I went for an event on the Thai island of Phuket. This is the first time I’ve been there, so I chose the central Patong area, especially since other guests going to the same event were staying there.
Location
Holiday Inn Resort Phuket Patong is located in the southwest of Phuket Island. It is important to tell the driver who takes you there to go to the resort, as there are several hotels of the chain in the area.
The Patong area is very touristic and during the high season, like for me in February, many Russians and Dutch are rushing to find the sun at lower cost… However, the particular circumstances of February 2020, in particular the still very localised Covid-19 epidemic in Asia, meant that the area was relatively quieter and less crowded.
Reception
We arrived in the evening. As mentioned above, the hotel is located in the middle of a busy and noisy area, fortunately the complex is large and the buildings are fairly isolated.
The complex is divided into two parts. The first, where the main reception is located, has modestly sized rooms. The second, named Busakhorn Wing, has more luxurious buildings with villas and studios, as well as a swimming pool, which is not accessible to guests staying in the first building. It is in a “studio” type room that we will stay for these 3 nights.
Guests staying in the Busakhorn Wing are welcomed in a dedicated room. The route to get there is quite pleasant, and the staff offer carts to transfer us from the main reception.
On the right of the following picture, the building dedicated to check in. In the background, the entrance to the building.
The welcome is in the purest Thai tradition, extremely warm. The employees end all their sentences with the sound “gaa”, a sign of respect for the interlocutor in Thai. We are escorted to our room on the 4th floor (of a total of 6).
The room: Busakhorn Studio
We took a “Studio” room, with two single beds. At the end of the room, a sofa and a table. We also have a small balcony with table and chairs.
A special feature of this room is the separate toilet and shower. There is even a dressing table, an important detail as we are on our way to an event where dressing up is de rigueur!
The beds are separate and a large bedside table has been placed between them.
A welcome touch is the fresh fruit placed on the desk. Coffee and tea are free of charge and available to the customer on the sideboard.
Catering and swimming pool
All guests of the Busakhorn Wing have access to this large pool. Of course, we took advantage of this.
Enjoying the Thai sunsets in this pool is a real treat. Towels are gladly provided by the pool staff of the day.
These large illuminated buildings house one of the complex’s restaurants.
As the area around the hotel is very touristy, we will choose to eat in the complex for our only meal in the hotel area.
Half-cooked tuna fillet for my travel mate,
Selection of satays for me. Prices are affordable for a hotel restaurant.
We also opted for breakfast on site. The selection is extremely wide, with about twenty choices of hot dishes (Chinese, Indian, Thai, English) and an egg stand, fruit, pastries.
Below is the plethora of Indian curries… being half-Japanese in origin, and rather exotic on breakfast, this selection satisfies me a lot.
Bottom line
I was initially dubious about staying in a Holiday Inn property, as in our European view these are generally poor quality hotels. I was wrong : The Holiday Inn Resort Phuket Patong is a very nice property with all the necessary facilities for a relaxing stay. This is another example of the extreme inequality of hotels in the same chain between countries or geographical regions.
The only downside is that the area is extremely touristy and not very authentic. But it must be said that it is central to reach all parts of Phuket Island, which does not have a motorway so all journeys are extremely long.
I would therefore recommend this hotel if you are planning a relaxing stay without relying too much on the surroundings.
