Kata Rocks
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Kata Rocks is changing the face of luxury accommodation in Phuket: more than just a hotel stay, it’s an unforgettable holiday experience. The hotel is located on a hill at the south end of the superb Kata Beach and from up there every Sky Villa offers amazing views on the Andaman Sea. Kata Rocks is so beautifully designed it’s a real photo playground, especially the famous umbrellas in the infinity pool. The resort has become so popular we had to wait for a long time to experience it, but the day had finally arrived.
The hotel feels quite compact as the space has been entirely dedicated to the immense villas and the buggy takes a narrow path from the reception to your room and to the main areas. What instantly strikes the most is the incredible attention given to every single detail, from the loungers in the pool to the kitchen corner of the villa, you can tell that the search for the best was nearly obsessive.
The Sky Villas
As soon as you walk into your apartment your holiday really begins. The rooms are all oversized with high ceilings and a full wall glass window that slides almost entirely to open on your terrace. Designed in a white minimalist and sophisticated way, every element has been carefully crafted. Exploring a villa becomes part of the fun!
We really loved the kitchen cooking station with a huge central island and all the fun accessories. The high-tech stuff is fun to play with and everything is designed with simple elegant lines. Most entertaining are the hood and electric plugs that majestically raise out of the counter when needed. The many drawers revealed a beautiful collection of cutlery, designers plates, glasses and cooking accessories.
The living area is a dream layout with an immense cooking area on one side, a dining table in the middle next to a L shaped sofa and the infinity swimming pool waiting for you just outside. With 3 bedrooms on the upper floor, this residence is perfectly designed for a family or a group of friends.
The private infinity pool is irresistible. It is as wide as the villa and you can even buy a giant inflatable pink flamingo directly from the hotel to bask in the sun all day. The seating area has a couple of loungers and a huge sofa. A great place to spent time relaxing, reading or even working with the stunning views on the Andaman Sea. This is a good as a holiday can get!
The main bedroom also faces the ocean and the view from the bed in the morning is worth every baht. In addition to the ocean view, we loved the large flat TV screen embedded in the ceiling, right above the bed. This was such a unexpected touch we never saw before! Here too the terrace comes with a full wall sliding glass and features a big open air Jacuzzi. If that was not enough there is also a large bathtub in the very large bathroom (we don’t have to add that there is also a big rain shower…)
The room also come with washing machine and dryer, which is a very nice touch if you stay with a family or for long stay.
Kata Rocks Restaurant
Kata Rocks has only one restaurant serving a great Mediterranean and seafood cuisine but with rooms being so well designed for in-house dining you won’t need more. Tables are set along the iconic infinity pool so make sure you come a bit before sunset to enjoy some of Kata Rocks famous cocktails (they even have their own signature gin). As the sun disappears the pool is lit and the atmosphere becomes even more romantic. This is the perfect setting to enjoy the superb cuisine.
The restaurant is open to outside guests so even if you are not staying at the resort, you should definitely save one evening for a sunset dinner (6 pm to 10 pm). And if the sun doesn’t shine that day it won’t really matter, the views are always incredible!
If you are a wine lover you should have dinner in the beautiful wine cellar just below the main restaurant. No less that 300 wines labels are on display and the choice of wines by the glass is great! (They even have that Pennfold Grange if only I could afford it.)
Award Wining Spa
We only stayed for 2 nights so we unfortunately didn’t get to try everything. The award winning Infinite Luxury Spa is known to be extremely popular but we didn’t have enough time to enjoy it. Some rooms come with their own luxurious private treatment room for an ‘in-villa’ spa experience! (10 am – 10 pm)
Fitness
Just like the entire resort, the fitness room is equipped with state of the art machines and equipment. It’s actually a bit confusing if you are used to a more classic setting. The fitness room is large (and cold) with a glass wall on an entire side so treadmills have a sea views! (6 am – 10 pm)
Service
Kata Rocks being at the top of the luxury pyramid you expect the service to be flawless and you won’t be disappointed. The ‘Rock Stars’ as the team call themselves are super friendly and attentive, always with a nice personal word and a suggestion.
Our Verdict
Kata Rock ticks all the boxes and we had an amazing stay. (We even tried to extend, but the resort being so popular it get quickly fully booked!) It’s the perfect place for couples, friends or families to relax or even do some work away from the office. There is so much to explore and enjoy at Kata Rocks, it would take twice this page to describe it properly. You’ve got to discover it for yourself and book your next stay!
What we loved
Pretty much everything:
- Very attractive design
- Attention to every single detail
- Superb infinity pools
- Service second to none
What we didn’t like as much
- The hillside setting makes it hard to go from your room to the main areas or to drive out to town. You pretty much need to call a buggy for any movement.
- Obviously the price tag is very high
- Kata Beach is a little far