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Phuket, Thailand is a place with mixed reviews. Some accounts depict it as a tropical paradise where everything is affordable and the locals are very welcoming. Others gripe that Phuket is a “backpacker slum” with dirty beaches, crumbling buildings, and smelly visitors partying all night. As with most things, the reality is somewhere in between these two extremes. The natural landscape of Phuket is gorgeous, and the water is a lovely shade of blue-green. Prices are also very low for food, drink, and services like massages. The roads, and general infrastructure, however, are in need of some serious refurbishment. During our visit, we booked four nights at the Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa. This massive resort complex brings in the best aspects of the surrounding area and combines them for a wonderful experience.
We spent 4 nights and 3 days in Phuket. Our original plans included day tours each day, but rainy/windy weather forced cancellation of all but one tour. This gave us extra time to thoroughly explore the Hilton Phuket’s grounds. We ate and drank our way through the complex! Come along for the full review.
- Cash & Point Expense – Hotel costs in terms of cash, points, or both.
- Hotel Overview & Rooms – Overview of the property and room choices.
- Service & Conveniences – Service and amenities offered by the hotel.
- Restaurants & Dining – Restaurant and bar choices in the hotel.
- X-Factor – What sets this property apart from others.
Cash & Points Expense
Phuket is definitely a budget-friendly destination. Room rates at the Hilton start around $180/night. Our specific room category (Deluxe King Seaview) goes for approximately $225/night. All cash rates are subject to a 10% service charge and 8.7% tax.
We redeemed 120,000 points for four nights, for a nightly rate of 30,000. If we had needed five nights, the fifth would have been free… dropping the nightly rate to 24,000/night. Average Hilton redemptions yield a value around 0.5 cents per point. For a 5-night stay, the value here would be a remarkable 1.1 cents per point! Hilton no longer uses an award chart, so the price at this hotel can fluctuate. A search today yielded rates of 40,000-55,000 per night, depending on room types and dates.
You can earn 75,000 points with the Hilton Amex (no fee) card and/or 90,000 points with the Hilton Surpass ($75 fee). Hilton will be offering a new line-up of personal and business cards beginning in January 2018, so this may be your last opportunity to earn these bonuses.
Hotel Overview & Rooms
As I mentioned above, this resort is a massive complex. It has multiple buildings, pools, restaurants, walking paths, and lounging areas. You can easily get lost just wandering around the grounds and enjoying the natural beauty around you.
We arrived in the evening, just in time to check in and have some cocktails and a light meal in the lobby lounge. At check in, we were offered refreshing towels and a delicious local beverage. The lobby is open-air, with a nice, modern appearance. Our arrival included the added bonus of live music wafting through the area.
Room
Due to my Hilton Diamond status, we received an upgrade to a Deluxe Seaview room in the main building. Our room was on the 10th floor, with a fantastic corner view, allowing us to see the beach and the mountains! The room itself has a tile floor, probably to prevent sand getting tracked into the carpet. Lounging options included a king bed, chaise lounge, and two chairs on the balcony. When we arrived at the room, we found a beautiful flower decoration on the bed, a box of macaroons, and a bowl of fresh fruit on the table!
The bathroom has a glass shower and a large bathtub. The toiletries are the luxurious Peter Thomas Roth line that you usually find at Hilton-branded properties.
Service & Conveniences
Pools
Around the resort, you will find four beautiful pools. Two of these pools have multiple levels, including a tranquility space on the upper level of the Seafarer Pool.
Beach Access
Just outside the walls of the Hilton, you will find beautiful Karon Beach and the blue waters of the Andaman Sea. Unfortunately, we did not have a chance to enjoy the beach, because of the wind and rain. However, we did learn that you can get a couples 1-hr Thai massage for only $20, just a short walk down the road.
Restaurants & Dining
The Resort has five restaurants on property, each with a different feel. We had the opportunity to enjoy meals at all-but-one of the restaurants. We also enjoyed complimentary breakfast each morning, due to our Diamond status.
