3 of a kind

Waterfront hotels

IL SAN PIETRO DI POSITANO, ITALY

Via Laurito 2, Positano, Italy.

Tel: 00-39-089-875-455, ilsanpietro.it

What: Being built into the cliff there are views only one way: out to sea and along the curving, rocky, plant-dotted Amalfi coast (below). Rooms with views and the great terrace overlooking nearby Positano make the most of the sea scenery but the hotel also has a private beach. You can have a sandy beach experience on part of it or you can opt for the cleaner decked area with furniture: a bar and restaurant are on hand. You get to the beach via stairs or a lift from the lobby which plunges through the cliff. There’s also a pool up on one of the terraces and plenty of plants. Those relaxing after-spa treatments are soothed by the sea, either viewed through massive picture windows or out among fruit trees. The hotel opened in 1970 and celebs who have stayed here include Barbara Streisand, Gregory Peck, Dustin Hoffman, Peter O’Toole and Tina Turner.

Rooms: There are 61 rooms hewn into the rock with sea views. They are decorated in a simple but traditional style. There are five rooms sizes, from 35sq m to 90sq m, and all have their own terraces. Prices from €420 for a double.

ST NICOLAS BAY HOTEL, GREECE

Aghios Nikolaos, Crete, Tel: 00-30-28410-90200, stnicolasbay.gr

What: St Nicolas Bay Hotel (above) is on a small peninsula overlooking the sandy Mirabello Bay and the traditional fishing village and tourist resort of Aghios Nikolaos. The hotel has its own beach with sandy stretches and rock pools to explore for good old-fashioned sea play. Other ways to engage with the briney include terraces on the water, a restaurant overlooking the sea, plus two seawater pools. The spa uses seawater treatments (and Elemis products) and water sports include skiing, sailing, diving, canoeing, windsurfing and private sea cruises. Beneath- stars activities include an open-air cinema.

Rooms: Rooms are decorated in an airy Mediterranean style and include some with terraces and overlooking the sea and others with private pools beside them.

THE SCENT HOTEL, THAILAND

58/1 Moo 4, Bangrak Beach, Koh Samui, Suratthani 84320, Tel: 00-66-77-962-198, thescenthotel.com

What: The Scent Hotel is on Bangrak Beach in a quiet part of the north side of the island of Koh Samui in the Gulf of Thailand. Should you be able to peel yourself off this beach there are others nearby to explore, as well as Fisherman’s Village.

There are so many of the ingredients for an exotic beach holiday here that descriptions risk becoming cliches: from the palm-fringed sandy beaches, to the azure ocean. The hotel draws from its surroundings by giving every room a sea view and putting the restaurant by the beach, for dinners illuminated by sunsets and stars, and breakfast taken in the morning sun.

The spa treatments make sense of Scent’s name and aromatherapy treatments (aimed at physical and emotional wellbeing) include a papaya and pineapple facial, body scrubs with coconut or mangosteen, body wraps with coconut or aloe vera and Thai massages with essential oils.

There’s also a pool for those who want an ocean-free swim, while sea activities include kayaking. Classic films are shown in the hotel and there are fruit carving classes – there’s nothing quite like coming home from a holiday with the ability to make sculptures out of pineapples.

Rooms: All 15 bedrooms have balconies and views of the ocean. There are three styles of decor: a European style, Indo-Chinese colonial look with bleached wooden furniture; Chinese style with lacquer furniture; and local Thai-Chinese style in sea-foam shades and rattan furniture. Prices from 5,000-14,000 Thai bhat (€122-€342) for a double.