Four Seasons Resort Langkawi

Ninety villas and pavilions scattered across one of the Andaman Sea's better-looking stretches of beach, many of them open to the sea air on at least one side. This is a Five Star resort in the barefoot-luxury mode, where "barefoot" is doing some heavy lifting, given the hockey-rink pool and the sprawling spa. The restaurant pulls Indian, Italian, and Japanese into the same open-air room, which sounds chaotic and somehow isn't. The Michelin Guide awarded it 2 Keys.