Anantara Phuket Resort and Spa Lauded as a Top New Hotel

Bravo to the Anantara Phuket Resort and Spa, which just landed a spot on Travel + Leisure's "It List 2009." The resort opened on the sun-drenched beaches of the island's secluded northwest coast in October 2008-- not far from the lush tropical mangroves of Sirinath National Park. Here's the skinny from T + L:

For its first Phuket property, Anantara eschewed bare-bones minimalism in favor of a fresh take on classic Thai aesthetics. Hidden within a former coconut plantation are 83 bougainvillea-covered villas, whose wooden walls and sloping roofs make guests feel as if they're meandering through a local village. But there's nothing rustic here: each villa, clad in teak and raw silk, comes with a swimming pool, an outdoor daybed, and a terrazzo bathtub. The expansive spa lured us from our rooms for the kind of massage that makes jet-lagged muscles thankful to be in Thailand.

Book a room at the Anantara Phuket Resort and Spa with Five Star Alliance and you'll get sparkling wine and fresh decanted juices on arrival and daily tropical fruit.