Anantara Named #5 Best Hotel Brand for Leisure by DestinAsian Awards

Anantara Hotels & Resorts has been named #5 Best Brand for Leisure at the 19th annual DestinAsian Readers’ Choice Awards, with 10 properties across five Asia‑Pacific markets earning recognition. The magazine’s poll, compiled from reader votes, positions Anantara among the region’s top leisure‑focused hotel brands, underlining its strong reputation among well‑informed, experience‑driven travelers. The ranking also reflects a growing shift toward “experiential luxury”, where guests prioritize destination‑integrated activities, local‑culture immersion, and authentic storytelling over generic, one‑size‑fits‑all luxury, and Anantara’s curated programming—from rice‑paddy walks and salt‑farm tours to reef‑to‑table dining and spiritual‑wellness rituals—is increasingly seen as a benchmark in this space.

Standout properties and regional wins

Among the honours, several Anantara resorts secured leading spots in their categories:

• Anantara Desaru Coast Resort and Villas – #1 Best Malaysian Resort
• Anantara Layan Phuket Resort – #2 Best Thailand Resort
• Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas – #3 Best Maldives Resort
• Anantara Ubud Bali Resort – #4 Best Boutique Resort

Collectively, these placements underscore that Anantara’s experiential model—deeply location‑driven design, curated local‑culture activities, and luxury‑with‑context stays—resonates strongly across key beach‑and‑jungle‑destination hubs in Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean. The brand’s presence in Malaysia, Thailand, the Maldives, and Bali signals a deliberate focus on high‑yield leisure corridors where travellers actively seek more than just a beachfront room, but holistic, destination‑anchored experiences.

Brand‑level significance for Minor Hotels

The ranking also feeds into Minor Hotels’ broader narrative of Anantara as a flagship luxury‑experience brand, following earlier accolades such as its appearance in the Top 25 Best Hotel Brands in the World (No. 8) at the 2025 Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards. For Minor, the DestinAsian recognition reinforces that its portfolio is being awarded not just for individual properties, but for a consistent brand philosophy that blends comfort, authenticity, and deep‑local immersion across geographies.

Key Points

• Anantara Hotels & Resorts has been ranked #5 Best Brand for Leisure in the 19th DestinAsian Readers’ Choice Awards, with 10 Anantara properties recognised across five Asia‑Pacific destinations.
• Standout resorts include Anantara Desaru Coast (No. 1 Malaysia), Anantara Layan Phuket (No. 2 Thailand), Anantara Kihavah Maldives (No. 3 Maldives), and Anantara Ubud Bali (No. 4 Boutique Resorts).
• The results highlight Anantara’s strength in experiential, place‑based leisure and high‑value resort markets, dovetailing with Minor Hotels’ strategy of positioning Anantara as a leading global luxury‑experience label.

Bottom Line: Anantara’s endorsement as a top‑five leisure brand in DestinAsian’s industry‑respected reader survey reinforces that Minor Hotels’ location‑centric, experience‑rich playbook is resonating with discerning travelers across Asia, helping the brand hold its own against established global luxury flags while growing its footprint in premium resort corridors.