Chiva-Som is the Manchester United of destination spas: a seemingly invincible force, feared and revered by rivals. For almost 15 years, this tiny Thai resort has been the place where the likes of Kate Moss, Elle Macpherson and Liz Hurley retreat to hone their bodies to perfection.

But has Chiva-Som finally met its Mourinho? The Special One, in this case, is the Six Senses Destination Spa Phuket, which recently opened with the daring claim that it is now the premier spa of the 21st century. Will it topple Chiva-Som from the top of the league? We lined the two up for the spa equivalent of The Big Match — and here’s the running commentary.

First impressions: from the whistle, Six Senses is piling on the pressure. The resort slinks up the lush hillside of a sleepy fishing island off the coast of the reinvented and sizzlingly trendy Phuket. From its pristine golden beach there are sublime, time-stands-still views over the teal-green Andaman Sea, dotted with the limestone stacks that were immortalised in the Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun. It feels instantly glamorous and admirably exclusive.

Chiva-Som, on the other hand, is on a noisy street in Hua Hin, a couple of hours’ drive from Bangkok. The resort’s soul has been ripped out to make way for a succession of anonymous hotels; its gutters are grubby, its restaurants stock tomato ketchup and its beach is marred by high-rises.

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Scoreline: Six Senses 1, Chiva-Som 0

Style: Chiva-Som scores an embarrassing own goal here, with naff 1980s trademarks such as crazy paving, nuclear-glow creosote and garish garden borders. As the spa has crammed a dazzling array of facilities into a relatively small plot, it verges on the claustrophobic: the yoga pavilion, for example, is shoehorned into a thoroughfare, so that a steady flow of traffic witnessed my comical attempts at postures.

The best that can be said about the bedrooms is that they are ordinary, which is one up from the bathrooms, which are windowless horrors. And the fact that the Chiva-Som logo is plastered over everything made me feel like a conference delegate.

In stark contrast, Six Senses exudes a carefree, natural sexiness, with its whitewashed stone, thatch and feng shui-inspired sensuous curves. There’s a gloriously liberating sense of space — its yoga pavilion is elevated to catch the sea breezes and edged by edible landscaping, so you can nibble on a mulberry in between poses.

The villas are set within sweeps of swishing lemongrass and shady palms, their design favouring windows over walls, but rooms are somehow still reassuringly private.

The driftwood decor means lengths of timber are lashed together with thick rope, lampshades are made from coir matting and there’s lots of dreamy white muslin, with acres of cool indoor and outdoor living areas, fabulous alfresco bathrooms and sexy plunge pools. Some have winding paths down to the beach, others extraordinary glass-boxed lounges.

Scoreline: Six Senses 2, Chiva-Som 0

Service: this is where Chiva-Som comes into its own. Beautiful surroundings encourage an overall sense of wellbeing, but good service does it too — and at the old favourite, it’s almost a form of therapy in itself. Many of the team have been at the resort since it opened and they display a rare pride in their work — they’re slick yet still charming.

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