sdptagirl

Hello experienced Phuket travelers! My soon to be hubby and me are going to Thailand for our honeymoon in November. We are looking at spending the last 10 days of our trip in Phuket and are looking for a hotel to stay at. Any recommendations? Our budget is around $150- $200 US per night. I would love to stay right on the beach, somewhere secluded yet walking distance to restaurants and shopping. We would prefer for the hotel to have a restaurant and a bar and possibly a day spa. I have heard good things about the Sheraton Grande Laguna Phuket. Yes..No… Thanks for any recommendations.

jvrab12

We are going to Phuket in late November for our honeymoon as well. We are going to stay the JW Marriott Resort and Spa, they are in your price range. But we are going to use Priceline for the Marriott, it's going to for $65-100 on Priceline. We are going this because we are splurging on the Four Seasons in Chiang Mai before Phuket. I have tried to bid already and been rejected, it's it way too early for Priceline but I thought I would give it a try. Check biddingfortravel.com for the insider info on Priceline.

My opinion from what others have said on this board is that 10 days in Phuket is a long time, I am sure the more experienced Thailand Fodorite's will chime in on that.
Good luck.

sdptagirl

Thanks for the advice. I will look into the JW and into priceline. We are actually doing the opposite as you. We are staying at a more moderate hotel in Chang Mai, since we plan to spend our days exploring and then splurging when we are in Phuket so we can enjoy some much needed R &R.

Walter_Walltotti

Check on the location of the JW Marriott, I think its quite a distance from other hotels.

The Sheraton is a very nice hotel but together with the other gotels in the Laguna in can be quite lively (but not like the lively Patong!)

I'd consider the Royal Meridien Phuket Yacht Club. In a relatively quiet spot, lovely beach, only about 100 or so very large rooms, and about 15 minutes drive to some shopping.

Kathie

10 days in Phuket is a long time. Remember that the beach locations won't have the cultural attractions of the cities. The beaches are lovely, but they are "just" beaches.

That said, I stayed at the Phuket Yacht Club many years ago and really liked the location. It's rather isolated from other parts of Phuket, which I consider to be an advantage.

Lyndie

We absolutley loved the Marina, Phuket. It is on a hill just above Karon Beach and the grounds are magnificient. We booked for dinner and actually sat down at their beachfront restaurant but I had sunstroke & felt ill so we had to leave. Did not see the rooms but the locations is number one! Five nights here and five nights on Samui would be gorgeous. Check out the new Peninsula Spa and resort on Choeng Mon beach in Koh Samui. It has incredible views and a huge spa which looked divine as we drove through the grounds in our little Suzuki. They have villas with private pools!

We love Coco Palms on the beach at Mae Nam but may be too "budget style" and little laid back for you! Good luck!

Lyndie

We absolutely loved the Marina, Phuket. It is on a hill just above Karon Beach and the grounds are magnificient. We booked for dinner and actually sat down at their beachfront restaurant but I had sunstroke & felt ill so we had to leave. Did not see the rooms but the locations is number one! Five nights here and five nights on Samui would be gorgeous. Check out the new Peninsula Spa and resort on Choeng Mon beach in Koh Samui. It has incredible views and a huge spa which looked divine as we drove through the grounds in our little Suzuki. They have villas with private pools!

We love Coco Palms on the beach at Mae Nam but may be too "budget style" and little laid back for you! Good luck!

Lyndie

sorry-my browser is on the blink-didn't mean to post twice even though I feel enthusiatic today!

sdptagirl

Thank you so such for everything, we will look into the Marina and the Yacht Club. And thank you for your enthusiasm. J

rhkkmk

i'm told the jw is a 45 minute ride into town...that can be expensive even with thai taxis...i too plan to stay there however and may rent a car...

i love priceline, but you cannot count on it....sometimes it has certain hotels available and sometimes not...take the shangri-la in bkk for instance....it was an award almost every day in 2004 up until about october....i have not seen it since...same for the marriott resort and spa in bkk...this is just a friendly warning to you....
you need to become familiar with www.biddingfortravel.com before you bid on priceline too....

good luck

JamesA

Well I lived on Phuket for years so I don't think 10 days counld be too much! Anway, taker a look at Marina as suggested, the Kata Thani and also the Buri at same place is in my opinion a very good option as it has good accommodation, spa, decent restaurants, and Kata is a nice beach area too. Then if you want bars and discos and other nightlife Patong beach is 20 minutes away. The Laguna area tends to be very much on it's own, and quite a way from other places. The nice things about Kata Beach is you can enjoy somewhere such as the Kata Thani but then walk along the road and get a beer for $1.20 and a Thai mael for 2 for about $15, so you get the class comfort but also access to lots of cheaper eating places and if you want to do shopping and want some nightlife it's 20 minutes away.

JamesA

The Boathouse at Kata is another option.

simpsonc510

I love the Boathouse and Villa Royale. It's the only placed I've stayed in Phuket on my several vacations there. But, the Boathouse rates may exceed the OP's budget? Might be worth a check though. It has a nice beachfront location, there are restaurants and shopping right outside the door across the street. Kata Beach is really lovely, and not so crowded as Patong. Kata Noi also looks like a lovely smaller beach.

sdptagirl

Thanks to you all. JamesA- When you say that Kata is about 20 minutes awy from nightlife and shopping, is that walkng or driving? Thanks. Also thanks for the info about the Shearton being on it's own. That helps.

sdptagirl

The Katathani Thani Resort & Spa looks to be in the lead right now! I am going to post another thread asking about it. Thank you!