The Oberoi Beach Resort, Mauritius

If the Oberoi name conjures visions of very conventional luxury hotels, then you’re about to have your mind changed. What’s true enough in India is something else entirely in Mauritius, where an all-star design team comprising the Thai architect Lek Bunnag and the American-born landscape architect Bill Bensley have created something quite a bit more romantic: the Oberoi Beach Resort, Mauritius, though no less luxurious than its city-borne cousins, makes use of its setting in ways no urban hotel can match. And what a setting it is. The island of Mauritius is one of the Indian Ocean’s most stunning destinations, and this spot looks out over gently curving beaches and impossibly blue waters. Accommodations are exceedingly private, in villas and pavilions spread across 20 acres of lush landscaped tropical gardens. Four-poster beds and modern luxury amenities are universal, outdoor spaces range from terraces to walled gardens with outdoor showers, and many of the villas come with private pools. It’s the sort of place you could comfortably barricade yourself in for some time, and many do. From the beach to the spa to the unusually fine pan-global restaurant, it’s hard to think of a need that’s not fulfilled. The Oberoi group certainly has the knowledge, and the service philosophy that’s required — add a location as gorgeous as this one and it would be impossible for them to miss.