The Renaissance Phuket Resort & Spa is a 5-star resort located in Mai Khao on the Northern tip of Phuket. With 5 on-site restaurants / bars, an outdoor pool, beach access, spa and daily activities the hotel offers everything you would expect from a 5-star hotel. Keep reading to find out whether the Renaissance Phuket Resort & Spa Mai Khao is worth your money!
Where is Renaissance Phuket Resort & Spa located?
Renaissance Phuket Resort & Spa is located in Mai Khao, on the Northern tip of Phuket facing westwards towards the Andaman sea. It is a quieter and less frequented area compared to the tourist hot spots of Patong, Kata or Karon Beach. The hotels here are very resort like, with little to no need to leave the hotel at all. There are just a few other restaurants in close vicinity, either directly along the beach or a little further inward at the Turtle Village Shopping Mall.
If you’re looking for action, nightlife or hundreds of restaurants – this is not the place for you. But if you just want to be close to nature and decompress, surrounded by beautiful scenery, this area is perfect!
How to get to Renaissance Phuket Resort & Spa?
By far the easiest way to reach Renaissance Phuket Resort & Spa is by taking a Grab (the South East Asian equivalent to Uber!). If you’re coming from Phuket Airport, there is a designated Grab pick-up station which makes the car ordering process very easy! The airport Grab prices are regulated, and a drive to Mai Khao will cost you approx. 600 THB. This is equal to approx. 15 CHF.
If you’re coming from elsewhere, it might take a while until you get a ride confirmation. But if you have some patience, it always worked out in the end for us. Otherwise, taking a tuk tuk might also be a valid option. However, make sure to haggle for a fair fare and fix the price in advance, otherwise you might be in for a surprise!
Finally, you can of course also contact Renaissance Phuket Resort & Spa and ask them to organise an airport transfer for you. They will be more than happy to help you. We asked them to organise our return to the airport, and everything went smoothely. Just make sure to have cash on hand in this case, since the drivers are not part of the hotel and need to be paid separately!
What kind of rooms do they have?
We stayed in their most affordable room category, which was the Deluxe Room Garden View. Even so, the room was beautiful and very spacious! There is a small balcony, looking out into the lush hotel landscaping. Because it is not right in front of the pool, there was no noise at all.
As in all Marriott Group hotels, the bed was suuuuuper comfortable. The room interior overall is also very tasteful and relaxing, focusing on organic colours and materials, yet still very modern and bright. The bathroom is also very spacious, and offers both a large rainfall shower as well as a bathtub.
Besides this, you’ll also find all the usual amenities that you can expect in a hotel of this class: a safe, mini bar, complementary water, laundry bags, toiletries, etc…
Overall, a room we felt very comfortable in and where you can have a fantastic night’s sleep 🙂
They also have a lot of other room types of course, from lagoon and pool views, to private villas with ocean views. You can check out the entire range of rooms here.
What kind of restaurants does the Renaissance Phuket Resort & Spa have?
The Renaissance Phuket Resort & Spa has 2 onsite restaurants, a coffee shop and a lounge bar. At Takieng you can enjoy some classic Thai cuisine in a classic setting with sea views. If you’re looking for something more casual and light you can check out Sand Box Beachfront Bar & Eatery. As the name suggests, you are right by the beach with your toes in the sand. Loca Vore is their breakfast restaurant, and at Doppio you can get a quick bite to go and whatever Starbucks coffee you want!
Besides the regular restaurant menus, the often organize special dinner nights. For example, on the weekend that we were there they held and outdoor barbecue buffet night!
Lastly, if you get tired of the hotel restaurants or are just looking for a way more affordable option, there is another Thai restaurant RIGHT next to the hotel: The Micky Monkey Beach Bar & Restaurant. Don’t let the funny name fool you, the food was actually really good! Compared to the fancy resort next door, this restaurant is of course much simpler. However, despite sitting on plastic chairs, you still have perfectly unobstructed views of the sea. What we also really enjoyed, was that the tables were extremely spread out, so it almost felt like a private dinner on the beach 🙂 I’m not 100% sure anymore but I believe it was cash only!
Is the Renaissance Phuket Resort & Spa expensive?
A nice hotel such as the Renaissance Phuket Resort & Spa of course also comes with a nice price tag – even in Thailand! During high season, the rates range from 450 CHF to 800 CHF per night. In the off season, the rates can drop as low as 260 CHF.
For us, this stay was a last-minute decision. We literally booked our stay one night before! Because of this, we still managed to get a really good rate (approx. 250 CHF / night) even though it was still high season!!
The restaurants and spa offers are also (obviously) much more expensive than the regular Thai standard costs. For us, a usually very budget conscious young couple, the hotel itself was enough of a splurge 🙂 The nice thing though is, as mentioned in the food section, that there are cheaper alternatives for food just outside the hotel 🙂
What kind of activities / amenities does the Renaissance Phuket Resort & Spa offer?
Now to the fun part! First and foremost, the most obvious one, this hotel is BEACHFRONT! The beach itself would already be enough activity for me personally to keep me happy and occupied for days! There are also a couple of stand-up paddles that you can rent free of charge 🙂
Besides that, there is also a stunning swimming pool, a gym and a spa. The hotel also offers free bike rentals to explore some more of the area.
Last but not least, there is a weekly activity schedule where you can engage in even more activities! This includes guided gym sessions, yoga sessions, kids’ activities, and so much more! Unfortunately, I don’t remember the full scope of the booklet they handed out, but if you’re really interested you could probably hit up the hotel and ask them about it directly!
Is it worth it to stay at the Renaissance Phuket Resort & Spa?
In my experience, whatever your expectations, Renaissance Phuket Resort & Spa will exceed all of them! From the nature, to the immaculate hotel grounds, to the excellent and beyond friendly service, to the activities and food – you will be satisfied in every way possible 🙂
I could have easily spent more than 1 night in this resort, it’s the perfect place to fully decompress and forget about the busy world around you 🙂
If you’re planning a trip to Thailand, make sure to check out this Two Week Thailand Itinerary (for first timers + divers!).