Phuket Hotel Advise
 

We finally booked our trip to Thailand and we leave in two weeks!! This is our honeymoon we have been trying to plan since last August. We need hotel help! We are in our mid thirties and have traveled a lot. Looking for a resort with:
1.Awesome Beach....we love the beach. Like to get in the water. Prefer soft sand and clear warm water
2. Good location, but doesn't have to been the heart of the town, just not too far away. Good stop to explore all Phuket has to offer &
3. Resort has to have a nice gym, we like to work out
4. Clean and friendly staff.
5. Budget-lower the better(under $200), but could splurge ($500?) since its our honeymoon

For reference, we have stayed in Ritz Carlton, Secrets Maroma, Iberostar Grand.

While not in Phuket, but 1 hour north in khao lak, we love both the JW marriott and le meridian...

Much nicer than phuket

Have you got a Russian phrase book, and twice the amount of bhats you'd need elsewhere in Thailand?

lancasterLad-what do you mean?

Google "Russians in Phuket".
Tbeh if you've been planning since last August you should know there are far better vfm destinations in Thailand.

Marriott has several properties near Phuket airport. We just spent time in one of their time-share condos over the new year holiday. It was really lovely. Hoping to return this year for a week-long stay.

The properties are a J W Marriott, a Renaissance resort, the Marriott Mai Khao Beach (time share) and the Marriott Phuket Beach Club (where we stayed). The beach is called Mai Khao and it is really a lovely quiet beach.

The Russian presence can be felt much more if you frequent the more touristy areas of Patong, Kata, Karon Beach.

Mai Khao could almost be considered a "private" beach for the four Marriott properties.

There are restaurants on site and just down the road at a shopping "mall" of sorts. But a car might be good if you are there for more than several days.

What do you suggest is a better choice for Phuket? We have 6 days there total. We'd like to do some kind of tour that we can kayak around beaches and limestone features and have a place to try restraints to walk around at night. WE don't need to "party" all night but we are looking for some evening options that aren't over 1/2 away from the hotel. WE definitely want easy access to great beach during 4 out of the 6 days.
HELP!!
Here are ones we are considering:

The Shore at Katathani Resort
Trisia-is it worth the high price. Seems quiet?
JW Marriott-looks a little dated?
Racha Phuket-is it hard to travel to and from the island to other attractions near Phuket?
Bayan Tree Phuket
Twin Palms

Katathani would be nice! I have not stayed at The Shore, but I have stayed at their larger(?) Katathani Resort on Kata Noi Beach.

Another option would be Mom Tri's Villa Royale (which has access to Kata Noi Beach by way of wooden stairway. Fabulous hotel! We have stayed in a couple of the original (5-6) "named" villas; a newer hotel has been added since that time. Service is fantastic. The restaurant on site, Mom Tri's Kitchen, is excellent. The pool is/was rather smallish, unless they have added another larger one over the last few years.

Thanks simpson510-does Mom Tri's Villa Royale have a nice beach??

It's the same beach as the Kata Thani and most probably also The Shore at Kata Thani. Mom Tri's is on a hillside, with steps going down to the beach. The beach is not huge, but it is very nice and not nearly so crowded as Patong or Kata.

FYI, JW marriott is not " dated".

We stayed 7 nights Khao Lak and 10 nights Phuket. For us KL was the preferred place to be. However, main reason for going to KL was for my husband to scuba dive. We stayed at the Le Meridien and it was great, especially since I was there by myself while my husband was diving. KL is much quieter than Phuket and since you are a young couple it may not be the best choice for you.

In Phuket we stayed at Tropical Garden Resort since our daughter and grandson were joining us and she's on more of a budget than us. If it had just been my husband and I we would not have stayed there even though Kata beach is a few minutes walk across the street. I agree with previous posters about the Russians in Phuket. Katathani would have been our choice.

We had a rental car for the entire time we were in KL and Phuket. My husband used to drive the big rigs coast to coast and he found driving in Phuket to be a nightmare. The roads aren't wide enough as no sidewalks of sort. Traffic is chaotic. You have to watch out for pedestrians, scooters/motor bikes, cars, vans, etc.

Beaches-We spent time at Kata, Kata Noi, Nai Harn, Nai Thon. We were in Phuket mid to end March this year. If you like big waves then these beaches will suit you. Kata was the best for me as not as "wild" as the others. Time of year may also change how the beaches are. Kata was the busiest of the ones we visited.

Congratulations on your marriage and have a great honeymoon!!