It's A Water Retreat With These Vacation Destinations

If it’s going to be all sand, sea and sky for your next vacation, then this is for you. Thailand’s beaches, Miami’s warm sea and Perth’s Swan River are some of our favourite watery options.

Thailand

Hot Property
Koh Yao Noi, Phuket’s sleepy jungle neighbour, is about to get noticed. Take a 45min speedboat ride from Phuket through rock formations worthy of a James Bond film, drive through steamy forests and tiny villages filled with happily waving children, and then—wow. A 10-bedroom villa awaits, featuring a vast infinity pool, towering palms and sweetly scented tropical blooms, all a pebble’s throw away from the beach. Ani Villas is the brand-new brainchild of a millionaire ex-banker who has built four uber-luxe villas around the world: two in the Caribbean, one in Sri Lanka and now this one in Thailand. With a team that includes chefs, masseuses, mixologists and personal trainers that can answer your needs, staying at an Ani Villa gets you services akin to the most exclusive of hotels without the annoyance of having to deal with other people (or their children). There’s a three-storey-high waterslide for younger family members, a bar in the pool for the older ones, a spa, bikes, canoes, a speedboat and a fabulous array of delectable food for every meal. Even better, part of the resort’s proceeds go to the newly built art academy on the island, which teaches local Thais to draw and paint professionally.
Book here.

Miami Beach

Life’s a Beach
It’s boom time in Miami. The city has put on a neon-lit crown and one of its brightest new lights is the Faena Hotel Miami Beach—a hotel that’s spectacularly good at name-dropping. Formerly The Saxony, which reigned supreme in the 1950s and ’60s, and was frequented by the likes of Dean Martin and Marilyn Monroe, it has undergone a total revamp, overseen by film director Baz Luhrmann. He has given it an art deco feel, with hardwood floors and red velvet upholstery serving as the backdrop for work by artists such as Damien Hirst and Jeff Koons. Lounge like a celebrity at the palm-lined pool or on the white sands of Miami Beach. Or try the spa, which uses South American healing rituals and shaman-developed body treatments.
Book here.

Perth

Cry Me A River
Como The Treasury fulfils every positive stereotype you might have about Australia—it’s sunny, sporty and seriously spacious. Perth’s latest luxury hotel occupies three heritage buildings in the heart of the city’s old town. Echoing the vast emptiness that Australia is famed for, most of the hotel’s rooms average 800sqft, not including the balconies. Sunshine blasts through dormer windows, one of many original features that were painstakingly restored in a project that took years to complete. King Street, the city’s hippest avenue with a plethora of trendy bars, cafes and boutiques, is a stone’s throw away. Take a dip in the spectacular 20m pool, followed by lunch at rooftop restaurant Wildflower, which boasts sweeping views over the Swan River delta and a menu that uses the finest local produce. 
Book here.