faded into the history books to be replaced by plush seaside hotels where the prices are 10 times more. The combination of rising air fares and plush hotels means that Samui is on its way to becoming Thailand's most expensive destination.

The ongoing growth in the tourist sector is evident in the new construction, which is sprouting all over the island, even on the hilltops.

Anantara Resort and Spa Koh Samui is one of the five-star brands. The resort is located on the popular Bo Phut beach, while the other two have chosen to seclude themselves in more far-flung corners.

The Anantara on Samui, a medium size resort with 106 rooms and suites on 11 acres of land, is the result of a total makeover of an old hotel on Bo Phut beach. It provides easy access to both the main road and the cobalt sea, and a short walk along the paved concrete road parallel to the sea takes you to the lively fishing village of Bo Phut.

If you want to travel around the island, then this is a good base. Another advantage is that the hotel faces Koh Pha-ngan so anyone wanting to make a trip can take a boat over to the other island from Bo Phut Pier.

Spending time at the resort is also a fine idea. Of course, as you are spending almost US$200 (Bt7,600) a night, the resort gives you more than a lovely room to sleep.

A view from the third floor, the top level of the resort, allows a glimpse of the sea and the pool. A relaxing afternoon on a balcony is a good idea if you are in for a lazy holiday. Like the rest of the hotel, the rooms have contemporary Thai-inspired interiors and are fitted with dark wood furniture and teak floors. Bright silk and cotton fabrics add to the colour.

The room has everything you should find in a luxury hotel, from satellite television, mini bar, air conditioning and tea and coffee-making facilities to high-speed Internet access.

The pool is a great place to laze with a cool drink or you can walk to Anantara Spa at the rear of the hotel to explore its stunning decor. A well-equipped fitness centre and a tennis court are hidden away from the beach but are worth visiting.

When you look towards the sea from the lobby, you see a rectangular lotus pond and the Full Moon restaurant at the other end. It is actually an open-air Italian restaurant with three interlocking terraces, and from the top one you should be able to get a good view of the moon.

Visitors will certainly get the sense of being at the Anantara although they won't necessarily benefit from the Samui experience.

The hotel appears to have had everything custom-made to its own designs - the most noticeable being the monkey sculptures everywhere around the hotel. You'll spot them even before you enter the lobby.

If you want to spend a holiday in comfort but with a more simple sense of style, this is probably not going to be your choice.

However, the hotel is spotless and the service is faultless. You will definitely get your money's worth at the Anantara and that's not to be sneezed at.