Novotel Phuket Kamala Beach Review
Contents
- Novotel Phuket Kamala Beach Review
- Arrival
- The beach of Kamala
- The Location
- The room
- Restaurants and bars
- The rooftop: On The Roof
- The restaurant: Soul Kitchen
- Facilities
- The spa: InBalance
- Summary
- Information
- Novotel Phuket Kamala Beach Info
- Factsheet
- Novotel Phuket Kamala Beach Map
- Your Kamala Beach Travel Guide
- Hotels around Phuket
Novotel Phuket Kamala Beach combines many features for a great holiday if you are searching for reasonable mid-range accommodation in Phuket. The hotel is right on the beach of Kamala, a unique and much sought-after feature on the island. There are nine room types, including affordable pool rooms and a cool rooftop bar! We had to go and check this for ourselves. The hotel is very compact, and the main pool is not very large, but it has a welcoming pool bar plus direct beach access.
Beach Score: 6 / 10 – Hotel Score: 5 / 10 – What’s around: 6 / 10 – Affordability: 8 / 10
Hotel Summary | |
---|---|
The Beach | The north end of Kamala beach is superb, with nice sand, clear and shallow water during high season. |
The Hotel | 4-star |
The Facilities | The hotel has a rooftop bar, and restaurant, a vast main restaurant, a spa and one medium size shared pool with pool bar |
What's Around? | The famous Cafe del Mar Beach Club is nearby (but the music will not disturb your sleep). A lot of small restaurants right on the beach are great for lunch, dinner or even for a slow breakfast (and cheaper than the hotel buffet) |
Who is it for? | Anyone who wants to be right on the beach for a low price. |
Worth Noticing | The pools in pool villas offer no privacy. |
Price | Cheap |
Arrival
As we checked in, the reception was excellent. The staff was genuinely smiling and very welcoming, offering all the necessary information in good English and instantly making us feel in a holiday mood (well, for us, it was more of a weekend escape mood). The deposit system is a bit confusing since you need to make 2 of them: one for the room if you choose to pay at check out and one that allows you to sign at the outlets. Novotel Phuket Kamala Beach has minimal parking, so don’t be surprised. Save your energy and ask the staff to park your car for you.
The beach of Kamala
The location of Novotel Phuket Kamala Beach is, without a doubt, the most beautiful part of the hotel. The resort is at the very south end of Kamala Beach, on a beautiful piece of soft sand with trees above it, and it probably will remain this beautiful. The boulders and rocks end of the beach makes the place a fun snorkelling spot too!
The Location
A short and casual beach walk from the hotel will take you to no less than two great beach clubs, one of which is the famous Cafe Del Mar. We know the beach clubs and their notorious parties were near the hotel, but we checked, and the music didn’t disturb the hotel guests. If you walk a little more, you will reach a line of small local restaurants on the beach, perfect for any meal, but we love a second slow breakfast there.
The room
We booked a pool room with a sea view for 6,000 baht. That is quite a low price for having both! (We also added 450 baht per person for breakfast). As usual, we paid for our room, and by doing so, no one knew who we were. The staff welcomed us and treated us like regular guests. It’s always more fun and feels a lot more ‘real’!
The room is not very large (65 sqm) but has a good design, a functional space distribution, a 12 square metre balcony, and ample storage space. Most importantly, like most of the rooms at Novotel Phuket Kamala Beach, it faces the sea and the beautiful beach! The shower and toilets are separate in the back area but have no bathtub. Amenities include a coffee machine and water heater, safe deposit box, hairdryer, iron and iron table, bathrobes and slipper — all the amenities you can expect from such an international brand hotel.
You will find many electric plugs at the desk in the room, including two very convenient USB plugs. The bed is large and comfortable, facing a large TV with plenty of channels)
The swimming pool is above the room, which is a little surprising. It’s a decent size, not a lap pool but more than the plunge pool on the lower floor. Most importantly, you can enjoy a fantastic view from your infinity pool at a reasonable price. On the downside, there is absolutely no privacy in that pool. Your neighbours can see you, and even people walking back to their rooms can see you too. The furniture is a little run down and lacks tables to be entirely comfortable.
Restaurants and bars
The rooftop: On The Roof
‘On The Roof’ is a vast and breezy rooftop with plenty of comfortable seating with views of the beach view. You can have a drink or even eat there. Don’t miss the happy hour from 5.30 pm to 7.30 pm; two glasses for the price of one; it’s a bargain!
The restaurant: Soul Kitchen
Soul Kitchen, the main restaurant, is vast and not very intimate, but the outside sitting is attractive if the weather is not too hot. It frequently serves a BBQ buffet for dinner and even Thai cooking classes for four courses at 1699++ Baht per person. We tried it for a small lunch, and it was good.
It’s designed to accommodate their vast breakfast buffet, and because of the size and very high ceilings, the restaurant never feels crowded. There is plenty of different food, and everyone should find something to start the day well-prepared. Breakfast costs 350 baht if you include it with your online booking and 450 baht if you take it once at the hotel.
Facilities
The spa: InBalance
InBalance was another pleasant surprise. Every hotel in Phuket has a spa, but not all are great for this price. We had one-hour aromatherapy in a beautiful treatment room for 1,100 baht, and it was just what we needed to release the stress of a hard working week (yes, we do work, people believe that living in Phuket means hanging on the beach all day)
1-hour massages range between 900 to 1,100 baht per hour, and facial treatments from 900 to 1,500 baht. Then you can pamper yourself to reasonable value packages starting at 1,500 baht. The most extreme is a 420 minutes package with a lunch set menu for 6,500 baht. That’s 7 hours. Just remember to book early, especially on a rainy day!
Summary
Just as we expected, Novotel Phuket Kamala Beach had everything we expected and more. A well-designed room with an infinity pool above one of the most beautiful beaches of Phuket, a rooftop bar, an excellent spa and great staff. It’s a walking distance of beach clubs and plenty of local restaurants. Of course, you can’t compare it to luxury hotels, but at this price, it is an excellent hotel at the right price.
Information
Novotel Phuket Kamala Beach Info
Location: Kamala Beach
Address: 118/16 Moo 3, Kamala Beach, Phuket 83150
Phone: 076 303 700
Open: 24 hours
Check-in: 2 pm – Check-out: 12 noon
Bookings: see the rates
Factsheet
⛱️ Main beach nearby: | Kamala Beach |
⛱️ Distance to the closest beach: | on the beach! |
⛱️ Beach condition: | good |
⭐ Range | 4-star resort |
Rooms | 166 |
🏊♀️ Swimming pools: | 1 |
🍴 Restaurants and bars: | 1 restaurant, 1 rooftop |
🛍️ Facilities: | Spa, Fitness |
🚙 Distance to city centre: | 1.4 km |
🚙 Distance to Patong Beach: | 9 km |
🚙 Distance to Phuket Town: | 22 km |
✈️ Distance from Phuket International Airport: | 24 km |
Novotel Phuket Kamala Beach Map
If you are on mobile, add the map here: https://goo.gl/maps/TTYfKh3oXeSDYZuC6