Mövenpick Resort & Spa Bintan Lagoon

Lagoi's coastline, on Bintan Island's northern shore, gives this resort its stretch of sand facing the South China Sea. The 408 rooms and suites are arranged around gardens and two pools, with views split between garden, pool and ocean depending on the room. Deluxe rooms run 37 square metres; the Presidential Suite reaches 148 square metres, the largest on site. Five restaurants cover the ground between them: Port 19 for all-day buffets and grilled tomahawk steak, Yokatta for yakitori and sushi, and Klon-Tong Deli for pastries and Mövenpick's chocolate hour. Soñada, a two-storey beach club, holds up to 245 guests with cabanas set right at the shoreline. You can swim up to the bar at the main pool between dips in the sea. A gym runs around the clock. Beyond the resort gates, two golf courses designed by Jack Nicklaus and Ian Baker-Finch sit close by, and a private ferry link puts the terminal 14 kilometres away. It is a large-scale, family-oriented setup rather than an intimate one. Meeting space extends to 900 square metres, with capacity for 780 seated or 500 at a banquet. The spa, Shantara, was not yet open at time of writing. Check-in runs from 3pm.