This high-end luxury resort is located on Mai Khao beach on the northwest coast of Phuket. This beach is part of Mai Khao Nature Reserve, which was established to protect the baby turtles which hatch here.
The Nature Reserve regulations forbid all those things that ruin a beach, like hawkers, jetskis and regiments of parasols and plastic loungers. The resort is located only a 20-minute drive from Phuket airport. It is located a long way from the shopping, restaurants and flesh-pots of Patong (up to an hour each way in rush hour).
This resort is all about pool villas.
The first impression the visitor gets on entering the resort is one of restrained monumentalism.The massive stone walls, towering 7 metres high and surrounding the resort's entrance and lobby area, add to the feeling of exclusivity and secludedness that grace this most private of resorts. The resort is partially built on pillars in a tropical lagoon and offers its guests access to an expansive stretch of pristine, sandy beach. This is the stuff picture postcards are made of.
The resort has a beautiful swimming pool area with a cozy feel to it. The jacuzzi zone is enormous and the main pool is dotted with little 'islands' on which loungers are located. Warning: the humongously thick lounge cushions may prove irresistibly attractive!
The resort has two restaurants, one offering seafood and the other offering Thai & Italian cuisine. The Thai/Italian restaurant has super-highm ceilings and is dotted with private dining booths.
We were very impressed by the resort's gigantic spa facilities. The two Spa Suites and four Spa Rooms rest securely on stilts in the lagoon. The best of these are larger than most bungalows in Thailand.
The kid's club is open daily from 10am to 9pm and offers a variety of supervised group sports & games. Children 4 years and older enter free of charge, whilst those under 4 years of age are taken care of at a charge of THB 350/hour.
While the resort is good for small children, older ones will bore quickly.
The Anantara isn't cheap, but this kind of luxury and serenity never is. For the tarrifs charged, the resort offers good value for money and is one of the most desirable resorts on the Andaman coast.
If you are looking for a honeymoon resort on Phuket and can afford the rates, then there is really no reason not to stay here. For a If Anantara's rates pose no hindrance to you, we can wholeheartedly recommend this resort, both for couples and families.
Accommodation
Garden Pool Villa
Each of these pool villas is a completely private and secluded slice of heaven. The extensive use of quality hardwoods gives these units a classy & opulent atmosphere. Combined with the rattan ceilings and cream-coloured walls the effect is of a tasteful decor which will upset none and wow many.
The private, outdoor plunge pool is beautifully tiled in alternating shades of green and bronze. The bronze tiles are glazed to catch the sun's sparkle, further increasing the light & airy atmosphere. The plunge pool is a sizeable 33 sqm and comes with a submerged outdoor bathtub, separated from the rest of the pool by a glass panel.
For this website we’ve reviewed over 1,000 hotel rooms, but this is the first we’ve ever seen where honeymooners can watch each other taking a bath. Elements like these drive the message home: these love oases are built for passion and spoil honeymooners and lovers for choice for fun places to get to know each other better.
The villas have both indoor and outdoor rainshowers. The bed is fully 7 feet wide, and the mattress is so thick that only the most pampered of princesses will be able to feel a pea underneath it. The 1-bedroom Pool Villas are suitable for a maximum of 3 adults and one child (under 12 years old).
Lagoon Pool Villa
These are identical to the above 1 Bedroom Pool Villas, except that the Lagoon Pool Villas have a pair of doors that open out onto the lagoon on which they are built, so displaying the peaceful, tropical lagoon scene. This isn’t much of a benefit.
Sala Pool Villa
These units are identical in layout to the above two units, except that the Sala Pool Villa has its own private outdoor ‘sala’ or roofed pavilion, which is a truly lovely place to relax with a book or a game of backgammon.
The sala’s floor is only a metre above the lagoon on which it is built. The Sala Pool Villas also come with their private butler.
Two Bedroom Pool Villa
The resort also has a single two-bedroom Pool Villa, which is very hard to book, unless you try a long time in advance.
