Grand Villa Noi

Grand Villa Noi sits right on the sand at Natai Beach, just north of Phuket, on a long, quiet stretch of white beach in Phang Nga province. Designed by the Thai architect Duangrit Bunnag, it is a cluster of crisp modernist pavilions in glass, timber and stone, set among tall casuarina trees and coconut palms, with private access straight onto the beach. Wide lawns, timber decks and floor-to-ceiling glass keep the turquoise sea in sight almost everywhere you stand.

The centrepiece is a twenty-eight-metre infinity pool lined in deep blue tiles, running beside a broad timber deck with sun loungers under the trees. Beyond the lawn, a daybed looks out over the sand, and kayaks are ready for paddling along the shore. The main living pavilion has long white sofas, a big screen and a children’s corner, and a separate games room has a full-size pool table. Dinner can be served at the long dining table beside an open, fully equipped kitchen, with the chef cooking whatever you fancy, or around a barbecue in the garden.

Five bedrooms are spread across the pavilions, each with glass walls, a private balcony and views of the garden or sea; one has a striking round bed. Bathrooms are bold and sculptural, with freestanding tubs and a jacuzzi bathtub. Breakfast is included, and a villa manager, chef, housekeeping and round-the-clock security look after the house, while massage, babysitting, laundry and a car with driver can be arranged. There is even a basketball court for restless teenagers.