I was in Phuket in 1987, staying at The Phuket Yacht Club which was, at the time, the best option. It was here that I heard from a member of staff they were building 'a resort for millionaires'. I did a spot of research and discovered Amanpuri. We went the first year it opened and knew, straight away, that this was a game-changer. It was so good that we returned there the following December.
I used to love Ciga Hotels and stayed in all the Venice properties, plus Sardinia etc etc.
I am not surprised that everyone is revelling in nostalia here, as the current crop of hotels/resorts tends to remind me that the golden age of hospitality is probably over.