Hotels
No matter what kind of accommodation you're looking for, you're spoiled for choice in Phuket. Even the rich and famous - or those just pretending to be - have several places to choose from.
To help narrow down your choices, in addition to price you will want to consider the location and type of place where you want to stay. Those interested in nightlife as well as sun and sea will want to consider staying in the area of Patong Beach, the island's most developed area. Kata Beach to the south is a bit more intimate. Bang Tao bay is home to the integrated resorts of Laguna Phuket, which features a half-dozen properties catering to different clienteles, from the family oriented Laguna Beach Club to the mid-range Dusit and Sheraton resorts and on up to the luxurious Banyan Tree resort and spa.
Recommended Phuket Hotels
Phuket is home to some of the world's top-rated resorts and spas. If you've a mind to really pamper yourself, have a look at the POSH Guide's list of POSH Phuket Hotels. People without an unlimited budget, but still looking for good value, should consider the following places. Families will also want to check our list of recommended Phuket family-friendly hotels.
- Boathouse by Montara
- The Boathouse is consistently ranked as one of the top hotels on Phuket, especially for its food.
- JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa
- Located in the far north, on the sometimes deserted Mai Khao beach, the JW is many people's favorite.
- Indigo Pearl Resort
- This award winning design hotel offers a distinctive design along with luxe rooms.
In this section
Families with more than one child often have some problems finding accommodation. Getting two rooms, even connected, often presents parents with a lot of challenges, in addition to the issues involved with keeping the kids occupied on vacation. Here are some ideas for family-friendly hotels.
Katathani Phuket Beach Resort The Katathani is a large resort near the main beach areas of Patong and Karon. Laguna Holiday Club Phuket Resort The Laguna area around Bang Tao Bay towards the north end of the island is a self-contained mega-resort with several properties catering to most a variety of customers, from couples looking for a bit of privacy to families.
12 November 2005
The plunge-pool perched on the roof of the townhouses. The Crowne Plaza Karon Beach was formerly known as the Karon Villas and Karon Royal Wing Resorts. As it happened, the property was closed for extensive remodeling when the December 2004 tsunami struck. The refurbished and new rooms were just opened in September 2005. Since then, it's changed management again and is now known as the Moevenpick Resort & Spa.
Laguna Phuket was Thailand's first 'integrated' resort, and it still is one of the very few of its type in the country. The idea behind an integrated resort is that you can stay in one property and use the restaurants or other facilities (with some limitations) of any other hotel, and charge the cost back to your room. The hotels in the resort are mostly four and five-star properties, but there are some good deals to be had if you book in advance.
Patong beach is far and away Phuket's most developed beach area, with lots of bars, restaurants and all that goes with them. It is not exactly a get-away-from-it-all destination. If you'd like to be close to the dining and shopping options, but not in the middle of all the craziness, consider staying in Karon or Kamala instead. There are, it seems, over 200 hotels in the Patong Beach area. This means there is quite a lot of choice, from cheap guesthouses to five star resorts, although it must be said the top end of Patong's offerings are far from the best that Phuket had to offer.
