Phuket Thailand

Broncos · #1 20-02-2006, 07:48

Has anyone stayed at the Pacific Club Hotel & Spa in Karon that can recommend it or not? I'm looking for a quiet place to relax that has beach access, is girl friendly and is under $80 a night. The Marina Phuket Resort looks good too, but it's over my budget for my visit in March.

Also, how much will it cost me to get back and forth to Patong when I do what to get a bit more action? I will be having a good time and drinking, so I won't be renting a car or motorcycle.

This will be my first visit to Thailand and I can't decide if I want to stay in Patong, Kata or Karon. I'm thinking Karon might be quiet enough, but still close enough to Patong for visits.

West · #2 22-02-2006, 12:07

I'm staying at the Pacific Club at the moment, only checked in late last night though but if you give me a couple of days to check it out properly I'll write up a review for you

Broncos · #3 22-02-2006, 21:38

West,

Thanks. Looking forward to my first trip, so anything you can share from tips on getting around, where to eat and good bars etc (In Karon) would be great too.

Thanks,

Jay

West · #4 27-02-2006, 10:02

Can't say I was that impressed with Karon itself (nice beach but very little else) but the Pacific Club is great. Spacious well-appointed rooms, a fantastic restaurant and a really nice roof-top pool area with a view over Karon bay. The staff are very friendly and helpful and the wifi speed was certainly one of the best I've had in Thailand. The bathroom had a decent sized tub for LOS and the shower was big enough for 2, which is always a bonus.

There's a lot of building work going on in front of the hotel at the moment and so if you stay on the 1st or 2nd floors then you won't have much of a view. I was on the 3rd floor and still had a pretty good sea view and if you were on the 4th floor then the view would be totally unobstructed. The rooms are well soundproofed so the noise of the construction work wasn't an issue unless you were sitting on the balcony and I didn't notice it as a problem when lounging by the pool.

If you're looking for somewhere quiet to relax then you won't go far wrong with the Pacific Club. I can't comment as to how guest friendly they are as I was with my girlfriend and although she puts up with my butterflying I didn't see a single girl in the bars of Karon that tempted me. Often there was nobody at reception when I returned to the hotel though so I wouldn't have thought it would be a problem to bring back multiple guests.

Can't help with recommendation for bars or restaurants in Karon (other than the hotel restaurant) as I wasn't really taken by any of them, but it was my first visit and I'm sure there are plenty of more experienced BMs that can tell you of all the great places I missed. I didn't take any tuk-tuks within Karon as my girlfriend refused to let me pay the mafia prices (they wanted 150 THB to go from the centre of Karon to the hotel) but a tuk-tuk to Patong was 250.

I forgot to bring the cable to transfer pictures from my camera to my laptop but will upload a couple when I get home if thats any help.

Izzy · #5 27-02-2006, 11:17

Heh im there just now also! Floor 3...

It is a nice place, although this morning the builders woke me for a bit, although its not that bad, no big machine tools just odd bit of hammering I hear...Due to the hill out front and it being unpaved as yet however its a bit of a nightmare with the chair (not even contemplated my folks trying to push me up that hill, almost killed them walking up there in the heat).

My opinion of the place basically mirrors Wests, including that of Karon...im afraid to say Karon isnt where I will be staying again.

So, were renting a car today to go scout about and look for someplace new...still gonna stay here for a week though probably.

tom_loves_thai · #6 27-02-2006, 14:59

I stayed there over Christmas and New Years. It was a great hotel and the food and spa were great. It was guest friendly as far as I could tell. By the time I rolled in late at night, there was nobody at the desk, but I dont think they care what you do. In fact they have some very stratigically placed mirrors so they know whats up. It has an American owner, and this guy was great. More than happy to help with any requests.
Like the other posters said, there is some construction going on, which takes away from it a bit.
I think it was about 200-400 baht for a tuk-tuk to Patong, not bad at all.

A few good restraunts in Karon, Nice beach, not nearly as crowded as Patong Beach.

I would be staying there again this March if it were not for the construction. I will be staying at the Blue Marine in Patong this time.

Good Luck