Banyan Tree Samui, an exotic 88-pool villa resort overlooking an enclosed bay and sapphire seas, has been recognised as among the best resorts in the world, according to the prestigious Conde Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Awards 2025.
New York-based Conde Nast Traveler is arguably the leading luxury travel magazine in the world and the announcement of its annual Readers' Choice Awards is an eagerly anticipated event in the calendar of the global hospitality community.
Online voting for the world's favourite hotels, resorts and spas ran from April through June this year, with more than 750,000 votes cast.
In the World's Resorts category, Banyan Tree Samui polled as the eighth highest ranked resort in Thailand, the third year in a row it has made the Top 10.
The achievement marks an outstanding year in media recognition for this idyllic beachfront resort, having earlier won a Top 10 listing in Travel + Leisure's "Thailand's Best Beach + Island Resorts" awards.
The hotel's on-site Banyan Tree Spa Samui was also lauded recently, listed in the top five spas in the country in the Thailand Tourism Outstanding Awards, and recognized as one of 10 leading spas in the field of health and wellness in the Sustainability awards.
The Thailand Tourism Awards, often referred to as the "Kinnaree Awards," are organised by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and recognized as Thailand's 'Hallmark of Excellence' in the spa industry.
Acknowledging the Kinnaree award, Banyan Tree Samui's Spa & Gallery Manager Naphasawan Badklang said, "Banyan Tree Spa Samui represents a benchmark of excellence in wellness tourism set amidst the serene, natural beauty of Koh Samui. Our core strengths include our holistic wellness philosophy, exceptional guest service, and a strong, long-standing commitment to sustainability."
Naphasawan also pointed to the Banyan Spa & Wellbeing Academy in Phuket, where many of the spa therapists undergo intensive training. Since its inception in 2001, the Academy has trained more than 2,000 spa therapists.
Among the unique facilities at Banyan Tree Spa Samui is The Rainforest, an elite hydrotherapy experience, presented as a holistic journey through a sophisticated hydrothermal circuit comprising a Rain Walk, Steam, Sauna, Ice Fountain, Vitality Pool, Outdoor Cold Plunge Pool, Outdoor Hot Plunge Pool, Jet Pool, and Heated Bed.
The spa also plays a significant role in the resort's "Wellbeing Sanctuary" programme, which was initiated in 2021 and allows hotel guests an option to combine healthy living concepts with a leisure vacation — from meditation and yoga to spa treatments and Thai boxing classes — complemented with a nutritious diet and sleep therapy.
The Wellbeing Sanctuary programme at Banyan Tree Samui is overseen by Ayurvedic specialist and wellbeing practitioner Bikram Keshari Patra who has been with the resort since it opened 15 years ago.
2025 has been a significant year for Koh Samui. Thailand's tourism authorities attribute a surge in demand to the hit US TV series The White Lotus, which was filmed on the tropical island and helped reveal its breathtaking beauty to a wider international audience.
For its part, Banyan Tree Samui revealed a series of White Lotus-inspired initiatives, including a spa package, a specially crafted cocktail, and the opportunity for guests to visit many of the sites where The White Lotus was filmed via tours on the resort's own speedboat, Sense of the Sea. The new 12-metre speedboat seats up to 15 comfortably, and has been adapted for luxury tours, picnics, snorkelling and celebrations, and is available for private day trips to the limestone islets of Mu Koh Ang Thong Marine Park, which is featured prominently in the White Lotus series, as well as several islands and other attractions among the diverse marine ecosystem and crystal-clear waters of the Gulf of Thailand.
A Sanctuary for the Senses
The resort's 88 spacious pool villas, each with its own private infinity pool, provide a serene and secluded oasis where guests can unwind and reconnect with nature. Designed to seamlessly blend with the surrounding landscape, the villas feature contemporary Thai architecture and are adorned with locally sourced materials and artwork, creating a truly authentic and immersive experience.
The resort hosts three restaurants including Saffron which was recently listed in the 2025 MICHELIN Guide. Other onsite facilities include a fitness centre, a kids' club, a meetings and events centre, and a library.
