The Slate Phuket

Phuket’s tin-mining history informs the playful design of this hotel, located on Nai Yang Beach along the island’s northwestern coast. Industrial revolution steampunk decor paired with tropical gardens and sala-style structures seems an unlikely match, but somehow it works. There are 178 rooms, including seven private pool villas shrouded in lush flora, where living and sleeping spaces are linked by dark timber decking dotted with frangipani trees. Black Ginger, the hotel’s Thai restaurant, is one of the most distinctive places to dine in Phuket. The splendour begins with a lush pathway leading to a small pier, from which a wooden raft takes guests across the water to the restaurant, lit by fire torches. They’re then shown to a table either at the Ayutthaya-style pavilion or in a dimly lit traditional wooden house.