FINDING THE BEST PLACE TO STAY IN PHUKET
Something that often takes first time visitors to the island of Phuket by surprise is its size. Its about 50km long by 20km wide and, while there are no really bad areas to stay, some people find that they've booked a hotel too far away from the things that interest them.
The best location to stay very much depends on individual taste. Some want to be right next to the hub of the nightlife and shopping while others just want peace, quiet and relaxation.
The following is a quick guide to the available choices including the advantages and disadvantages of each locale which should help you choose the place that suits you best.
In each area we list some hotels that have been carefully hand-picked based on recent customer ratings. Some are offering sizeable discounts but follow this link if you prefer to see a list of all the all Phuket hotels offering "specials" or this one if you want to see a full list of Phuket hotels.
The main centre for nightlife and tourist shopping on Phuket is the town of Patong and, not surprisingly, its also where the majority of hotels are located. However, as Patong is a reasonable size in itself and local transport fees are hugely inflated for tourists it would pay to know where in Patong your hotel is located relative to where you intend spending most of your time. For this reason we've split our first two location descriptions into "inner" and "outer" Patong.
Inner Patong - Walking Distance to Bangla Road and Patong Beach
Bangla Road, the heart of Patong's nightlife, is central to the main shopping areas and also leads right down to the island's main beach. If you plan on spending a lot of your time in this area then there are many hotels within walking distance. The easy access will save you precious holiday time but perhaps even more important is that you can avoid paying the ever-increasing taxi and tuk tuk charges which over a week or more can add up to quite a sum. The down side can be the traffic and "party" noise if you are very close but there are still plenty of quiet places if you don't mind walking just a little further.
Hotels Highest-Rated by Guests Close to Bangla Road :
Millennium Resort - A new resort in a superb location adjacent to the many shops and restaurants of the Jungceylon complex and only 5 minutes walk from Bangla Road's nightlife. Luxurious accommodation at good rates that gets consistently positive reviews from guests.
Thara Patong - Opposite Patong Beach and a 5 minute walk from Bangla. Low-rise and spread out over a large area in one of the town's best locations. Great swimming pools, not too noisy and reasonably priced. Tip: some people miss this - if you walk past the pools and restaurant you can exit the complex on the beach road. From there its only about 200 metres to Bangla Road.
Safari Beach Hotel - A small, reasonably priced hotel directly opposite Patong Beach and just 2 minutes walk from the beach-end of Bangla Road. The rooms are quite well sound-dampened but nightlife noise could bother some. However, if you want to be next to beach and nightlife you could not find a better location. Well-rated by guests.
Royal Paradise Hotel - The highest building in Patong and just a few minutes walk from Bangla's nightlife offering good value for a hotel of this standard considering the location. It also has excellent swimming pools and being a large hotel means its less likely to be full if you have to book at the last minute.
Outer Patong - A Short Taxi Ride to Patong City Centre
The vast majority of Patong hotels are outside the small city centre area. There are so many that its difficult to generalise but possible advantages are less noise and more luxurious surroundings as many of the up-market resorts are in this category.
Some of these hotels are still located near Patong beach but just not near the nightlife end and require either a long walk or short taxi ride should you decide to have a night on the town or to go shopping. Many do, however, run free shuttle services but it would pay to check on this service if you plan on using it regularly.
Hotels Highly Rated by Guests Outside Patong City Centre:
The Nap Patong Hotel - Brand new and already very popular, this hotel is within walking distance of the nightlife centre but still far away enough to escape the noise. Early reviews from guests are extremely good.
Holiday Inn Resort - Part of the famous Intercontinental Hotels group and meets the expected high standards. High class accommodation in an excellent location near the beach and nightlife.
Avantika Boutique Hotel - South end of Patong Beach. Small up-market hotel with good customer ratings. Quiet and a short taxi ride or long but pleasant walk along the beach road to Bangla.
Amari Coral Beach Resort & Spa - Very highly rated by guests. Luxury accommodation with exceptional pool and private beach just a short trip from the nightlife.
View more Patong hotels.
Karon and Kata - Small townships within 30 minutes drive from Patong
Patong is undoubtedly the hub of tourism on Koh Phuket but its a busy and noisy place which does not suit everyone's tastes. For people who prefer a quieter environment but would still like the option of visiting Patong occasionally the towns of Karon and Kata may be the right choice. Both have more beautiful and less crowded beaches than Patong as well as their own small areas of shopping, restaurants and bars.
Tip : the Karon Cafe serves some of the best steaks on the island.
Hotels Highest-Rated by Guests in Karon :
Karon Sea Sands Resort - Just around the corner from the centre of Karon shopping and main nightlife as well as being right opposite the beach.
Karon Beach Resort - Quality resort in a terrific location right on Karon Beach! Food commended highly as is the accommodation.
Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort - A very big hotel located next to the beach. The hotel encourages family groups and offers special services for children plus the massive landscaped grounds have plenty of areas for them to play in.
Hotels Highest-Rated by Guests in Kata :
Kata Palm Resort - Mid price range hotel in an attractive and convenient location. High standard accommodation at a reasonable price.
