Overlooking the Gulf of Thailand, the upscale resort blends contemporary design with traditional Thai charm in a prime beachside beauty spot surrounded by lush tropical gardens and soothing pools.

Located only 10 minutes away from the centre of Hua Hin, it offers 96 elegant suites and pool villas, the Asara Spa, a modern, well-equipped fitness room, private outdoor infinity swimming pool and gardens that are ideal for taking a peaceful stroll.

“Hua Hin is one of Thailand’s most desirable beach destinations, and we are delighted to unveil such a stunning property on this golden stretch of coastline,” said Mark Willis, president – Asia, Movenpick Hotels & Resorts.

“Movenpick Asara Resort & Spa Hua Hin is an intimate tropical retreat and the perfect place to get away from it all,” said Simon Dell, general manager. “Its idyllic location, spacious accommodation and extensive amenities appeal to a wide range of guests, from couples seeking a romantic break in paradise to families looking to spend quality time together. It is also an incredible destination for events and weddings.”

The 120-sqm suites come complete with large balconies or terraces featuring day beds, as well as bathrooms with indoor and outdoor rain showers and bathtubs, while the one- and two-bedroom villas span 150 and 200 sqm, respectively, and include luxurious indoor living areas, outdoor decks and private plunge pools.

For the ultimate tropical lifestyle experience, the 400 sqm two-bedroom beachfront villa offers three separate pavilions, its own private beach area, large outdoor decks and a plunge pool overlooking the sea.

Guests have a choice of two exquisite restaurants at the resort with a wide selection of authentic Thai cuisine, fresh seafood and international gourmet dishes on the menus. The restaurants offer indoor, terrace, poolside and beachfront seating options with cocktails and cool drinks served at the tropical beach bar.

To celebrate its opening, the room rates range from Bt5,930 for a Junior Suite with breakfast valid until September 30.

Online booking can be made at http://www.Movenpick.com/hua-hin.

Eden Exoticism Planet, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

Located a short walk from Rueifong Night Market, the Eden Exoticism Planet is a unique motel that offers exclusively themed rooms, including a suite inspired by one of DC Comics’ most popular superheroes. Embrace your inner Bruce Wayne in a luxury room full of dark and mysterious decorations including posters, logos and signals that represent the infamous comic character.

Universal’s Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, Orlando, USA

You’re never too old or too young to gain an appreciate for comic book characters, which is evident at The Universal’s Loews Portofino Bay Hotel’s Despicable Me Kid Suite. In this fun suite, young guests can spend the night as the small yellow comic characters they love so much. The exclusive room, which has special custom-made beds and kid-size furniture, is attached to the grown-ups room where parents can enjoy some privacy while the little ones are embrace their inner minion.

Hotel Zed, Victoria, Canada

The colourful Hotel Zed in central Victoria is a fun place for travellers looking for retro-chic amenities like comic books in each room, video game stations, a ping pong room, typewriters and vinyl listening stations. The hotel’s indoor heated pool with waterslide and a sauna are great to hang out in after enjoying your free morning coffee on the common terrace while reading an exciting comic book.

Hotel Jen Puteri Harbour, Johor Bahru, Malaysia

Hotel JenPuteri Harbour is just a short walk away from the Puteri Harbour Family Theme Park and features themed rooms, including a few that feature Japan’s most loved kitten comic character. The themed rooms are individually decorated and themed welcome amenities of the adorable character are also available. To unwind, guests can relax in the rooftop swimming pool and choose from a selection of wines and cocktails at the Sky Bar.

Comics Guesthouse, Rome, Italy

Comics Guesthouse is a truly unique property with colourful rooms themed after various comic book characters. Guests are invited to play the Wii, PlayStation and other arcade games in the lounge, before and after exploring The Eternal City. The property is in the lively neighbourhood of Prati, where you will find a great selection of shops restaurants and cafes.

Grassmarket Hotel, Edinburgh, UK

The Grassmarket Hotel is in the lively and historic Grassmarket neighborhood of Edinburgh. Its stylish rooms are decorated with wall-sized magnetic maps and some room decorations are inspired by the adventures of a well-known British comic book character from one of the longest running comics in the world. From the hotel, guests can rent a bike, get a packed lunch from the property and discover the narrow alleys and the iconic buildings of Edinburgh’s Old Town. The Royal Mile, a succession of streets that are home to many traditional Scottish pubs, is a short walk away.

