Best luxury destinations in Asia

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Asia's luxury travel offer spans an extraordinary range, from the refined ryokan traditions of Japan and the palace hotels of the Indian subcontinent to the ultra-modern resort developments of Southeast Asia and the private island retreats of the Indian Ocean. The continent contains some of the world's most celebrated luxury properties, where historic architecture, exceptional service cultures and natural settings of considerable drama combine to produce experiences unavailable elsewhere.

The service cultures of several Asian countries have produced hospitality traditions that set the benchmark for attentive and personalised guest experience at the global level. Private villa and residence formats have become deeply embedded across Southeast Asia's luxury offer, with dedicated staff, private pools and bespoke itinerary services delivering a level of personalisation that larger hotel formats struggle to match regardless of their star rating.

The most sought-after luxury properties across the continent book out well in advance and specialist agents with direct relationships consistently deliver better access and value than direct booking. Costs vary considerably across the region with some of Asia's most exceptional luxury experiences available at price points well below equivalent properties in Europe or North America, while Indian Ocean island resorts sit at the higher end of global luxury travel costs.