The Scarlet, perched on the cliffs of Cornwall, England, makes luxury and sustainability one in the same. Solar panels heat the indoor swimming pool (which flows to the outdoor infinity pool); a native sea-thrift roof resembles the surrounding cliffs; and the living reed bed in the pool replaces the need for harsh chemicals — the Scarlet and its 37 rooms make indulgence green and guilt-free.

Be one of the first to sleep in an over-water villa in the Maldives; relax in a cliff-top hot tub in England; or enjoy a wraparound porch facing the South China Sea in Borneo. These boutique resorts are the cool new kids on the island, upping the ante on all levels — sustainability, location, service, food. But even the best new resorts don’t stand out like tuxedos in a biker bar; they humbly fit in with their natural surroundings, like Tasmania’s Saffire Freycinet resort, perfectly perched on the Freycinet Peninsula on the island’s east coast.