Phuket is the biggest island of Thailand sitting on the Andaman Sea. It has large Chinese influence and yet there are many other ethnicities bringing all their traditions and festivals from all over the world to Phuket. If you are heading to Phuket. I recently visited Phuket and stayed at the Novotel Phuket Phokeethra which is a new 5-star hotel away from the hustle and bustle of the tourists that crowd the Patong beach and makes for a good choice for families who don’t want crowded places or need active nightlife.

---

How to get to Phuket

You can fly into Bangkok, where you can get the visa on arrival. It’s a simple process and doesn’t take much time. There is a premier line which at an extra cost of only 200 Bahts is worth skipping the long lines. While the process takes only 10-15 minutes, the visa counter is at one end of the airport and you have to get out of the airport and re-enter once you finish the process. So if you have any connecting flights, do keep this in mind.

From Bangkok airport, you can take a connecting flight to Phuket which is just a 1.30-hour duration flight. Another pro tip; once at the Phuket airport, buy a local sim card as it is really cheap. Activating roaming on your number will turn out to be more expensive any day.

---

 Rooms at Novotel Phuket Phokeethra

There are 180 rooms of which 162 are non-smoking and a room for people with reduced mobility. You can get a crib on request an extra bed for kids. I stayed in a Superior Room which was reasonably large and spacious. All rooms and area around the hotel have free wifi. The room had a nice city view, it was clean, the bed was comfortable, and the bathroom had a walk-in shower. I could totally imagine being here with my family.

---

Location:

It is located in the city centre of Phuket town so you can explore the city’s history and culture easily on foot. The historical buildings are quite fascinating. There is a walking street just 10 minutes away by foot, where you can just walk around with kids, soak in the culture, get clicked with giant size graffitis, shop for local stuff. On Sunday night, this place transforms into a buzzing flea market and if you are a food connoisseur you will feel that you are in a food heaven. It is also close to the Phuket bird park and Dolphin shows. It takes 45-50 minutes from Phuket airport.

---

Restaurants

It has two lounges and a multi-cuisine restaurant.

AMOR

LUA

---

Fitness

They have a reasonable size , well equipped gym and rooftop pool which is covered.

 

---

Spa

They have a well-appointed spa on the same level as the pool and the gym.

---

 Service

The staff speaks fluent English and is very friendly and polite. You can use all the hotel amenities while you are waiting. There is free wifi.

Verdict

Overall, we loved our stay and the resort as it was modern, well equipped, maintained high standards in all areas. The hotel looks more like a business hotel but works equally well as a family option too.

---

p.s While I was hosted by the Novotel Phuket all views and opinions expressed here are unbiased.

---