Visiting Thailand with the Family? Be sure to visit Amari Phuket in Patong.
Set back on a hill away from the hustle and bustle of Patong rests this beautiful resort. Far enough to be away from the noise and busy nightlife, but close enough to get that injection of fun and excitement that Patong offers.
Amari Phuket seemed to be the obvious choice for our young family to kick off our 8 weeks trip around South East Asia.
As a family we’ve been fortunate enough to stay in some of the best hotels in the world, and having checked out the reviews and facilities, Amari seemed to be the ‘go to’ choice, with its raving reviews, large suites and well equipped kids club.
When we arrived our first impressions were that it seemed to be a wonderful spot, literally located on the cliff top, the entrance was very nice (not spectacular) but the service seemed to be good and check-in was pretty seamless.
We were taken by buggy to our 2 bedroom ocean suite apartment within 20 mins of arriving at the resort and we were all tired after a long flight from the U.K.
Enroute to the suite I realised a slight oversight on my part, that I hadn’t taken into consideration, just how steep a hill this resort is on, and just how long it would take to get to our suite (5-7 min buggy ride.) This is no exaggeration. I felt as though I were on a roller-coaster ride, we had to seriously hold onto our kids to ensure they were safe.
The buggy service is available to take you to and from wherever you want to go, however there were a couple of occasions where the service was strained and wait times went on for up to 30 minutes, which became a bit stressful.
Our suite was set back from reception (6149) and this back and forth with young children could easily become be quite a hassle.We quickly realised we needed to really think through our plans for the day. Forgetting something we needed from o
10 min Tuk Tuk to patong strip. Only 200 baht each way, the hotel does offer a shuttle service there 3 times a day, but you need to make your work way back.
Tuk Tuks can be picked up from outside reception and were plentiful.
Our suite was a spacious 2 bedroom two bathroom apartment with kitchen/ sofa and dining room.Although a downside for families was that there was no bath… My kids aren’t keen on showers so was a bit disappointing.
We slept peacefully and the kitchen and dining area made the evenings once the kids were down even more comfortable.Breakfast was buffet style in the main restaurant and offered excellent options, we weren’t greeted by anyone and didn’t know where to sit on our first day, staff seemed pretty rushed and busy.
The main reception pool was in the sun and offered little shade which again was a bit annoying and once back in our suite was a bit of a hassle to venture out to.
But then entered the…..
Clubhouse.
A exclusive little add on for those willing to pay a little extra. One word WOW.
The clubhouse was our saving grace.It is a building with a restaurant/pool/gym and a much more personalised service. The infinity pool and the view was spectacular. The club house was walking distance from our suite and literally took our break to another level.
The Club serves Al a carte breakfast, cookies fruit/ coffee and tea all day. Amazing service from all the staff and a special thank-you Pierre!
At 5.30-6.30pm everyday they offer beautiful snacks with free wine/beers and cocktails. Our daily Mai Tai was a highlight of the day!
We were able to eat breakfast, whilst keeping a close watch on the kids in the pool. A big win!
We hung out most of the day at the Club. I managed to conduct a few business calls and also utilised the gym there.
In my opinion if you have kids, (or if you don’t) the clubhouse is a must! They also went over and above and delivered various goodies to our suite daily from fresh fruit/ sweets and Prosecco with Salmon Toast!
The kids club was fabulous and my kids enjoyed a couple of hours there each day. They had various activities to keep them busy and the staff were attentive and kind.
There is also a Jetty that is 100% worth making the effort to walk to for photos and to observe a beautiful sunset. (It is a good 10-15min walk from the main resort and not buggy friendly.)
We ate at the lovely Italian restaurant and the food was superb definitely worth a try!
All in all this resort gets a 9/10 from me, the only slight reason for the mark is down to the steepness the resort is on. However the view does make up for it!
Top tip, families with strollers may find this resort difficult to navigate as even with the lift options there are still various steps and hills.
However if you’re willing to contend with this, I doubt you’ll be disappointed (especially) if you book here with the Clubhouse add-