Malisa Villa Suites Hotel - Upmarket but quite well priced for villas that have their own private pools. A quiet location but still close to the beach and shops.
Sawasdee Village Hotel - An attractive hotel with modern thai decor and architecture highly rated by customers.
View more Karon hotels or more Kata hotels.
Bang Tao Bay - Phuket's Laguna Resorts
The best part of an hour's drive to the north of Patong lies secluded Bangtao Bay home to a host of mainly luxury hotels that offer completely self-contained tropical holidays which means that your every need can be catered for within the hotel complex.
Prominent amongst these are the Laguna resorts which are built on a 1000 acre area surrounding a network of small lakes and includes the prestigious Banyan Tree and Sheraton Grande establishments. It is also the location of the Laguna Phuket Golf Club who cooperate with some resorts to offer all-inclusive packages allowing residents unlimited play on their world class course.
Hotels Highly-Rated by Guests at Bangtao Bay :
Banyan Tree Resort - One of the most luxurious resorts on the island with private pools, on-site golf course, restaurants and bars.
Dusit Thani Laguna Hotel - Another self-contained luxury resort in the same vein as the Banyan Tree though not quite as exclusive or expensive but still well rated by visitors.
Allamanda Laguna Hotel - Like the Dusit and Banyan, this hotel is one of the Phuket laguna hotels but is aimed at people with a tighter budget. It offers large rooms or suites with kitchenettes and rates well with family groups.
Kamala - A fair sized town with a great beach
Although Kamala is one of the larger towns on Phuket it is not overly popular with tourists but has attracted a lot of long-term foreign residents and retirees. The town itself is not particularly attractive but it is located next to a beautiful beach as well as being handy to a few other nice ones.
Its about 25 minutes drive northwards from Patong through some of the island's nicest scenery. While probably not the best place for most people to choose, it may well suit some visitors looking to escape the tourist crowds. There are some quality resorts in this area with wonderful sea views being a common feature.
Nightlife is not a strong point but there are still a few quiet bars and restaurants in which to enjoy in the evenings. The Fantasea theme park show is also located in Kamala.
Hotels Highly-Rated by Guests at Kamala :
Ayara Kamala Resort - High class resort located on a hill allowing stunning views of Kamala Bay and a great place to watch the often spectacular sunsets. Highly praised by guests !
Kamala Beach Resort - Very reasonably priced for a hotel right on the beach and with two nice swimming pools. Great location and gets good ratings fom visitors.
Manathai Resort - Not strictly speaking in Kamala but slightly to the north in Surin, home to some of the island's best known up-market resorts. Attractive decor, a lovely private beach and a nice setting have drawn very good comments and ratings from guests.
View more Kamala hotels.
Rawai & Nai Harn Beach - Southern Phuket and departure point for longtail island trips.
Near the southern tip of Phuket is the pleasant little tourist village of Rawai. It has a laid back atmosphere compared to Patong but still offers a good number of restaurants and bars with seaside dinining being very popular.
Rawai beach is not one of Phuket's best being unsuitable for swimming but just a 10 minute trip over the hill and you'll find the superb Nai Harn Beach. Nai Harn also boasts a small number of shops, bars and restaurants. A point of interest for some may be that Rawai is the main departure point for island trips by the traditional thai longtail boats.
Hotels Highest-Rated by Guests at Rawai and Nai Harn Beach :
The Royal Phuket Yacht Club - Long established and well known for its superb level of service. Quiet attractive location overlooking Nai Harn Beach.
The Vijitt Resort - Secluded and peaceful. A very nice location with good swimming pool only a few minutes away from the restaurants and bars in Rawai. Private pool villas are available.
Naiya Buree Resort - Very nice lower priced hotel with good atmosphere and amenities handy to both Rawai and Nai Harn beach. Well rated and good value for money.
View more Rawai hotels.
The Rest of Phuket - Hotels are everywhere but maybe avoid Phuket Town.
Phuket has hotels and resorts scattered all over the island many of which have chosen more secluded locations to take advantage of a spectacular view or for exclusive access to one of the many smaller beaches not frequented by the public at large. Some of Phuket's very best such as the charming Chedi Hotel fall into this category.
Its all a matter of taste, of course, but one place that may cause disappointment for some if they choose to stay there is Phuket Town. This is the capital and business centre of the island but, as its primarily a business district and is not particularly attractive other locations would be better suited to most people.
Hotels Highly-Rated by Guests Outside the Main Centres:
Indigo Pearl Hotel - Located at Nai Yang Beach in the northern part of Phuket not far from the airport. Quirky design inspired by Phukets tin-mining history. Most guests absolutely love this hotel but its not for everyone so be sure to read All the customer reviews.
The Surin Phuket Hotel (formerly The Chedi Hotel) - Luxury cottages overlooking a great little beach to which guests have near exclusive access. Extremely well rated by guests as a superb resort to get away from it all and chill out.
Centara Villas Phuket - Very nice and reasonably priced hotel in an attractive green setting overlooking Karon Beach.