64 Best Hotels in Phuket and the Andaman Coast, Thailand

On the tropical hillside at Kamala Bay, these spacious contemporary rooms and suites all have private balconies with spectacular sea views. The hotel also has three restaurants, a bar, spa, a kids' club, a dive center, a fitness center, and the largest seafront infinity pool in Phuket. A free tuk-tuk will take you to the center of Kamala and a paid van service is available to Patong. 

This hotel's chief attraction is its unbeatable location, right in the middle of Patong facing the beach. Towering flower displays stand in the lobby, where Thai art adorns the walls, and large sliding glass doors exit to the landscaped grounds, beach bar, and adjacent pool. The spa has glass doors and windows, so you can enjoy the beach views while receiving treatments or massages.

This long sprawling lodge fronts most of the Kata Noi Beach, which tends to keep nonguests away and leave nearly 1 km (½ mile) of smooth sand delightfully peaceful. Glass-walled suites in the Thani wing have some of the best ocean views on the island. You can shower and watch the sun set at the same time through huge bathroom windows. Regular rooms (if you can call them that) in the Buri wing are very tastefully furnished, with all the bells and whistles you'd expect in this price range (some look out to the pool, others the ocean). The same group also has the exclusive Shore resort right next door for those seeking a more intimate experience.

There are 10 recently built, comfortable, fan-cooled wooden huts on Koh Surin Nua (B2,000), and tent camping is allowed at a site that has decent facilities, including toilets and showers. You can bring your own tent and camp for B80, or rent one (sleeps two) from the national park for B450. Book your hut at least 10 days ahead.

These are the only beachfront bungalows in Ao Nang Town, and they have the best swimming as well as a seaside park with plenty of benches positioned for gazing at the sea. The bungalows are spacious, with lounge areas and large bathrooms. The rooms are all finished in wood and decorated with local touches. The large pool and surrounding gardens give a hideaway feel to the resort, and you can find plenty of privacy if you are looking for it.

There are large ponds with water lilies and fountains, and brick paths meander from the villas to the pool to the spa---it's all very chic. Northern Thai–style villas have marble floors, and all but the standard rooms have outdoor garden baths. Honeymooners are greeted with flowers, cake, and bubbly wine. Beachside massage is available for all.

Between Patong and Karon Beach, this sprawling resort has more bars, cafés, and restaurants than in many small towns, while the range of outdoor diversions—everything from tennis to water skiing—means you never have to leave the property. There are hundreds of guests at any given time, yet the resort never feels too crowded, thanks to its thoughtful design and staff that are always eager to help. Two huge wings are where you'll find the rooms, many of which have sea views or overlook the pair of large pools.

This surprisingly quiet option has luxury cottages that stretch over the lush hillside that separates Karon from Kata Beach---those higher on the hill are the quietest. Best of all, Marina Cottage has its own beach access, keeping the hordes at bay. Half the jungle rooms around the pool have all the latest high-tech amenities; note that some older rooms don't have certain amenities, like TVs.

This sumptuous resort has been designed in classical Thai style, with a great deal of emphasis on wood and traditional craftsmanship. Here you'll find peaked-roof villas in landscaped tropical gardens. The main three-story building is a bit farther from the beach, and only the top floor has an ocean view. Villas have canopy beds, triangular floor pillows, lounge areas, and outdoor rain showers.

If you're staying in a resort on a beautiful white-sand beach with crystal-clear blue water, you should treat yourself to a room with a view---and at Nakara, you'll have one, even if you end up in a room at the back. Whether lying in bed and looking out through your window or lounging on one of two daybeds on the deck, you'll appreciate the tranquillity of the Andaman Sea. Ask for one of the rooms away from the restaurant and pool to ensure quiet. When it gets too hot, retreat to the air-conditioned bliss of your cottage, which has wooden floors and rattan walls, and enjoy the modern amenities.

The majority of rooms here are surprisingly inexpensive cottages that face the beach and are surrounded by well-maintained gardens. White concrete beachfront cottages have contemporary Thai interiors, outdoor garden showers, and decks with sun chairs. Beyond the pool (which has a great pool bar) and garden stand 2 modern two- and three-story complexes with studios and roomy one-bedroom suites. Long walks along the beach are magical at sunset. Well-priced spa services are available next door at the Seaview Resort.

This is a small comfortable resort in the middle of Laem Tong Beach, next to the sea gypsy village. The spacious cottages all have wooden floors and ceilings with golden curtains and comforters. The beach bar is great for lazy-afternoon cocktails, and there's a small museum about the sea gypsy community that you can check out when you need a break from the beach.

Despite having undergone renovations and pushing up its prices, Paradise Resort continues to offer great value for money. Make sure to book ahead (it's popular) and don't settle for less than beachfront. These are the best sea-view rooms on Long Beach, and the other rooms aren't all that special. All rooms have tile floors and are relatively characterless, though superior rooms are slightly better than family rooms, which are far from the beach. You probably won't spend much time in your room, however, as the water is crystal clear and the tree-lined facade of the resort offers essential shade.

This resort takes great pride in its service levels, with polite, knowledgeable, and informative staff. There are many categories of rooms with something for everyone, from two-bedroom family residences on the beach to romantic villas that have rooftop plunge pools. Live classical Thai music greets you as you enter an expansive lobby lavishly decorated with Thai art, and the landscaped grounds include a scuba diving center and a peaceful spa. The sprawling property has entrances on the town side and the beachfront.  

At the Pavilions, each of the private villas has a pool and a small kitchen, plus you can have meals delivered to your room, and spa treatments, too, so you never have to see other guests if you don't want to. Rooms have enormous tubs, covered outdoor beds with fans, and ocean views from either the bed or the pool. If you feel the need to mingle with other guests, there is a bar with panoramic views at the peak of the hill; nonguests also drop in here for spectacular sunsets. Note that the resort does not allow children. Scheduled shuttle service is available for the beach and shopping areas.

