Having visited Phuket once before, my husband and I realized we really liked the Old Phuket Town district for its character, as well as the abundance of cafes and markets in that location. Our previous accommodation, Mövenpick Myth Hotel Patong, was a lengthy 30-minute car ride away, sometimes even longer if traffic was bad. As such, I decided to look for one in the vicinity instead to minimize travelling time!
This hotel is conveniently situated just off the main stretch of Old Phuket Town, taking us a mere 10 to 15 minutes to walk there. After some coupon code hustling on Trip.com, I managed to secure a 3-night stay here for a very decent price (:
- Inclusions:
- 3-night stay in Premium King Room with City View
- Breakfast (for Day 2 only)
- Spent: SGD$275.38 + $98.53 in Trip coins
Check-in
The hotel lobby felt bright and breezy, with high ceilings and loads of natural light streaming in. Stepping inside, we were welcomed by a nice calming scent and smiling staff wishing us a good stay, what a vibe (: Our check-in was smooth and we helped ourselves to the fruit-infused water provided while waiting. As our room wasn’t ready yet, we dropped off our luggage at the reception before heading out to grab lunch at Marni restaurant and a massage at Luna Massage & Head Spa nearby.
Room
Our assigned room was on the 17th floor (out of 18 floors). Inside, everything looked simple, clean and modern without any frills. The room felt spacious enough to accommodate more seating and counter space, both of which we needed more of, but alas, a single chair and table was all there was. Soundproofing was also a tad lacking – we could hear our neighbours’ bathroom flushing and sounds of live music from below.
The bathroom appeared hygienic and nicely maintained, with the large mirror making it feel much bigger than it actually was.
No pillow menu was available as the room already came with both soft and firm pillows. However, the latter was nowhere near firm enough for me but thankfully the bed was. Housekeeping automatically tidied up our room in the day unless we had our Do Not Disturb sign switched on. I didn’t try requesting for turndown service given how Courtyard By Marriott Hotel Novena in Singapore didn’t provide that.
Facilities
The swimming pool with a small jacuzzi section and the gym is situated on level 4 of the property.
For this stay, we got the breakfast-inclusive rate for only one day as we wanted to check out food options outside the hotel on the other days. On the morning of Day 2, we made our way to Krua Talad Yai restaurant on level 2, where breakfast was served daily between 6.30am and 10.30am at the time of our visit.
They had a pretty varied spread that included a live noodles and eggs station serving a special moo ping omelette (which actually just entailed a piece of braised pork atop a regular omelette), a dim sum cart with buns and dumplings of different fillings, as well as interesting breads made of purple potato and spinach!
But when it came to taste, most of the items were rather average. I did enjoy the French toast, as well as the bread and butter pudding, for their soft and fluffy texture. We also liked the yummy Thai milk tea that had just the right sweetness. Ironically, this 4-star hotel serves Thai milk tea as part of their breakfast offerings, whereas a 5-star hotel like Sindhorn Kempinski bewilderingly requires an additional charge for it.
On our last day here, we had lunch at Yue Restaurant & Bar on level 2. This restaurant specializes in Cantonese cuisine, with its interiors sporting a chic, contemporary Chinoiserie aesthetic. After ushering us to a booth table near the entrance, Bella, one of the staff, brought us two hot towels on a gold tray.
We ordered a couple of dishes to share and a cup of cappuccino (THB80++) for my husband. First was the drunken chicken in Chinese wine, soy sauce and ginger (THB350++), which was incredibly succulent. The portion was also just right for the two of us.
Next up was the emerald crab meat soup (THB280++) comprising spinach, crab meat and egg white. This was warm and comforting, plus the crab meat tasted sweet and fresh.
Then, we had the wok-fried flat noodles with beef, capsicum and Hong Kong kale (THB420++). This dish was fragrant and had tender beef slices, but it was a little too oily for me as with most fried food in Thailand.
Rounding off the meal with dessert, we went for the creme mango and pomelo sago with mango ice cream (THB180++). It was a lovely combination of light cream with a subtle sweetness, crunchy fruit bits, a generous dollop of sago and smooth mango ice cream.
Bella was the only staff assisting us the entire time during our lunch. She was fairly fluent in English so that made communication a lot easier (: She was also very friendly and helpful, informing us that although there were no promotions for in-house guests, we were still eligible for a 10% discount with the Marriott Bonvoy membership.
Within the hotel premises, there are other dining establishments that guests can visit. Talung Lounge on level 1 is a cosy spot for casual lunches and evening tipples. On one of the nights of our stay, we managed to catch a brief segment of the live performance here.
Beside the swimming pool on level 4 is Ko Lae Pool Bar, with light bites and refreshing beverages on the menu.
My overall rating of the experience: 4 out of 5 stars. I opted for this hotel due to its clean and modern look, relative affordability, as well as its proximity to Old Phuket Town, and it did not disappoint indeed! Our room, even though not luxurious per se, was spotless and comfortable. I also loved how the spaces in the hotel were so well-lit with natural sunlight, making the ambience even more inviting. Getting to Old Phuket Town was convenient as well since it was just a 10 to 15-minute walk away, depending on which end of the main stretch we were heading to. Unfortunately, the food at breakfast was a little underwhelming. Despite the good variety in the spread, the dishes just weren’t meeting the mark in terms of taste. Well, at least lunch at Yue Restaurant & Bar was much better and more delicious! As a 4-star property, I do think it punches well above its weight and could even surpass some supposed 5-star ones (ahem, Mövenpick Myth Hotel Patong). I’d definitely recommend this hotel in a heartbeat (:
If this post helped you in some way and you’d like to buy me a coffee, I’d be incredibly grateful (:
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