Benidorm, SpainTerra Mitica
Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa
Balinese-inspired botanical resort
Terra Mitica Benidorm, Spain
Opened
2008
Price
$$$$
Rated for
Resort Luxe WellnessOutside the door
The house
BarcelóBalinese-inspired botanical resort
The resort channels Southeast Asia on the Mediterranean, surrounding terracotta pavilions with dense bamboo and quiet garden paths.
What it’s good at
Remarkable
Seven Asian-themed pools and botanical gardens spanning forty hectares of pine forest.
Notable
Strictly guest-only hillside grounds with private suite pools and secluded dining pavilions.
Notable
Traditional Thai therapies in outdoor stilt huts staffed by Wat Pho-trained practitioners.
What they say
Michelin Selected
Michelin
Apparently the idea is something like a Bali-style villa resort, with all the benefits of a developed tourist infrastructure, but very much aloof from the fray.
Tucked away
A place apart: the property is the destination.
Pine forests cover the surrounding slopes of Sierra Cortina. Benidorm and the Costa Blanca coastline sit a short drive below.
The rooms
Balinese timber accents shape the bedrooms, and windows look past pine canopies toward the distant Mediterranean.
The pools
Bring a swimsuit.
Carved stone Angkor heads border the heated lagoons, and infinity pools cascade down the hillside between thatched palapas.
The hydro-pool
Tea lights line the indoor heated pool, which flows straight outside to an open-air hydrotherapy bath on the deck.
The spa and gym
Indoor suites hold deep stone tubs beside floor tatamis, and cardio machines in the fitness room overlook the gardens.
Lobby Bar
Chesterfield sofas sit under soaring timber rafters, and the terrace opens onto evening cocktails above illuminated garden ponds.
Restaurant
Koh Samui
Carved wooden portals open into dining rooms lit by lanterns, and the garden terrace serves Asian fusion dishes.
At the table
In Black serves international haute cuisine in a dark dining room, and Palapa cooks Mediterranean paellas beside the water.
How it began
Landscapers planted thousands of Asian species across the pine slopes, including a two-hundred-year-old bonsai imported from Japan.
Good to know
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Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa
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Our shorthand
How we rate hotels.
The medals
Gold
Extremely rare. Sets the global standard.
Silver
Brilliant execution. And we’re picky.
Bronze
They did this well. You’ll notice.
Listed
A defining trait. Makes the hotel what it is.
The eight vibes
Design
Built around a vision. Even the door handles have a designer.
Luxe
Cared for at every turn. The bath is drawn before you ask.
Local
It could only be here. You wake up knowing where you are.
Social
Where the city goes out. The bar is full and the night is young.
Heritage
A building with a story. Once a palace, a monastery, a station.
Wellness
You leave feeling new. Rest, sweat, soak and sleep like a stone.
Classic
The city grew up with it. Same rituals, same regulars, same bar.
Resort
A world of its own. Something to do from breakfast to nightcap.
The scene
Lively
Where things happen: restaurants, shops, people.
Central
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
Secluded
A place apart: the property is the destination.