Editor’s Note: This post is part of my Myanmar–Thailand trip to Asia. For more on this trip, check out my other posts on Myanmar, Thailand, and Japan.
Although I had been to Phuket many times, I never had the opportunity to stay at what some of my friends have told me is the “best hotel in Phuket” – the Le Meridian Phuket Beach Resort.
Would it live up to the hype?
Review: Le Meridian Phuket Beach Resort (Phuket, Thailand)
Image courtesy of marriott.com
About The Le Meridian Phuket Beach Resort:
Image courtesy of marriott.com
The centerpiece pool at night
Getting There
Phuket is about a 1-hour flight from Bangkok, or in our case, a 1-hour and 20 minute flight from Yangon, Myanmar.
FHOP Tip: If you do find yourself in Yangon, there is one non-stop flight daily and it is on Myanmar National Airlines. Flying this route will save you the hassle of having to connect through Bangkok.
First things first: Phuket is very large island. With that said, it’ll take you about 1-hour by taxi or other automobile service from HKT Airport to the Le Meridian Phuket Beach Resort.
FHOP Tip: Your best bet, price-wise, are the taxi/shuttle counters curbside at the airport. Alternately, you can arrange for a limousine pick-up through the hotel, though this will cost you roughly double the price.
Location And Proximity To Patong Beach
It has been said by many that Le Meridian Phuket Beach Resort enjoys the best location on the entire island of Phuket. This may actually be true.
Separated by a large hill, Le Meridian Phuket Beach Resort is close to the island’s main “hot-spot” attraction, Patong Beach, just not “too close”.
A taxi or tuk-tuk ride to Patong from the resort will take you about 10 minutes (depending on traffic).
The Check-In
Upon arrival, we were welcomed at the valet area and ushered to the front desk located inside the grand hall, on the right-hand side of the lobby.
There were many employees working and thus, virtually no line to check-in. All front desk employees spoke fluent Thai and English.
I was welcomed and thanked for my status and loyalty. Although we arrived several hours early, we were thankfully granted an early check-in.
I had booked a non-refundable, 2 twin bed room with balcony through American Express Travel. I was pleasantly surprised to find out this reservation included free breakfast daily (although it was not noted on the reservation).
What Does Marriott Bonvoy Gold Status Get You?
Count me among those recently “Bonvoyed” from Platinum to Gold status.
As such, the all-important question I now have for any Marriott property I stay at is, “what will Gold status get me?”.
The answer at Le Meridian Phuket? Not much.
I received a standard room on a standard floor, although I did get an [obstructed] view of the ocean.
Lots of people working at the front desk (on the left)
Incredible mural at the front desk
The Lobby And First Impressions
My first impression of this resort from the grand hallway in the lobby was “this place is massive”.
It was a true “mega-resort”in that it was a “mini-city” all unto itself, secluded from the outside world and the craziness of Patong. There were many shops and full-size restaurants on property.
The entire resort definitely had a strong Thai style and decor which felt great. But – it felt a little inauthentic and impersonal, more “mega-resort” than “luxury resort”.
The lobby (at night)
Clean, Thai-style
The main-draw to this resort is that Le Meridian Phuket has its own private beach in a secluded cove. And what an awesome and beautiful beach it is! It’s the perfect size for frolicking in the gentle waves in the warm water, or exploring some of the underwater sealife along the rocks of the cove.
If you come to this resort for the beach, then you stay for the pool. The pool was the true centerpiece of the Le Meridian. It was stunningly massive in size and volume, and visible from almost any point on the property.
The first glimpse of the pool (at sunset)
The other-side of the pool by the west-wing of the hotel
The Twin Room With Balcony Room
Our room was located on the second floor of the west-wing.
It was clean, and perfectly standard. The beds were firm and comfortable, the A/C worked very-well, making the room comfortably chilly. This was great, considering the tropical heat outside.
Truth-be-told, I found the room a little underwhelming for the Le Meridian brand, which was fine in a sense because we weren’t planning on spending a whole lot of our time in paradise stuck in the room.
Room Amenities
The resort provided plenty of free water bottles (daily), as well as other various room amenities.
Complimentary water galore
Apparently, everything you need to get the party started
Coffee and tea selection
The safe
Large closet
In-Room Menus And Pamphlets
The optional Signature Breakfast
On-property guides & things to do
The Balcony And The View From The Room
There it is, the ocean! Well, sort-of
The net from the Golf driving-range
The Bathroom
The bathroom was probably the best part of the room.
The shower was great, as was the sink area, and the toiletries provided were the popular Malin+Goetz brand.
Everybody loves Malin+Goetz toiletries
I told you there was a lot of water
The Pool
As I mentioned above the pool was the true centerpiece and focal-point of the Le Meridian Phuket Beach Resort.
You can’t tell from the pictures below (taken at 5:45 am), but the pool is the place to be once the sun heats things up.
Picture-perfect palm-trees
The Private Beach
My favorite place on the property was the private beach. The sand was so fine that it was almost silky, there were almost no rocks or even pebbles on the beach.
The cove was perfect for swimming, floating, or otherwise just letting the world pass you by.
The far-right side of the beach had water-sports equipment
The center and left-side of the beach was for swimming and lounging.
Walking The Property
The property is so large, it’s worth taking some time to walk-the property to explore everything it has to offer.
Signage will point you in the right direction (of your preferred cuisine)
Ariake
General Sab E-lee!
Ton Son Bar
With Beer Chang on tap, the bar was a great placed to hang during the day, but not at 5:45 am (below).
Breakfast
Although I didn’t know at the time of booking that my breakfast was included as part of my booking package, I’m really glad it was.
Not only was the breakfast buffet spread vast and delicious, the next-nearest breakfast options in Phuket were several kilometers and a tuk-tuk ride away.
Breakfast was served in the restaurant space that jets out on the pool. Although it got really crowded at times, the space is large and we always seemed to be able to find seating easily.
The breakfast of champions! Eggs Benedict, Green Tea Doughnuts, bacon, sausage, and yogurt
“Bonvoyed” Factor: Low
I signed-up for the “go-green” promotion for 500 Bonvoy points during check-in, but my room was serviced while I was out, and I was never awarded the points.
The Bottom-Line Review: Le Meridian Phuket Beach Resort (Phuket, Thailand)
So is Le Meridian Phuket Beach Resort really the “best hotel in Phuket”?
Maybe, for certain segments of the population. But overall, I was somewhat underwhelmed by the Le Meridian Phuket Beach Resort.
There was nothing wrong with the resort per-se, in fact, it is a wonderful location on an immaculate private beach, but I found my experience at the resort to be standard and basic at best. Certainly not what I expected from the Le Meridian brand especially at the price-tag of $300 USD a night.
In Le Meridian Phuket Beach Resort’s defense, I feel like this resort is geared more toward well-to-do families with young children, rather than singles, travel-groups, party-goers, or couples.
In that sense, Le Meridian Phuket Beach Resort is a secluded, family-friendly mega-resort on the nicest beach on the island and it is perfect for a family getaway. Just don’t expect a whole lot from the rooms or service.
Recommended for families with young children.
Cheers!
