Holiday Inn Resort Phuket Review

Really, It’s a Resort

No doubt, I lost somebody at ‘Holiday Inn’. Americans have certain expectations when they hear that name. A clean room that’s perfect for grabbing some sleep on the cheap? Absolutely. A resort destination in paradise? Not usually. Unbeknownst to many (unless I was the only one in the dark), the chain has a reputation for superb resorts in the best destinations. The Holiday Inn Resort Phuket is doing its part to live up to the international brand image.

The resort is like two hotels in one. The two areas (somewhat erroneously referred to as ‘wings’ ) are the original Main Wing and the newer Busakorn Wing. Each has its own everything - pools, restaurants, shops, lobby – and while they don’t fit together seamlessly, the result is increased convenience through sheer abundance of choice.

Center of the Holiday Inn Universe

The Main Wing is where the action is. Even if you stay in the Busakorn Wing, there are plenty of reasons to draw you to the other side. Three of the four restaurants are located in the Main Wing, as are the conference facilities, The Bar (it’s a bar), and all the facilities for children.

Terrazzo, the resident Italian restaurant, lies between the beach road and the main swimming pool, and is the perfect place for a plate of pasta or drinks at sunset. Its location makes it the ideal vantage point for watching the colourful parade of wandering people. The Sea Breeze Café is the all-purpose dining area, where guests can enjoy the spectacular breakfast buffet, all day international dining, or themed (seafood, Italian, Asian, barbeque) dinner buffets nightly. Candles, low mood lighting, and elegant surrounds give Sam’s Steakhouse & Grill a romantic atmosphere on par with a night out in a big city. Imported cuts of beef and a great selection of wines round out the posh dining experience.

The Kids Are All Right

Two of the Main Wing’s room types are dedicated to making children happy, which makes everyone happy.

The Kids Suite features a fortress-like bunk bed structure for the little monkeys to play around in, while the Family Suite adds an entire second room, for less than the cost of two Superior rooms, decked out in a pirate theme – with beds shaped like boats and cartoon sailor murals on the wall.

Both room types come equipped with a selection of toys and electronics to keep the kids from bouncing off the ceiling while mom and dad get that extra five minutes of holiday sleep.

The Main Wing has other treats waiting for kids of all ages. The Kid’s Club is on hand to entertain five- to twelve-year-olds with two kiddie swimming pools, video games, books, games, puzzles, and schedule of daily programs that mix arts and crafts with Thai culture and sports.

The older set will find karaoke on a plasma screen, video games, movies, a mini-pool table, and a graffiti wall at Club 12+. Babysitting is available for younger children at 100 baht per hour; make reservations 24 hours in advance.

Children Aren’t Mandatory

In addition to the family friendly rooms, the Main Wing has 238 Superior rooms – some with bathtubs, others with large walk-in showers – and 16 Deluxe Sea View rooms. The age of the building doesn’t matter once you step out of the hallway and into the recently refurbished rooms. All are modern and exceptionally comfortable, with good size balconies, indoor seating areas, and plush bathrooms. The Deluxe Sea View rooms steps things up with larger rooms, 42-inch plasma televisions, and through-the-trees views of the Andaman Sea. An often-overlooked feature in Thailand, wheelchair accessible rooms are available in the Main Wing.

Soaking Up the Good Life

The Busakorn Wing is home to the resort’s best pool, a Thai restaurant, the Aspara Spa, and the gym. It may seem a bit disconnected from the Main Wing, but not to the point that it becomes a hassle. The pool (did I mention it’s the best?) is huge, quiet, surrounded by plants that provide just enough shade, and has a swim-up bar for the ultimate in cooling refreshment.

It’s overlooked by the Busakron Building and the 104 Studio Pool View rooms contained within. These rooms cost slightly more than the Superior rooms in the Main Wing, but are more spacious.

If you spend a lot of time at the pool, this is the cost friendly way to be close to a swimmer’s paradise.

The Villas Studios are the best rooms in the resort. Half of the 36 villa rooms are direct pool access (ground level) and the other half (second floor) have pool views.

Surrounded by fountains and greenery, the pool itself is petite and picturesque – more of a ‘water lounge’ for cooling off than a place to do serious swimming – and reserved only for villa guests. The rooms are 50 square meters (538 square feet) in size and rely heavily on teak wood and Thai silk for their traditional decor.

L-shaped daybeds provide generous indoor seating, but at the expense of overly small balconies.

Odds and Ends

The Holiday Inn Phuket takes a unique approach to mini-bars: the Deluxe Sea View and Busakorn Villa rooms are stocked daily with beer and soda, all of which is free. Other room types have exactly nothing in their refrigerators, but a mini mart in each wing allows you to fill at will with your choice of beverages.

With an activity calendar full of gibbons, orchid farms, painting, and cashew nuts, there’s something fun and educational going on every day of the week. Some are free, others charge a nominal fee.

The onsite cooking class is of special note. At only 1,600 baht per person, the three hour course is a great introduction to Thai food and includes thoughtful extras like a cookbook and apron.

Internet access is available throughout the hotel, though the method varies between room types (some offer wireless, other a LAN cable). Four packages range from 200 baht for two hours to 1,200 baht for 30 hours. For quick email checks that don’t justify bringing a laptop on holiday, the business centre has PCs at the ready for 30 baht per 15-minute session.

Guests rave about the Holiday Inn Resort Phuket. It manages to do everything just right. It’s nice without being stuffy. It’s in the heart of the action, but free of riffraff. It’s the perfect balance of all things holiday, served up with a glorious smile.