Old Phuket

I really wanted to like this hotel. From the outside and the website, it looks great. It's a large 60+ room block hotel, but the bottom rooms look like Sino-Portuguese houses. In Singapore, we would say they look like shophouses.This building is imitating this style and not actually old. Located down a small soi or road facing the ocean. There are three types of accomodation. Standard rooms, deluxe rooms with jacuzzi on balcony or terrace rooms, which have outdoor showers. We booked a deluxe room with jacuzzi for their promotional price of 1,900 baht.

The problems with this place started as soon as we arrived. Our air conditioning barely worked. The jacuzzi we splurged for took hours to fill. In the end, we didn't use it. The thing had almost no water pressure. The staff weren't helpful and didn't seem to care about our issues. Also, i think we were one of only three couples there in a weekend in September. The service and breakfast were not up to the standards that you are paying for. You can easily stay in a place in Phuket that is half the price that is nicer, has better service and nicer breakfast. They have a laughable fitness area. The pool looks decent.

It's sad, since the developer, who created this hotel had grand visions of a beautiful hotel. If they only did a bit more and had better management, this place could be great. But now, i wouldn't recommend anyone to stay here. I am sure during the dry season, when this place is more crowded the service is probably better, but even then i wouldn't stay here. Also, at night Karon beach was dead. Hardly anyone at the restaurants. If you want to head to Kata or Patong you usually have to flag down a tuk tuk, who wants a fortune to take you five minutes. It adds up quickly. I would never stay in Karon again. If you need to stay somewhere central, i would pick a place in Kata or Patong.

One positive thing, is that a few meters from the restaurant there is a very good Swedish restaurant called Gastgivargarden.

We stayed 8 nights in a Terrace Room in the Sino Wing of the hotel. This wing is a building of the old colonial style and is about 3 or 4 storeys high. Our room was very comfortable and on the ground floor, with little private balcony out front, and a 'courtyard' with an outside, additional shower (but with high walls for privacy).
We found the room large and very comfortable with a four-poster bed with muslin curtains around it. These curtains could be pulled across if you found the air-con a little draughty - quite handy!
Large bathroom, with plenty of room to put toiletries, etc. Also plenty of room to dry wet things - a point which is often overlooked in hotels.
The staff were all friendly and polite. The buffet breakfast had a full range of Asian and Western favourites - cereals, yogurt, variety of fresh fruits, variety of breads and pastries, and a range of other hot dishes.
The hotel also has 3 or 4 restaurants in the the ajoining street - we tried the Bai Toey Restaurant 3 times - Thai food - delicious, extensive menu and reasonable prices.
A special staff member, known only to us as Maria - made a point to greet hotel guests at breakfast, and have a chat with each table - a lovely touch.

Unique Quality: Charming colonial style buildings, handy to Karon Beach and the shops along the beach road. Not to big to miss the personal friendly approach to hotel guests. 2 separate pool areas, with good bar service and reasonable prices.

Directions: The Old Phuket is a well known hotel in Phuket. Every taxi or tuk tuk driver knew of it.
We didn't hire a car.

had only booked 3 nights here , wanted to stay longer but they were full.
accomodation was nice and clean , not luxurious but had comfortable bed, spacious ,with room for all your luggage, tea and coffee making facilities ( tea , coffee supplied) fridge with daily supply of bottled water.loved the bathroom decor. nice balcony with table and chairs,towel rail for your wet cossies ! sea view, just about ( from balcony )
the room was cleaned daily .
breakfast adequate , seem to be catering more for northern europeans , did not have any other meals there .
did not use teir internet, seemed cheaper in town , 10-15 min easy walk .
lovely clean ,uncrowded karon beach, with massages , gorgeous fruit smoothies , plenty sunbeds and umbrellas.
there is a small pool on the first floor, looked nice but did not use .