Our trip to Phuket was not well conceived or expertly planned. No surprise there.

After a month of baking in the humid summer in China, we wanted to get outta town. On a lazy weekend at home in front of our air-conditioners, we did some research about where we could spend the following weekend, at a relatively good value. After many hours of searching and filtering out destinations with flight connections or exorbitant prices, we landed on Phuket.

Direct flight? Check. <3 hour flight? Check, but barely. Affordable? Check. Departing in three days? Perfect.

While I might convince you, dear reader, that our booking experience was easy and breezy, when it came time to pick our accommodation for the weekend, we were stuck in an agonizing hamster wheel of competing priorities. On one hand, we wanted our last minute trip to be as simple as possible, so we preferred to be within a short drive of the airport. This effectively eliminated Phuket city and the party area around Patong Beach, which both sound like fun, but aren’t really our speed at this stage in life.

We really care about fantastic hotel amenities, including onsite restaurants, and a nice pool (Julie prefers pools to the ocean…the horror), so we knew that staying in a more full-service resort would probably be best. We were also visiting during the summer season, when the weather is a bit more unpredictable and rain is inevitable, so having things to do on-site was key in case the weather gods became angry. That said, we don’t like resorts that are a) cheesy b) focused too much around kids’ clubs or 3) so focused on the honeymoon crowd that they forget to be a good value for everyone else.

After many, many hours of research, we found it. On Monday we were stationed behind our computers, and by Thursday, we were lounging at the pool at The Pavilions Phuket.

The Pavilions Phuket

The Pavilions Phuket is a large resort and residence complex located on the hillside above Layan Beach, about twenty minutes south of the airport. We arranged for an airport transfer, during which our driver informed us he was taking the slightly longer scenic route from the airport, along the coast and through the winding roads of the hillsides.

Any fear that we should have booked a hotel right on the ocean was washed away (Ha, you get it? Washed away?) once we discovered that the summer season brings treacherous waves and tides along Phuket’s west coast, and many of the beaches are closed for swimming.

This resort sits at one of the highest points on all of Phuket, so we sat with a glass of fresh juice and enjoyed the sweeping views of Phuket, and the amazing cross-island breeze, as we completed our check in. The resident lobby cats even came over to investigate, before declaring the elephant statue as their chosen nap location for the afternoon.

The Pavilions Phuket consists of a number of buildings and villas spread out around the sprawling grounds. Buggies are used to bring guests around the property, and we were driven from reception to our Garden Suite. The large suite, totaling 95sqm (and an additional 100sqm if you include the courtyard garden) included a master bedroom with en-suite bathroom, as well as a living space complete with a dining room, bar area, and yet another full bathroom.

There was modern artwork adorning the walls and a gorgeous black and white mural above the bed. The bathroom featured an oversize floating bathtub and a glass-enclosed rain shower. The sofa in the living room was so large and soft it could double as a bed.

One of several onsite restaurants, Firefly, was located within sight of our room, so we settled into one of the shaded outdoor tables for a leisurely lunch. Firefly specializes in grilled meat and seafood, with a Mediterranean touch, but not without a nod to a few Thai specialties. While Julie went straight for a salmon wrap, I couldn’t pass up on the chicken and grilled banana blossom salad.

Post-lunch, we headed straight for the pool. There are actually two large pools at the resort and they are both surrounded by lush greenery and totally peaceful. Despite the fact that we knew the resort was nearing full capacity over the weekend, we were surprised by how few people were around to fight over the unicorn floaty. Turns out, many of the villas at The Pavilions Phuket have their own pools, meaning that most of the guests have no need to access the public pool areas, leaving them blissfully quiet.

On our first evening at The Pavilions Phuket, we thought it was only fitting to take advantage of the hillside location and enjoy the Thai sunset. The 360 Bar is completely open air and situated at the top of the property in a bamboo grove, with views back down towards Layan Beach and the blue waters of the Andaman Sea. The cocktail menu is extensive, and we sampled a few mojitos with locally made rum and a lemongrass daiquiri. It was the perfect way to end the day.

The Pavilions Phuket is the kind of place where you can really camp out for days on end. With only a long weekend at our disposal, we really tried to ‘do it all’ in Phuket, but if you know us at all, you can imagine how our lofty goals failed spectacularly.

(We did visit the Phuket Elephant Sanctuary, which was fabulous and highly recommended.)

We arranged for a one-day car rental through the hotel, in order to fully explore the island on our own. The car was delivered directly to reception and was waiting for us when we returned from the Phuket Elephant Sanctuary. And we DID take one drive up to the northwest corner of the island, where we met some friends who were on vacation in Phuket. While we didn’t crash their holiday, per se, we did know they would be there, so it was an added bonus that we could have some quality time with them.

After that one excursion offsite, we lost our motivation. We really just wanted to spend our time on a beautiful tropical island the way it’s meant to be spent: purely relaxing. So we turned in our rental car, and took to the pool.

Pro Tip: Taxis are notorious in Phuket, where the taxi system is run kinda like the mafia. The cost of our 24-hour car rental was about the same price as a single round-trip fare to another spot on the island (like to the Old Town, or Patong Beach). You can see why renting a car would make total sense if you want to explore even a little bit. If driving isn’t your idea of a good time, The Pavilions Phuket actually offers a regular free shuttle to a nearby Dream Beach Club and to an outdoor street mall, so it is possible to get a mix of onsite and offsite experiences without having to deal with a car rental or a taxi.

Back at the resort, we ordered room service one night, which featured an excellent Issan-style grilled chicken with green papaya salad and phad see-ew noodles. We slept in and enjoyed leisurely breakfasts on the teak deck of Firefly, which serves a combination of a la carte options and morning buffet. We sipped on fresh squeezed juices and sampled Thai noodle soup along with Western favorites like pancakes and waffles.

For even more relaxation, we walked over to The Pavilions Spa, set back from the pathways and set in a serene environment surrounded by tropical gardens and pools. We decompressed even more over a 60 minute massage therapy for two, in very own spa suite.

As if we needed to feel any more relaxed.

On our last night, we dined at The Plantation Club, the more formal dining option at The Pavilions Phuket. The white table cloth restaurant features a wall of windows that open up to make the entire space an open-air dining experience. Despite the summer heat, there was a persistent cooling breeze up in the hills, making outdoor eating comfortable, even in August.

We dined on traditional phad thai with glazed shrimp, Northern-style Thai beef curry, fish cakes, and dumplings simmered in chicken consommé. We were blessed with yet another perfect sunset.

After a long weekend in Phuket we can understand why so many Asian tourists flock to the island, and why it makes many of the World’s Best lists for islands. The abundance of direct flights and fun for all budgets pull people in, like moths to a flame. We can also understand why Thailand residents shun Phuket as too built-up, too expensive and too catered to short-term tourists.

For our purposes, Phuket was a perfect destination, one that gave us the break we needed for a blissful weekend of rest & relaxation. We were not there to hit the tourist route, nor to party until the wee hours at the clubs in Patong Beach. The Pavilions Phuket was the ideal setting for us. It was serene and peaceful, yet it felt luxurious and special. The suite was spacious, the pool was next door, and when we needed to go anywhere, all we had to do was dial ‘0’ on our phone to get a buggy to lunch, or dinner, or the spa. What else did we need?

Have you been to Phuket before? What did you think? Share your thoughts and comments below!