If you're planning a trip to Phuket, you are almost certainly going to need a place to stay unless you already bought a house or have friends living here. Phuket has a huge variety of accommodation available from backpackers dorms to 5 star (6 star?) luxury resorts. You'll find a growing page of recommended Phuket hotels on the blog already, and I try to add another hotel every month or so. The hotels on the recommendation page are ones I like because of their location, or because they've been recommended to me by others, or because they offer something different. But what are the BEST hotels in Phuket?
The following Top 10 list is based on the Phuket hotel rankings on Tripadvisor in 2008. For each hotel below there are links for online reservations/rates and availability - I recommend Agoda.com if you want to book a hotel in Phuket. The review links below are also from Agoda.com - only people who have booked the hotels on Agoda can make a review, and if you take a look, you'll see honest reviews, good and bad, plus points and minus points - a very useful tool for checking for your ideal hotel.
Top 4 Phuket Hotels (2008)
1. JW Marriott Resort and Spa
The JW Marriott probably is unbeatable. If you want a quiet luxury getaway, then you can fly to Phuket and the resort is just 15 minutes from the airport on the uncrowded and as yet relatively undeveloped Mai Khao Beach. Words such as "paradise", "sanctuary" and "heaven" are not just words!
• JW Marriott - Online Reservations
• JW Marriott Reviews
2. Mom Tri's Villa Royale
The newer sister resort of Mom Tri's Boathouse, Villa Royale is one of the few hotels in Phuket that can be called secluded, while also being close to the main beaches. It's on the headland between Kata and Kata Noi, overlooking the ocean beach featuring beautifully designed luxury villas.
• Villa Royale - Online Reservations
• Villa Royale Reviews
• More about Mom Tri's Villa Royale on this blog
3. Sala Phuket
Sala Phuket is a new (very new... I am not sure I had heard of it before starting this top 10!) luxury villa resort on Mai Khao Beach - just opened in December 2007. The reviews say it all, things like "breathtaking", "blissful", "Sala Phuket is amazing!"... you get the general idea.
• Sala Phuket - Online Reservations
• Sala Phuket Reviews
• Sala Phuket - more information on Jamie's Phuket
4. Indigo Pearl
I wrote about Indigo Pearl already - it's a top class resort and has a very original look and feel with decor based on the old Phuket tin mining industry. It may not be to everyone's liking, but it's got class and it's not afraid to be different!