Phuket's best pool villas and suites

Phuket is considered the Asian birthplace of the modern pool villa. The renowned Amanpuri introduced them to the island back in 1987 and the Banyan Tree followed suit in 1994.

"Luxury is now defined by private pool villas," says Phuket-based Bill Barnett, managing director of consulting firm C9 Hotelworks. 

And with no shortage of fine designs and private pleasure to choose from, international visitors with big bank accounts will have few problems finding the perfect spot to sit and swill margaritas as they take in a private seaview sunset. 

Hotel and resort pool villa rates on Phuket from this November range from 30,000-210,000 baht (US$1,000-$7,000) per night. Here are the island's top villa and suite options, in no particular order. 

1. Banyan Tree Phuket 

A 14.5-meter-long pool in the Banyan Tree Phuket's DoublePool Villa.

When is having a private swimming pool not enough? When you can have two, of course. Banyan Tree's Double Pool Villas -- exclusive private residences that are also part of the hotel's inventory -- front a large lagoon and overlook the greens of the nearby Laguna golf course.

Generous gardens at the one- and two-bedroom villas feature a 14.5-meter lap pool crowned by a five-square-meter whirlpool spa. At night, the underwater fiber optics twinkle into life, mimicking the stars above.

The master bedroom pavilion is encased by floor-to-ceiling windows, and the room is surrounded by an additional 110-square-meter wading pool.

Each of Banyan Tree's 24 Double Pool Villas has its own reception pavilion, and upon check-in guests receive a cell phone with the dedicated villa host's number on speed dial. 

Daily rates: One-bedroom Double Pool Villa from 50,210 baht. Two-bedroom Double Pool Villa from 88,906 baht. 

Double Pool Villas by Banyan Tree, +66 (0) 7632 4374. Reservations: phuket@banyantree.com 

2. Indigo Pearl 

In Indigo Pearl's Coqoon Spa Suite, guests get a private pool, spa room and their very own personal Vichy shower bed.

The industrial chic design at Indigo Pearl was inspired by Phuket's tin mining past, so expect cast iron and bronze furnishings, open concrete slabs, ceiling fans and vaulted ceilings with exposed beams made of old railway sleepers.

The centerpiece of the hotel is "The Nest," a handwoven spa nest suspended 10 meters from the ground in the branches of a massive tree.

For hardcore wellness guests, the one-bedroom Coqoon Spa Suite comes with a private 9.5-meter swimming pool, a steam and sauna room, a spa room with a pair of massage beds and a freestanding whirlpool spa big enough for two and a Vichy shower bed.

Watch out for the hotel's new Pool & Spa Villas, to be launched soon. 

Daily rates: Coqoon Spa Suite from 35,000 baht per night. 

Indigo Pearl, +66 (0) 7632 7006. Email: info@indigo-pearl.com  

3. Andara 

This is the same view Hong Kong tycoon Alan Zeman wakes up to when he's in Phuket. Sure beats Lan Kwai Fong.

Hong Kong business tycoon Allan Zeman provided Hong Kong night prowlers with Lan Kwai Fong, but for precious moments with friends and family, he built Andara.

"I found a beautiful spot across the bay from my holiday home on Phuket," says Zeman.

"I built Andara in the same style with the same breathtaking seaviews, so I can share the experience with others."

Liberal use of locally sourced materials -- makha, teak, mai daeng -- sets the tone for the "mystical Thai history" decor theme that runs throughout the hotel.

The two-bedroom Penthouse Pool Suites have a seven-meter pool on the private access rooftop, while the four-bedroom Pool Villa comes with a 13-meter pool fronted by a massive sun terrace and garden. 

Daily rates: Two-bedroom Penthouse Pool Suite from US$1,300 (40,215 baht). Four-bedroom Pool Villa from US$3,800 (117,553 baht). 

Andara, +66 (0) 7633 8777. Email: reservations@andaraphuket.com

4. Paresa 

View of the private pool and adjacent living pavilion from the Cielo Residence's freestanding egg-shaped bathtub.

Though not technically a villa, the Paresa's Cielo Residences extend across the rooftop of a two-story cliffside building, giving the suites a private, stand-alone feel.

The one-bedroom units consist of a master bedroom and a separate living and dining pavilion. The shuttered doors can be flung wide open to take in the sea breeze, or closed for a quick air-conditioned reprieve from the sunny terrace.

The swimming pool measures eight-meters long and has a 270-degree sweeping seaview. Cielo Residences come with a personal butler so guests don't ever have to leave their 660-square-meter pad.

The whole hotel only has 49 rooms, making Paresa a refined but cozy boutique hideaway. 

Daily rates: Cielo Residence from 41,580 baht per night. 

Paresa, +66 (0) 7630 2000. Email: info@paresaresorts.com

5. Sri Panwa 

View from the pool-wrapped master bedroom in Sri Panwa's two-bedroom pool villa.

When celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay stayed at Sri Panwa with his family over Christmas in 2007, he called it his "second home."

World-renowned hoteliers seem to agree with him.

"It's the best family time we've ever had together," says Robert H. Burns, co-founder of Regent International Hotels.

Meanwhile, the president of the Oberoi Group, P.R.S. Oberoi, called it the "best personalized service hotel." Not bad, coming from a guy whose own hotels constantly feature in the world's "'best-of" lists.

Members of Bloc Party and Massive Attack also enjoyed the digs at this Phuket resort's F1 after-party bash this September and it's easy to see why.

The pools in the one- and two-bedroom Luxury Pool Villas measure 12 meters, while the X29 four-bedroom Residence Villa has two swimming pools -- a 15-meter long plunger on the upper floor, and a 19.5-meter counterpart below. 

Daily rates: One-bedroom Luxury Pool Villa from 37,440 baht. Four-bedroom Residence Villa from 150,400 baht. 

Sri Panwa, +66 (0) 7637 1000. Email: chill@sripanwa.com