Koh Samui, ThailandLaem Set
Kamalaya
Hillside healing campus
Hillside healing campus
Steep hillside paths link open-air treatment salas with medical suites, where days revolve around prescribed therapies and communal dinners.
What it’s good at
Exceptional
Granite herbal steam caverns and rock-carved plunge pools cascade down the hillside.
Notable
Open-air pavilions and hillside walkways built directly around existing granite boulders and palms.
Notable
Resident naturopaths and Eastern medicine doctors direct clinical, multi-day healing retreats.
What they say
Also in Condé Nast Traveler and The 50 Discovery.
The extensive wellness area is built into the rocks with a series of open-air mezzanines, treatment rooms, shady sea-viewing spots and plunge pools.
Tucked away
A place apart: the property is the destination.
On Laem Set's southern coast, set across ten hillside acres sloping down to a reef lagoon.
The rooms
Rooms come with dark wood furniture and yoga mats, while standalone villas open onto semi-outdoor bathrooms set among granite boulders.
The pools
Bring a swimsuit.
A 25-metre lap pool overlooks the Gulf of Thailand, and a second freeform pool sits beside lotus ponds below.
The spa
Hillside salas host open-air Thai massage, and dedicated treatment suites provide therapies from acupuncture to Chi Nei Tsang.
The yoga pavilions
Open-air timber pavilions host daily classes in Hatha yoga, Pranayama, and meditation looking out toward the sea.
Soma Restaurant
The two-level pavilion serves organic, anti-inflammatory dinners and breakfasts looking out across the gulf.
All of the hotel's features have been designed to complement a restorative, healing process, from guest rooms slicked in soothing hues with mind-clearing views to the restaurant's roster of organic, nutrition-led meals.
How it began
The grounds curve around Arjan Cave, a centuries-old granite cavern where Buddhist monks meditated and guests still sit in silence.
Koh Samui
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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.