After spending a few days in Bangkok at The Athenee Hotel, we chose to stay at the Renaissance Phuket Resort & Spa to enjoy the beauty of the Andaman Sea and visit the idyllic islands of the South.
The hotel offers different types of rooms:
Rooms are available from 160$ (4300 THB) depending on the season. If you want to save money on your stay with Marriott Bonvoy points, it costs between 31,000 and 42,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night.
For example, for a 5-night stay in February, it costs 138,000 points or $2,000 which translates into a valuation of 1.44¢, which is higher than the Milesopedia estimate.
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The best way to earn Marriott Bonvoy points for free stays at over 8,000 hotels worldwide is to have the Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card (and/or the Marriott Bonvoy® Business American Express®* Card).
In addition to the exceptional welcome bonus of each of these two cards, you’ll earn 2 points per dollar on all your purchases and 5 points per dollar at any of the Marriott establishments. On top of that, every year, you’ll receive a free hotel night certificate (worth 35,000 points) and 15 Elite Night Credits toward your Marriott Bonvoy status.
The Renaissance Phuket Resort & Spa is located about 20 minutes drive north of Phuket International Airport (HKT) on Mai Khao Beach. You can see the planes landing while enjoying the beach. Note that the hotel is far enough away not to be bothered by the noise.
The hotel offers a 1650 THB ($61) transportation service but you can get there by cab for a fixed price of 500 THB ($19).
The Renaissance is located in a very quiet area with very few hotels and shops in the vicinity. A free shuttle service is offered from 10:00 am to 9:30 pm to the Mai Khao Plaza shopping center. Good to know: an ATM is available on site.
We were greeted with a welcome cocktail while the reception staff completed the formalities. We took the opportunity to admire the magnificent lobby inspired by the shape of the leatherback turtle shell. Mai Khao beach where the hotel is located is one of the few beaches in Phuket that still hosts turtles.
Traveling with friends, we chose a standard room with 2 double beds. Thanks to the Titanium status, we got an upgrade to a double room with a lagoon view.
The room has a large television and a refrigerator (there is no minibar). Numerous bottles of water are offered in the room and the bathroom. A safe is located in the hall closet.
The bathroom is equipped with a large shower and a bathtub.
The balcony is ideal to rest in the sun facing the lagoon.
We were pleasantly surprised by the laundry service which offers a single rate regardless of the number of items as long as they fit in the bag provided. It is quite rare to see this kind of service which is usually charged per item.
Breakfast is served between 7 and 11 am every morning at the Loca Vore restaurant. It is possible to have breakfast inside or outside on the lagoon’s edge.
The buffet offers a wide variety of themed stations:
The buffet is always well stocked and of high quality.
In addition to Loca Vore, the hotel has 3 restaurants: Takieng (Thai restaurant), Sand Box (International cuisine) and Doppio (Coffee shop).
We tested the Takieng twice (which means lantern in Thai). You can find authentic local dishes from the south of Thailand. The plates are copious and refined. The prices are reasonable for a hotel restaurant. The restaurant is among the 25 best addresses in Phuket and we understand why.
At the Sand Box restaurant, which is just below the Takieng, the atmosphere is quite different, we eat international cuisine with our feet in the sand. On the menu: pizzas, burgers, fried fish, steaks. There is something for everyone! The truffle and gold leaf pizza is delicious!
Divided in two parts, the pool offers on one side a shallow pool with a whirlpool, on the other side, it offers a very nice length for swimming. The pool is open from 7am to 7pm.
The staff is always on hand to spread a towel on your beach chair or offer you a glass of water and fruit skewers.
The beach is very large and not very crowded. Most people were mainly at the pool during our stay. Please note that deck chairs are not allowed on the beach.
Please note that the beach is not supervised and that there can be dangerous currents. A colored flag indicates daily safety conditions for swimming. We enjoyed the beach without fear during our stay, it was even sometimes difficult to get out of since the water was so warm. We appreciated a lot to watch the sunset with our feet in the water.
The fitness addicts will not be disappointed, the gym is very well equipped for both cardio-training and weight training. It is accessible 24 hours a day with the room card. A coach is available on site.
The Spa Quan is located in the middle of the complex and has 8 treatment rooms, 3 of which are for couples. It is open from 9am to 9pm. We did not test the Spa during our stay.
A free sports program is offered every day of the week. For example, there is an introduction to Thai boxing, yoga, petanque, beach volleyball and soccer. We recommend that you book your activities in advance.
Water sports equipment such as kayaks are available between 9am and 5pm.
Kids World offers a variety of activities for children from 10am to 4pm. Also, a pool designed especially for children, the “Dino Pool”, is right next door.
We had a great time at the Renaissance Phuket Resort & Spa. The complex has everything to satisfy young and old alike. The staff is welcoming and attentive. The hotel is quiet although you could perhaps witness a wedding as was the case during our stay. We didn’t find it disturbing. We will definitely return on a future visit.
Savings are here:
