Phuket Hotel Reviews
Just when is a hotel outstanding and what makes a truly
great hotel? Find out every month through our hotel reviews
– honest, candid and in-depth comments on Phuket’s
finest hostelries written by experienced and observant writers.
This month hotel reviews:
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Spacious, elegant and impressive, the multi award-winning Banyan Tree Phuket plays to its strengths; excellent and polite service, luscious rolling grounds, full use of an array of Thai textiles and woods throughout and clever use of space in its public areas. The Banyan Tree Group is a leading manager and developer of premium resorts, hotels and spas in the Asia Pacific, with 23 resorts and hotels, 65 spas, 65 retail galleries, and two golf courses and the Banyan Tree Phuket is the group's flagship resort. Read more... |
Past month hotel reviews:
Patong Beach Hotels
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The Holiday Inn Resort Phuket is famous for two things
– it’s great for families and the staff is
amazing. Not a bad reputation to have, especially when
combined with its other attributes: It’s close
to the action of Patong Beach, but protected and peaceful.
It nearly has enough pools to warrant a new sea be placed
on the map. It has four restaurants, a spa, conference
facilities, and a cooking school. And the beach is across
the street. Read
the hotel review...
Read the Interview
with Mr Wolfgang Meusburger, GM of the Holiday Inn
Phuket. |
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A great spot for a relaxing holiday with all your needs
taken care of. Beautiful beach and scenery surprisingly
close to the amenities and nightlife of Patong. Tucked
into a small bay between wild Patong and not so wild
Karon lies this wonderful resort where everything’s
perfectly just so (how typically French). Read
more...
Read the interview
of Mr Rudolf Borgesius, GM of Le Meridien Phuket |
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Impiana Phuket Cabana Resort and Spa is one of the leaders
in the Phuket hospitality league. Impiana was one of
the first high-level hotels on the island yet you’d
never guess it as the resort has a ‘just built’
freshness to it. Everything – from the large lobby
to the 76 guest units to the flagship Sala Bua restaurant
– is well maintained and squeaky clean. Read
more... |
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With its large – some would say towering –
lobby, Patong Paragon has created the perfect place
to sit and watch the world go by as guests go through
the check-in process. Patong Paragon is located one
kilometre north of Patong center and just metres away
from the end of Patong Beach.
Read more... |
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Banthai Beach Resort and Spa has secured one of the
best locations in the heart of lively Patong. With Starbucks,
McDonalds, Warner Bros and Haagen Daas right on its
doorstep, and located just off the beach road, Banthai
is perfect for tourists wanting a close-up look at Phuket’s
most lively tourist town.
Read more... |
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First impressions are so important. The very first thing
we encountered, on entering Novotel’s huge and
impressive lobby, was a lady dressed in silk wearing
a beautiful welcoming smile. She approached us with
two glasses of iced water. “Two hands please Samson,
two hands,” I whispered. Read
more... |
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If you love flora you'll love Burasari Resort. Even
though this compact hotel has no grounds to speak of
it boasts more foliage discreetly planted on its premises
than a medium-sized resort's gardens. Tropical flora
and the constant sound of running water are the two
immediate impressions one receives when arriving at
this beautiful boutique hotel. Read
more... |
Kata & Karon Beach Hotels
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Kata’s Sugar Palm Resort and Spa delivers what
it promises on the label – yet at a very affordable
price. This small ‘boutique’ style resort
combines style with value in very nice packaging.
Read more... |
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You have friend in Phuket. He’s a Harvard-educated
architect with an impressive resume and even more impressive
connections. He’s been on the island longer than
most people, and is personally responsible for bringing
tourists to Thailand’s largest island getaway.
He’s passionate about art, wine, and fine dining.
His name is Mom Tri, and he wants you to stay at his
beach house. Read more...
Read the interview of
Mr Adisak Pitukrojjananont,, GM of Mom Tri's Villa
Royale |
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Families, welcome to your perfect hotel. With a selection
of rooms suitable for more than two, an expansive children’s
area, plenty of activities and kid-friendly food (hot
dogs and chicken nuggets from room service), the five-star
Mövenpick Resort & Spa caters to travellers
with little ones in ways that few others hotels can
match. And with a location that’s convenient and
quiet, the best of everything is easily within your
grasp.
Read more... |
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The Secret Cliff Resort and Restaurant has one major
advantage over its competitors – its seascape views
are out of this world. This must be the only spot with
a vista that embraces the west coast of Phuket all the
way from Relax Bay to Kata Noi, taking in Karon, Kata
and the recently constructed hilltop Big Buddha above
Kata. Read more... |
Kamala, Surin & Bangtao Beach Hotels
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The Dusit Laguna Resort has been consistently wowing
visitors for more than 37 years and is situated on Bang
Tao Beach on Phuket’s west coast. Part of the six-hotel
Laguna Group, Dusit effortlessly exudes a Thai touch
through its well-trained staff, its classic décor
and its discernable relaxed atmosphere. Read
more... |
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Grafted into a coconut grove hillside with lush views
of arguably one of Phuket’s finest beaches lies
The Chedi; a landmark hotel that has been here since
the beginning of Phuket’s tourist incarnation.
This classically designed grand dame is the work of
renowned Paris-based American architect Edward Tuttle.
Read more... |
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Located in well-heeled Surin, on Phuket’s west
coast strip known as ‘Millionaires Row’, Twinpalms
has generated quite a buzz in since it opened in late
2004. I’d heard a lot of overwhelmingly positive
comments so I was looking forward to seeing the place
for myself.
Read more... |
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If you're searching for a fully-contained resort that
you don't need to leave – for anything – the
254-room Laguna Beach Resort is worth a look. And if
you have kids and you want them to be amused for your
whole holiday, look no further. This is a resort that
has a firm grip on the concept of catering to families
and children, even big ones! And being part of Laguna
Phuket there's much to explore. Read
more...
Read the interview of
Mr Stephen Maggor, GM of Laguna Beach Resort |
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The scenery in prestigious Surin is stunning; verdant
jungle-covered hills provide a strong counterpoint to
the azure blue sea, the area's attraction is palpable.
From the moment you arrive at the 48-suite Ayara Hilltops
you're instantly relaxed, it's that contagious. The
lobby area is an airy space with high ceilings, smart
décor and smiling faces as the staff greeting
is very warm indeed. Read
more... |
Chalong, Rawai & Nai Harn Beach Hotels
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Warning: capping the night with a muscle-melting massage,
room service and a bottle of sparkling wine could be
habit-forming. Add in the other ways Evason Phuket &
Six Senses Spa tempts and spoils, and it's a wonder
guests have the willpower to check-out and return home.
It needs to be stated upfront that this resort is on
a hill. Read the hotel review... |
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A stay at the Rising Sun Residences is probably going
to be an indulgent experience for you, as I discovered
during my visit to one of the 3 bedroom villas. The
concept envisaged by owner Methee Tahmanatragul was
“to give people a real alternative to the hotel
option”, and he should know what people want, with
over 30 years experience in the hotel management industry.
Read more...
Read the Interview
with Khun Wipa, Assistant Managing Director. |
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Located near the extreme southern tip of Phuket Island
on Nai Harn
Beach, The Royal Phuket Yacht Club is a cocoon of
relaxation. Weighing in at 110 rooms, it's intimate
but not crowded; grand but not impersonal. Everything
required during a holiday stay is available onsite -
meals, drinks, activities, and a bit of souvenir shopping.
But that fact is borne from necessity. The Royal Phuket
Yacht Club isn't located "conveniently in the heart
of" anything. In fact, it's a respectable trek
from nearly everywhere. (Read
More...) |
Nearby Islands Hotels
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For the ultimate in luxurious pampering in a setting
that puts you at one with nature, an escape to this
stunning 'resort' located some 30 minutes from Phuket
by speedboat will be just the tonic. Read
more... |
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By anyone’s standards, Phi Phi Don, the largest
of the six-island Phi Phi group, is one of the world’s
most beautiful islands. Its idyllic charm and bucolic
atmosphere makes it a global leader when it comes to
tropical splendour. But Phi Phi is not just about well-known
Tonsai and Loh Dalum bays. There are at least ten extremely
attractive beach and bay locations on Phi Phi Don and
one of the most striking is Laemthong Beach – the
site of the Holiday Inn Resort Phi Phi Island. Read
more... |
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Situated in Laem Hin (Rocky Cape) and facing Phi Phi
Leh, the Phi Phi Bay View and Arayaburi Resort straddles
a leafy hillside overlooking Phi Phi Don’s stunning
Tonsai Bay. Tonsai has long been known for its luscious
turquoise water, its verdant backdrop and the jungle-capped
cliffs on the far side of the bay. Read
more... |
Nai Thon, Nai Yang & Mai Khao Beach
Hotels
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The JW Marriott Phuket Resort and Spa on Mai Khao Beach
was designed by Plan Associates in Bangkok. It first
opened its doors in late 2001 and has since become a
byword for excellence on the island. Marriott features
an award-winning spa and restaurant and has extensive
dining and recreational options spread out throughout
its grounds.
Read more... |
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The first surprise that awaits you when arriving at
the 79-villa SALA Phuket and Spa is its alternative
design. A spacious and shallow water pool with a pebbledash
bottom accompanies the black-tiled walkway into the
reception. Read more... |
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The instant you enter At Panta’s grounds the tranquility
is almost tangible. By the lobby entrance stands an
old rickshaw as if to say, ‘Take it easy; you won’t
be needing a car for as long as you’re here.’
This resort is almost exclusively designed in the ‘Lanna’
style of fifteenth-century Northwestern Thailand and
the accent is on teakwood floors, furniture and walls.
Read more... |
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Trisara (pronounced ‘tree-sara’) perfectly
complements the beauty of the Andaman Sea and vice versa.
This spectacular, all-villa resort, built into the contours
of a verdant private bay just south of Nai Thon Beach
in the northern part of Phuket is – not to put
a fine point on it, simply fabulous.
Read more... |
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Phuket Pavilions isn’t merely recommendable. Its
unique approach to ultra-plush accommodation tempts
me to call every person I know and suggest they book
a room immediately – if only to give me an excuse
to visit the resort again. The selfishness is justified,
however. Every villa is like a small palace, shielded
from neighbours and offering a level of intimate extravagance
that should be far more expensive than it is. Read
more...
Read the Interview
with Frank Dreist, GM of the Phuket Pavilions Hotel. |
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I wasn’t really worried; everyone I talked
to said this was a classy place. Even so, the marketing
materials used a smattering of words that aren’t
normally associated with resorts: Factory. Plantation.
Tin mine. Industrial. Read
the hotel review...
Read the Interview
with Mr Anthony Ross, GM of the Indigo Pearl Hotel
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Other Areas or Highlights
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Put in simple terms, Sofitel Krabi is a throwback to
colonial elegance with all the advantage of modern conveniences.
The 276 rooms and suites loosely follow the same design
pattern throughout the spacious five-star resort with
generous use of teak and Thai textile trimmings. Opened
in November 2006, a full 80% of the rooms feature sea
views and the centrally located 6,000sqm pool is a wonder
to behold. Read more... |
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Pakasai is a split-level resort featuring seven different
room types and chalets in Ao Nang, Krabi. The resort
has recently undergone an extensive renovation.
Read more... |
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The Sarojin, open since 2004, is a leader in upper-range,
medium sized resort accommodation. Featuring 56 guest
residences in 10 acres of lushly appointed grounds,
the resort never feels crowded. The Sarojin comes with
excellent credentials: it was ‘Asia’s Leading
Boutique Resort’ at the World Travel Awards in
2006, on Conde Naste’s Traveler Hot List Hotels
and Spas in the same year and also featured on the DestinAsian
Luxe List 2006. Read more... |
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Open in late 2007, The Briza with its seaside location,
certainly lives up to its breezy name. The 79-room resort
is intimate enough to be a family hideaway yet is open-spaced
and can embrace a real holiday-by-the-sea experience.
Read more... |
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Holidaymaker seeks well-rounded, mature resort for carefree
one- or two-week fling. Long walks on the beach, luscious
grounds for intimate conversation, and ample dining
options are a must. Extra points given if you’re
good with kids and have comfortable rooms, big swimming
pools, and onsite activities. Make me forget cold weather
and dreary office life and I’ll love you forever.
Loud and rambunctious hotels need not reply. Read
more... |
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Reading a book on the beach while working on a great
tan is the perfect holiday activity – for adults.
But if you’re a child it spells B-O-R-I-N-G. However,
help is at hand for families holidaying in Phuket. Many
hotels have excellent facilities for keepin kids occupied
and safe.
Read the hotel review... |
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