Anantara Resorts Make Conde Nast Traveller Hot List

The Conde Nast Traveller Hot List is a definitive guide to the hottest new hotels in the world. Thousands of hotels are checked out by Conde Nast Traveller correspondents from round the globe but just 70 hotels make it onto the final list.

Anantara Phuket Resort & Spa is situated in the serenity of Mai Khao Beach and features just 83 individual villas each with its own private pool. Each villa boasts colourful silks, prized Thai furniture and a beautiful bathroom featuring an Anantara signature outdoor 'made for two' terrazzo tub.

Anantara Phuket offers a choice of stylish, high concept dining areas including La Sala which features Sicilian specialities, The Tree House which offers Thai fusion tapas and Sea.Fire.Salt which serves exquisite fish and meat dishes.

The acclaimed Anantara Spa at Anantara Phuket is the perfect sanctuary for a journey to inner harmony. This unique spa is defined by the beauty and symbolism of the lotus flower and a range of unique treatments have been devised to reflect the influence of the lotus theme.

Anantara Desert Islands Resort and Spa lies on the exclusive Sir Bani Yas Island, just 150 miles southwest of Abu Dhabi. Originally the private island retreat and Royal nature reserve of Sheikh Zayed, the late ruler and founder of the United Arab Emirates, Sir Bani Yas is one of eight natural islands which collectively form the Desert Islands and is the first one open to the public.

Spanning over 87 square kilometres, Sir Bani Yas is one of the largest nature reserves in Arabia and thanks to over two decades of intensive conservation work and ecological investment, is now home to over 2.5 million trees and plants. The island's game park houses thousands of free-roaming animals including hyena, giraffe, cheetah and Arabian Oryx, which are sadly now extinct in the wild, whilst the bird sanctuary boasts everything from ostriches and emus to pink flamingos. The waters surrounding the island are equally rich and are frequented by dolphins and sea turtles.

The five-star Anantara Desert Islands Resort & Spa is the perfect hideaway for those seeking adventure and nature based experiences combined with sheer luxury and pampering. The resort's 64 luxuriously designed bedrooms suites with living quarters are decked out with state-of-the-art amenities and are enriched by greenery and Arabian touches including marble bath fixtures.

For those wishing to venture out to explore the natural wonders of Sir Ban Yas Island, a number of activities such as adventure safaris, bird watching, mountain biking, hiking, kayaking, diving and snorkelling are available from the resort.

For hundreds of years throughout Thailand, people would leave a jar of water outside their house to provide refreshment and extend a welcome to the passing traveller. Anantara is taken from an ancient Sanskrit word that means 'without end', which symbolizes this sharing of water and heartfelt hospitality is at the core of the Anantara experience.

Anantara Resorts are currently located in the seaside town of Hua Hin and on Koh Samui, in the Gulf of Thailand, and in the Golden Triangle in the country's north. In the world-renowned destination of the Maldives, Anantara Dhigu and Anantara Veli are a 30-minute boat ride from the capital Male. Anantara Seminyak debuted in April 2008 in the most fashionable district of Bali – the Island of the Gods. October 2008 saw the opening of Anantara Phuket, which is situated in the serenity of Mai Khao Beach, Thailand, and Desert Islands Resort & Spa on Sir Bani Yas Island off the coast of Abu Dhabi. The newest member of the Anantara family opened its doors in December 2008, Anantara Si Kao lies on the secluded Changlang Beach area south of Krabi, Thailand.