Every bungalow here has a large deck with a great view of both Phi Phi Lae and Tonsai Bay, though the rooms are a bit dated. The resort is on the quietest spot along Laem Hin Beach, and it's only a short (although sometimes slippery) 15-minute walk along the rocks to gorgeous Long Beach. Electric cars transfer guests from distant rooms to the reception and restaurant areas.

Beautiful sunrise views from the seaside bungalows are this resort's biggest draw. The 20 deluxe rooms along the rocky shoreline have wooden floors and Thai arts and crafts. The resort is on a hill between the north end of Laem Tong Beach and a smaller secluded beach, which is quite private but less than ideal for swimming. Budget rooms also have good views, as they are high up on the hill. Nevertheless, the restaurant here is crowded by tour groups daily at lunchtime.

On the western hillside overlooking Loh Dalam Bay, the hillside bungalows here are stacked pretty tightly next to and on top of each other, but the six beachfront bungalows will give you a little more breathing room and privacy. The outdoor bar and the pool also have outstanding views of the beach and bay.

Large thatch-covered huts in a natural setting give Phi Phi Villa a relaxing island feeling quite different from bustling Tonsai Bay, a short walk away. All bungalows have small patios with wooden handrails and spacious interiors. The resort is on a stretch of private beach where boats are prohibited from landing; the absence of the longtails that clutter Tonsai's shore makes the beach here a little more suitable for swimming, although it's still shallow and quite rocky. It's great for travelers who want to stay close to the action without being a part of it. Rooms closest to the beach are only for sound sleepers or night owls; the reverberations from Hippies Bar and Carpe Diem beach bar can be heard late into the night.

This is a stunning resort with scenic vantage points, and a unique design infused with Sino-Portuguese heritage. All the rooms and pool villas have local art and handicrafts and beautiful sea or garden views. There is a 1,000-square-meter free-form swimming pool, kids' club, wading pool and waterslide, plus a fabulous beachside restaurant. This tasteful resort is close to a charming local village and within proximity to Khao Sak National Park.

In the center of West Railay, this resort offers comfortable cottages and more opulent villas. Added bonuses are great Thai food and a beachside patio and bar from which you can watch the sunset. You can also get a massage in a room overlooking the beach and pool. The minimart is nearby.

From practically everywhere you stand at this resort, you can enjoy overwhelming vistas of the bay and gorgeous limestone cliffs. Bungalows and rooms are set back in the hillside, spread out among the trees, along with a pool. It's popular with rock climbers.

This enormous lively resort stretches gracefully across an entire hillside along the road from Klong Khong Beach to Klong Nin. Look for lush green landscaping with palm trees, shrubs, and flowers, a choice of pools, an extensive kids' club, a game room, and more. Some rooms have private pools, and the spa is gorgeous.

Scattered across 26 landscaped acres, this magnificent resort is set in coconut groves with white-sand beaches on three sides. The lobby faces East Railay, the pool looks out over West Railay Bay, and the beach bar and restaurant are the only structures on Phra Nang Beach—Rayavadee has the only direct access to this beautiful stretch of sand. Circular pavilions built in traditional Thai style have spacious living rooms with curving staircases that lead up to opulent bedrooms and baths with huge round tubs. Some of the best rooms have secluded gardens with private hot tubs. Four restaurants assure variety—the beachfront Krua Pranang, set in a breezy pavilion, serves outstanding Thai food.

Surrounded by landscaped gardens, this eco-friendly boutique retreat has a swimming pool and a variety of tents from shared hostel-style accommodations to private tents with air conditioning and their own adjoining bathrooms. Weekly activities include a dedicated movie night with roasted marshmallows and a fire show. There's a restaurant and bar on-site.

This secluded luxury beach resort’s smaller size makes it intimate and exclusive. All residence types have something special: garden rooms have large oval tubs in pebble-strewn indoor gardens, suites have outdoor tubs, and pool residences have private plunge pools and salas with lounge chairs. There are two restaurants on the property, Ficus and Edge, serving Thai and contemporary Mediterranean cuisine. The resort provides a variety of activities, including day trips to the Similan Islands aboard a private speedboat.

A few minutes' walk from Kata Beach, this resort comprises a spacious garden with four large swimming pools, lush greenery, beautiful stone-carved fountains, and a complex of villas and rooms that are part Moroccan riad, part soaring Thai temple. Two-story luxury villas have exclusive access to two pools. The service is impeccable and the restaurant is decent. There are poolside and garden rooms; the former are preferable.

With a fun slide plunging into a big pool and several two-bedroom villas (each with large multi-bed rooms), Southern Lanta is understandably popular with families. Standard rooms are bungalows built closely to each other with slightly run-down exteriors but comfortable interiors. Seaside rooms are newer and have sofas indoors and deck chairs outdoors for maximum lounging.

One of the first upscale resorts in the area to market the "less is more" philosophy, SriLanta remains an island getaway for edgy urbanites. Breezy rooms are basic, but have comfortable lounging areas and are tastefully decorated. Sadly, most rooms have no view, and the beach is a short walk down the hill, which can be uncomfortable for some. The spa has massage tables on a platform above a large fishpond. SriLanta is reasonably priced for what you get (one of the nicest resorts on one of the nicest beaches), but the service is quite ordinary for such an extraordinary resort.

This resort caters to families, with well-organized daily activities of kids of all ages and babysitting services, as well as multiple pools and a beachfront location. Other high points include the well-kept gardens, waterside massage services, and a breakfast hall organized with military precision. The rooms are spacious and simply yet tastefully decorated.