Villa L’Esterel

Perched high in the Maenam Hills on Koh Samui’s peaceful northern coast, Villa L’Esterel is a beautifully designed four-bedroom retreat that repays its elevation with some of the island’s most impressive panoramas. From the infinity-pool terrace, the view runs across the Gulf of Thailand to the silhouettes of Koh Phangan, Koh Tao and the protected islands of Angthong Marine Park — brilliant turquoise by day, a blaze of colour at sunset.

The villa spans 285 square metres over two levels, an open-plan living area defined by floor-to-ceiling glass that dissolves the line between inside and out. The design is clean and contemporary — light-filled rooms, natural timber accents and commissioned Chiang Mai wooden artworks lending real character — with a long teak table for eight and a fully equipped Western kitchen for those who prefer to self-cater. Outside, the infinity pool seems to hang over the jungle canopy, flanked by loungers on non-slip tiles and a separate jacuzzi, with a poolside sala and an upper-floor pool-table room as quieter retreats from the afternoon heat.

What lifts L’Esterel beyond a typical rental is the staffing: full-time resident staff handle daily housekeeping, twice-weekly linen and pool-towel service, a private chef cooks breakfast and lunch for the cost of ingredients plus a service charge, and a manager fluent in English, French and Chinese arranges tables and excursions, with complimentary return airport transfers included. Maenam village keeps a quieter, more authentically Thai character than Chaweng or Lamai — local markets, beachfront seafood, a relaxed pace — with the beach about 1.5 kilometres downhill and the airport twenty minutes away.