Thai Thai
The signature restaurant at the Hilton Phuket is, of course, a Thai fine dining experience. This was really our first time eating a variety of Thai cuisine. At home, we love to eat at the local Thai restaurant, but we always get Pad Thai. Here, we decided to branch out as far as we could, and we were blown away by the flavors!
The menu includes offerings from all over Thailand. We learned that each region is known for a different style of dish. Meals are also served in multiple courses. You can go with the pre-selected menu, or order for yourself a-la-carte. We opted for the “choose your own adventure” path. Our meal went like this:
Appetizers
- Tord Man Goong – Deep fried shrimp cake with sweet plum sauce and crispy basil
- Ma Ta Ba Gai – Minced chicken with spices and herbs wrapped
Soup/Salad
- Larb Gai Larn Na – Spicy minced chicken salad with chili, mint, and lime
- Tom Yum Goong – SPICY, sour prawn soup with galangal, chili, lime, cinnamon, and shallots
Main Courses
- Gaeng Phed Ped Yang – Roasted duck confit in red curry with lychee, Phuket pineapple, and Thai eggplant
- Massaman Nuea – Braised Australian beef in massaman curry with peanut, onion, potato, star anis, cinnamon, tamarind juice, and coconut cream
Dessert
- Mango Crepes A-la-Mode – Sweet treat flambeed tableside and topped with vanilla ice cream
Start to finish, this dinner was absolutely wonderful! I’ll admit to being intimidated by spicy dishes, but only one item (the soup) was outside of my very-low spice tolerance. We particularly enjoyed the Tord Man Goong, the Massaman Nuea, and the dessert. Massaman curry has a very unique flavor that you must try! When it came time for dessert, our server rolled out a cart filled with ingredients and put on a culinary display right at our table. Our waitresses were super-friendly and they helped us understand the various dishes. I 100% recommend having a special meal at Thai Thai during your stay!
Andaman Lounge
Shortly after checking in, we popped down to the lobby for live music, cocktails, and a sandwich at the Andaman Lounge. Situated on the edge of the main lobby, this lounge is a great place to unwind after a long day of traveling or exploring the local area.
Sails Restaurant – Breakfast
Downstairs from the main lobby, just along the side of the Garden Pool, you will find the Sails Restaurant. We enjoyed breakfast here every morning from the massive buffet!
Ocean Beach Club
The Ocean Beach club is located along the outer edge of the resort, near the Beach Club pool and the wall bordering Karon Beach. They feature a menu of poolside drinks and what I would call “bar & grill food.” We shared a delicious chicken sandwich with bacon and a side of waffle fries. We would have eaten poolside, but it was raining that day.
Caffe Cino
Around the corner from the main lobby, you will find a little coffee/pastry shop. We sampled some pastries, including a flaky donut and an eclair. They also do some beautiful latte art.
Panorama Lounge
On the top floor of the Lotus Building, in the center of the resort, you will find the Panorama Lounge. This lounge is reserved for Hilton VIP members and those who purchase suite packages. Every night, they offer heavy appetizers and cocktails/beer/wine for free. We ate dinner here three nights during our stay, and the food offerings are excellent! After dinner, we would sip our cocktails and enjoy the views of the Andaman Sea.
The X-Factor
This resort simply offers a lot of variety. You have three pools to choose from, some with multiple levels. If you get bored at the pool, you can walk across the street to the beach or lounge by one of the lagoons. You have the option to eat at a wide variety of restaurants without leaving the resort grounds, including the fabulous Thai Thai. Whether you’re splashing in the Beach Club Pool, getting a massage, or sipping cocktails in the Panorama Lounge, you are sure to have a great time at the Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort and Spa.
Bonus – Big Buddha!
Since our tour to the Phi Phi Islands was cancelled on account of rain and high winds, we decided to get out of the resort walls explore the local area. First stop was a couple’s massage and mani/pedi for her… total cost $35!!
The rain died down for a bit, so we hopped into a cab and headed over to check out the Big Buddha. This famous Phuket landmark sits high atop a hill, offering a 360-degree view of the surrounding landscape. The Buddha statue is also a sight to behold, as it is absolutely enormous. If you hang around long enough, you may spot a few local monkeys roaming around the on-site monastery!
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