Sato Castle Motel, Taipei, Taiwan

Sato Castle Motel is a fantasy themed hotel with a castle-like design. Each of the eye-catching themed rooms is decorated in bright colours and has striking light effects, so guests will feel as if they are living in a their own comic book story. Only a five-minute walk away is a large shopping mall with a famous, 70-metre tall Ferris wheel on the roof, which at night offers an impressive neon light show.

The Arcade Hotel Amsterdam, Netherlands

Featuring a comic library, a game room with high-end gaming PCs, virtual reality and a modern console corner, The Arcade Hotel Amsterdam is a great place to enjoy a fun gaming night in the center of Amsterdam. All rooms are equipped with a flat-screen TV, retro consoles and headsets, as well as free Wi-Fi. The hotel is also organises a popular “geek tour”, where you will discover the city’s best comic book stores and learn everything about the “geek” life in Amsterdam.

THE LUTETIA hotel in Paris, favoured by the likes of Picasso and Hemingway, reopens after four years of costly renovations that it hopes will win it the “palace” label reserved for the most opulent of French lodgings.

Steeped in history, from its occupation by Nazi intelligence agents to its years as a hangout for celebrity intellectuals in the 1950s, the Lutetia hasn’t changed much on the outside at least.

The new-look hotel in the chic Saint-Germain-des-Pres neighbourhood has retained its imposing art deco facade, lined with elegant wrought iron balconies overhung with carved stone grapevines.

But the 200-million-euro (Bt7.8 billion) makeover has allowed the hotel to spruce up its original frescos and stucco work, decking out the 184 rooms and suites in understated luxury.

Bartenders stand behind the bar of the newlyrefurbished Lutetia Hotel.

Hotel manager Jean-Luc Cousty says the goal was to “create a contemporary hotel by enhancing everything that was historic”.

“The Lutetia has not lost its soul, and one of the big triumphs of architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte is that natural light has been brought in throughout,” he explains.

The first guests were due to walk through its corridors – lined with dark eucalyptus wood – on Thursday.

There is a softly lit 17-metre swimming pool, while the rooms feature discreet art-deco chandeliers and a lot of white marble: the baths were carved out of a 1.9 tonne block.

While the brasserie will not reopen until autumn, guests can sip a cocktail in the Josephine bar, whose frescos, previously forgotten under layers of wallpaper and paint, have been restored after 17,000 hours of painstaking work.

Opened in 1910, the Lutetia owes its existence to its neighbour Bon Marche, one of the first department stores in the world.

Marguerite Boucicaut, its owner, had the hotel built to provide accommodation for her wealthy customers travelling up to Paris from the provinces for shopping trips.

Situated in the centre of the Left Bank, the heart of the French intellectual scene, it quickly became a hub of philosophical and artistic debate.

During the Nazi occupation of Paris, the hotel was requisitioned by German forces and used to host and entertain troops.

Upon the liberation, wartime leader General Charles de Gaulle – who himself had honeymooned at the Lutetia – ordered the hotel to take in thousands of refugees.

A book shelf in the diningroom of the newlyrefurbished Lutetia Hotel in Paris / AFP 

Post-war it swiftly regained its reputation as a place to see and be seen, with artists like Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse haunting its hallways.

James Joyce famously wrote part of “Ulysees” there – with the help of editing suggestions from Ernest Hemingway – and the dancer Josephine Baker was also a regular.

Currently a four-star hotel, the Lutetia has applied for a fifth – the next step before getting the “palace” label, which is currently held by 10 top Parisian hotels including the Bristol and Peninsula.

The Lutetia “offers something different, it wouldn’t do any harm to the other palaces because its clientele is different,” says Christian Mantei, head of national tourism development agency Atout France.

Cousty says the Lutetia attracted hardly any of the ultra-rich “Middle Eastern and Russian customers who prefer to stay in the ‘Golden Triangle’”, an area near the Champs-Elysees boulevard on the other side of the river.

While still out of reach for all but the wealthiest, he said is Lutetia was aiming for “more accessible” pricing than those rivals on the Right Bank, “with an average price of 800 euros”.

Bought in 2010 by Israeli group Alrov, the Lutetia is seeking to double its turnover – which stood at 30 million euros before the renovation works – within three or four years of reopening.

At least the timing is good: after two years during which Paris was scarred by terror attacks, tourists returned to the French capital in record numbers in 2017, with 33.8 million hotel rooms booked.