As we compiled this year’s Editors’ Choice Awards, we took great pleasure in reminiscing about our stays at previous Hideaways of the Year. The properties below remain as enticing as ever, and we would return to any of them given the slightest excuse.

Last year: Kudadoo Maldives Private Island

Maldives

Designed by New York-based Japanese architect Yuji Yamazaki, Kudadoo Maldives Private Island is an all-inclusive property that successfully combines elements of ryokans and James Bond-style bachelor pads. The 15 spacious overwater villas are identical in layout, with private pools, hot tubs and ladders into the sea, which allowed us to swim with manta rays. Public spaces in the main lodge include a broad infinity pool, a superb restaurant backed by one of Asia’s best wine cellars and a commendable spa. But it’s the unexpected extras that set Kudadoo apart, such as a cheese-tasting room and the spa’s Himalayan salt cave. Kudadoo’s combination of style, sustainability, service and exclusivity is hard to come by. Every villa has a private butler on call around the clock. You can order freshly made sushi at 3 a.m. or start your day at sunrise with an in-villa massage, followed by a floating breakfast in your swimming pool. Its paradisiacal private-island setting completes the picture of a true exemplar of Hideaway of the Year.