Phuket Hotel Tips by roaminginspector

A true spa hotel situated with nearly-exclusive access to the serene Kata Noi beach (technically all beaches in Thailand are public property). Meticulously designed and maintained rooms mimic the relaxing, rejuvenating, and spotlessly clean atmosphere of the spa. The gardens and pools are beautifully designed, though not nearly as lush as those at hotels in Hawaii.

A high percentage of rooms have a nice, wide view of the beach and ocean as well as the pools and garden. The resort is home to several very good restaurants which are quite reasonably priced. Even room service was affordable, and a nice way to avoid having to leave the hotel grounds. The staff exhibits a very high focus on customer service, though some had a little trouble understanding my English.


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Theme: Hotel
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$120-180  » Currency Converter
Address: 14 Kata Noi Road Karon, , Phuket 83100

An excellent combination of luxury and affordability in lively Patong beach. On my recent visit to Phuket I toured (but did not stay in) this hotel, and I found that I had terribly misjudged this property based on its website and its name.

The name “Graceland” sounds kind of cheesy and cheap, not a name I would expect from a 4-star or 5-star resort. I imagined velvet paintings of Elvis hanging over the bed and 1950’s rock-n-roll memorabilia hanging from the lobby walls - only slightly more awful than a trip to “Planet Hollywood”. What I found instead was an elegant establishment with exceptionally gracious, well-supervised staff.

Graceland resort is as close to “on the beach” as you can get in Patong, where the actual beach is separated from all of the hotels by a small beachfront roadway. As far as I can see there are precious few rooms in this resort that really qualify as having an “ocean view”, since nearly all of the units face the garden/courtyard.

Look beyond the unfortunate architectural choice of French-style roofs and you’ll find this facility is not a cheap re-purposed apartment building but rather entirely brand new. On visual examination of the hotel grounds I found no evidence of corners being cut. The lobby is spacious and pleasantly modern in decor. The gardens are very nicely landscaped. The pools are a beautiful place to relax or to bring the kids, and for the adults there’s even a swim-up bar. This resort has a very nice complement of indoor family-friendly activities, including its own private bowling alley!

The hotel’s website also hides the fact that they have a very nice full-service spa facility with fully qualified and professional staff offering a good range of massage types administered in serene, well-appointed, spotlessly clean rooms. A couples’ massage room and rooms with “real” massage tables (which I find critical to a good deep-tissue massage) are available.


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Theme: Hotel
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$80-120  » Currency Converter