Where is your favourite beach? Ask everyone in your office and you’ll get completely different answers.
The 18-year-old might go for the sands of Koh Phangan where they could go to a full moon party; the loved-up wedding planner would plump for a deserted island; the mother of five just wants somewhere safe where her brood won’t get bored; and the shopaholic trendsetter would opt for a chic city beach.
In other words, beaches are highly subjective. So when a client comes in asking for a holiday in the best hotel on one of the world’s best beaches, it’s time to ask a few poignant questions about what they want. And finding the right beach is only the start – then you need to pick a place to stay that suits them too.
Don’t worry – we’ve done some of the hard work for you. We’ve found a handful of perfect beaches from around the globe and matched them to different clients – and we’ve suggested suitable places to stay right on the sand.
Rangali Island, Maldives
Best for Honeymooners and burnt-out executives
Why? The Conrad Maldives Rangali Island resort epitomises barefoot luxury. The soft, velvet, sugary white sand, melts seamlessly into the blue water of the Indian Ocean on one side and the lush green foliage and palm trees on the other.
This celebrity hideaway is where Katie Price and Peter Andre honeymooned (and where she went after their split) and is a favourite among the likes of Kate Moss and Sienna Miller.
Where to stay: The private resort, spread across two islands, boasts 50 water villas, 79 beach villas and 21 spa water villas with private treatment rooms. For those who can afford it, book the Sunset Water Villa, which has a rotating remote-controlled circular bed so occupants can face the rising or setting sun.
Sample product: ITC Classics offers seven nights’ room only in November from £2,895 per person, including return flights with British Airways and transfers. itcclassics.co.uk, 01244 355 527
Copacabana Beach, Brazil
Best for Urbanites and party animals
Why: This is the spot where tanned and toned Rio residents hang out and party (normally clad in little more than a shoelace-sized thong). Sitting in the shadows of the iconic Sugar Loaf Mountain, this three-mile-long stretch of white sand is one of the world’s most famous urban beaches.
There are regular parties and concerts, and people watching is de rigueur – but warn clients, it gets busy. Just beyond the promenade is a host of sumptuous restaurants, lively bars and nightclubs, while the famous sights of Rio are
just a stone’s throw away.
Where to stay: The 245-room Copaca-bana Palace is almost as iconic as the beach itself. It has been the meeting place for royalty and celebrities for decades.
It’s an imposing and traditional institution right opposite the famous beach.
Less prominent, yet no less luxurious, is the funky five-star Fasano. Located just a few miles from Copacabana Beach, on the exclusive Ipanema Beach, this boutique hotel has 91 rooms and every aspect has trademarks of its designer Philippe Starck.
Sample product: Kuoni offers seven nights’ room only in November at the Copacabana Palace from £2,000 per person, including return flights with British Airways and transfers. kuoni.co.uk, 01306 747008
Vamizi Beach, Mozambique
Best for nature lovers
Why? Beaches don’t get dreamier than this. Think icing-sugar sand on a seductively secluded castaway island carpeted with rich tropical vegetation. This paradise island retreat, just off Mozambique, is a sanctuary for samango monkeys, coconut crabs (who can crush coconuts and mobile phones in their impressively strong claws) and 112 species of tropical birds.
Furthermore, Vamizi Island, which bills itself first and foremost as a conservation project, provides a five-star nesting ground for up to 100 green and hawksbill turtles each year.
But it doesn’t stop there. Explore the crystal clear sea and you’ll discover an outstanding reefscape teeming with sealife from whales, dolphins, turtles, reef sharks and giant clams. Divers will discover as many delights under the surface as they will on land.
Where to stay: Vamizi Island Lodge has the 13 exclusive villas that are so far apart you’ll think it’s your own private paradise. Offering a more rustic luxury experience than other island resorts, all villas have to-die-for views of the ocean.
Sample product: Carrier offers seven nights’ all-inclusive in November from £4,660 per person including return flights with Kenya Airways and light aircraft transfers. carrier.co.uk, 0161 491 7610
Sani Beach, Halkidiki, Greece
Best for families
Why? The combination of stunning sands and scenery with almost unprecedented childcare facilities makes Sani Beach a top spot for families.
Located on the island’s Kassandra Peninsula in the midst of a 1,000-acre ecological reserve, the four-mile stretch of soft golden sand consistently flies the EU’s Blue Flag.
This gently shelving beach makes it ideal for children to frolic safely in the shallow waters and there’s always a lifeguard to keep an extra set of eyes on the little ones. Even better is that all amenities are on hand, such as showers, refreshments and sunbeds.
Where to stay: The Sani Resort comprises four distinctly different hotels. Although they all cater to families, the Sani Beach Club is officially billed as the family hotel. The resort is renowned for offering the best childcare facilities in Greece. The kids’ clubs, for children over four months old, are run by UK childcare specialists. Many activities take place on the beach and teenagers love the beach volleyball. Plus, parents staying at either the Porto Sani Village or the Sani Asterias Suites can offload the kids on the beach with the Babe Watch ladies.
Sample product: Seasons in Style offers seven nights’ bed and breakfast in October from £940 per person, including return flights with British Airways and private transfers. seasonsinstyle.com, 01244 202000
Jimbaran Bay, Bali
Best for watching the world go by – and the sunset
Why? This crescent-shaped swathe of sand is renowned across the island for the string of fish restaurants that set up stall here every night. The rustic tables sit so close to the sea edge that at high tide diners can even dip their toes in the rising sea while indulging by candlelight on the day’s catch, whether that be shrimps as big as your hand or scrumptious fresh snapper.
This is a working beach. During the day sun worshippers share the sand with local salesmen and fishermen preparing their colourful boats or unloading their nets. But the most memorable aspect of Jimbaran is that it’s the perfect spot to admire the setting sun when the sky defies the norm with a dazzling nightly display of astounding colours.
Where to stay: There are a number of great hotels lining Jimbaran Bay including an InterContinental, the Ayana Resort (formerly the Ritz-Carlton) and, considered to be the best, the Four Seasons Resort, which has 147 thatched roof villas, all with private plunge pools. There are five open-air restaurants, and for those who can’t bear to leave the beach, PJ’s serves seafood on decking on the sand.
Sample product: Elegant Resorts offers seven nights’ at the Four Seasons room only in November from £2,420 per person including flights with Malaysia Airlines. elegantresorts.co.uk, 01244 897518
More all-time favourite beaches
Palawan, Philippines: Still relatively unknown, but the location for Bond movie Tomorrow Never Dies, El Nido Resorts Lagen Island is the most luxurious in the area. Bora Bora, French Polynesia: Bora Bora Lagoon Resort & Spa is the consistent award winner here. Amazing volcanic scenery and the whitest of sands.
Zighy Bay, Oman: Extraordinary landscape of craggy cliffs and fjords. Guests can arrive at Six Senses Hideaway Zighy Bay on a paraglider!
Anse Chastenet Beach, St Lucia: A truly exquisite beach made even more spectacular thanks to the majestic Piton mountains piercing the blue sky. Try the 49-room Anse Chastanet resort for eco-friendly luxury.
Tarifa, southern Spain: A nine-mile sandy beach where the Atlantic meets the Mediterranean. Perfect for kitesurfing. Stay at La Sacristía, a beautifully restored 17th-century Moorish inn.
Maya Bay, Thailand: The setting for the film The Beach, the scenery is stunning with gigantic rocky outcrops and amazing white sand. One of the best places to stay is the Banyan Tree in Phuket.
