The villas at the Library hotel - Koh Samui, Thailand

The themed resort can be a tricky act to pull off, but the Library, which opened on a patch of sun-kissed beach in Koh Samui in 2007, earns applause for the consistency of the slick design of its 46 studios and suites. Two new pool villas have just been added to the resort’s inventory, and though each is distinctly different in mood, both cleave closely to the central bibliographic conceit.

The Writer suite – designed by Kasemtham Sornsong, the resort’s owner, no less – is a 359-sqm pleasure dome that’s anchored by a 8.5m saltwater pool and beach frontage. After check-in, there is little reason to ever step out of the villa to explore the rest of the resort, so contained is the menu of in-room facilities, not least an outdoor, pool-side cinema, private gym and, since we’re already in the realm of excess, an 11-feet wide bed.

For the Editor pool suite, interior designer Tirawan Songsawat channels the louche romanticism of a bookish Ming-era mandarin on a Wong Kar Wai set. Which explains the palette of Chinoiserie-lite furniture and high beveled mirrors, dramatic red sheer drapes, a capacious outdoor sala and private dining area and, of course, a reading room.§