Thavorn Palm Beach Resort, Phuket

I found the staff to be lovely, always smiley. Overall this hotel is pretty good, but be aware that it is away from most of the action. About 10 mins walk down the beach is the main part of Karon, with good restaurants. The beach is 1 minute walk across the road, and very beautiful, although please do NOT swim in monsoon season as you are likely to drown - as several people apparently did during my short stay. The rooms are comfortable and I was upgraded, which was nice, but they are very dated. The hotel is situated a small distance from the main Karon area, but the hotel do a shuttle service to Patong if you feel like some real "action" and it's only 10 mins walk to the main part of Karon. (The tuk tuk drivers will rip you off if you want to get back though - 200 Baht for a 2 minute ride!! I bargained hard to get it down to 100 Baht - still expensive, but as a woman alone, I wasn't sure I should be walking it alone late at night). There are a couple of nice little restaurants 2 mins walk from the hotel. The grounds and gardens are absolutely beautiful, and I was there in rainy season and had no problem with people saving sun loungers - it seemed to be quite quiet while I was there. Massage is expensive at the hotel, so I did not bother. I'd say this is perfect for families, or for travellers who just want to flop around reading a book in the sun in a nice environment. The wild birds are very entertaining.

We found the staff to be friendly and helpful. The in house tailor shop is very efficient, and although the hotel appears somewhat shabby over all and the bathrooms need work, the room was quite large and was serviced with fresh towels and bed linen each day and hygenically maintained. We had an ocean view across the terrace and the aircon was efficient. Breakfast was included and provided a buffet of both local and European foods with plenty of fresh tropical fruit and eggs cooked to one's preference. Children were well catered for and the alfresco setting overlooking the gardens was lovely. On our arrival we ordered afternoon tea while waiting for our room to be readied and thought the price a bit steep, so be aware of that should you order from room service. The pools are varied and well maintained and as it was low season we had no trouble in obtaining sun lounges whenever we wanted them. All in all the hotel was very good value for what we paid. It is in a quiet location with great beach access, close proximity to reasonably priced restauarants and a short drive to Patong for more comprehensive shopping should you desire it. It would be ideal for families and couples wanting a peaceful vacation with everything within a short walking distance.

This was the third step towards euphorian experience, we are very pleased with the interaction of the staff members. The hotel is located at a very prime location, near the beach, so that we can roam around for a long time. The Indian restaurant is near the hotel they provide us with good indian delicacies.