Phulay Bay, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve

Phulay Bay is everything you'd expect from a 5★+ Ritz Carlton Reserve. Immaculate surroundings with huge palatial villas dotted around the landscaped gardens, incredible service, and amazing food. There is no reception or lobby in the conventional sense, instead you're met by your butler who invites you to bash on a big welcome gong and then whisks you into the villa for the check in.

We stayed in a Reserve Pool Villa which was one of the more opulent living quarters I've ever put my head down at night. The bed was obscene at about 12ft x 7ft. The bathroom consisted of about five different rooms with a huge 20ft vaulted ceiling above the bath as the centrepiece. The pool was of the courtyard variety, very private but no views and didn’t get much sunlight as it was walled off.

The beach is shallow at low tide and not really suitable for swimming, but WOW does the swimming pool make up for it! It is massive.

Each villa comes with a dedicated butler and their WhatsApp number with whom to request buggy services, make dinner reservation and cater for any other whim you may have.

As the nights draw in, guests tend to congregate at the sunset bar where the hotel put on complimentary freshly made popcorn with choice of toppings. We only dined in the pool bar for lunch but all the restaurants did look stunning. There are a couple of local restaurants a pleasant five minute stroll up Tubkaek Beach if you don't want to eat in resort every day. There are torches supplied in the villa so that you can navigate the pebbly beach on the way back.

This is definitely one for the couples or honeymooners looking for exclusive luxury.

Top tip: Head to the Chomtawan Bar for sunset drinks and free popcorn to enjoy while watching nature's nightly light show.