Santhiya Koh Yao Yai Resort & Spa

Santhiya Koh Yao Yai Resort & Spa is a five-star hillside resort on Koh Yao Yai — a quieter island between Phuket and Krabi, not a Phuket hotel itself. Thirteen room and villa categories run from 60 sqm rooms up to a 449 sqm four-bedroom pool villa, terraced down a steep slope toward Phang Nga Bay.

Supreme Deluxe rooms (60 sqm) and Grand Deluxe rooms (72 sqm) come in sea, bay or garden versions, each fitting up to three adults. Step up to the 135 sqm Seawater Pool Suite or one of three 150 sqm one-bedroom pool villas for a plunge pool of your own, or take one of three 265 sqm multi-bedroom villas for six, up to the 449 sqm four-bedroom villa that sleeps 12. Child allowances shift by category, so confirm the exact combination when you book.

A private beach, two pools, Ayurvana Spa, fitness centre and kids’ club anchor the facilities, alongside restaurants, bars, kayaks, paddleboards, cooking classes and Muay Thai sessions. A free shuttle handles the steep internal roads between levels — useful given how far the hillside villas can sit from reception.

Insider Tip: Book the Santhiya speedboat from Ao Po Grand Marina at least 48 hours ahead — it runs about 600 THB per person each way and isn’t included in the room rate. Arriving via a different Koh Yao Yai pier instead? Ask the resort for road-transfer directions rather than paying for a boat you don’t need.

This isn’t a sealed resort bubble — Koh Yao Yai has its own roads, piers, restaurants and motorbike-sidecar taxis, so day trips off-property are easy enough once you’ve planned the logistics. The steep site does mean more coordination than a mainland stay, especially for anyone with mobility needs, so flag it with the resort ahead of arrival.