Sawasdee Village Hotel, Phuket

I did lots of research on various websites before choosing this property. Our party consisted of me and my sister (we're in our 40's) and our 78-year old mother. I didn't want to stay in Patong since I'd read it was loud and touristy. We opted to stay at Kata Beach which is a 45 min ride from the airport. It was worth the taxi ride. A quiet beach with clear blue water; a few blocks of souvenir shops, massage businesses and restaurants. A full breakfast was included in our price- a terrific buffet with made-to-order omelettes, cereal with variety of dried fruit toppings, breads/pastries made from their on site bakery, lunch meats, fresh fruit!! The staff was extremely cordial (as was the case everywhere in Thailand). The hotel is about a 10-15 min walk to Kata Beach; a free hotel shuttle runs on the hour if you give an hour's notice.

The infusion of the aromatherapy with the soft relaxing music seemingly coming out of the trees and flowers was a beautiful touch. I loved that every morning, there was bread laid out by the fish pond where I could feed the dozens of fish. They were adorable like puppies. The spa treatment was the best I have ever had and the fact that I had the whole room to myself was incredible. I loved having internet in the room and the pool area was gorgeous. I was not very impressed with the lack of service. I did not get much interaction with the staff even though I seeked it out. It was hard to get personal attention and communication was not optimal. In a way, I felt we fell through the cracks because some of the other guests go treated differently and even had tours of the new area. I got more help from other guest than from the management. There was also a funny off smell in the bathroom the whole time but I didn't spend much time in there anyway.

The outside appearance was not great, but the interior is fabulous. The breakfast was delicious, and the staff is curtious. Traditional thai environment and beautiful pool with waterfall. Con is that they charge high price for transportation to the airport, so make sure you shop around.