My wife and I headed to Thailand for some much needed R&R. At check-in, I presented my Platinum card and was given an amenity choice, but there was no mention of an upgrade or free breakfast. When I pressed about this, she said I had already been upgraded and that breakfast was not included in my rate.

The amenity was actually not bad, some wine, a couple polo shirts and and a Le Meridien bag. They refreshed the water and fruit in our room daily. We were escorted to our room and given a quick tour of the property. The room, unfortunately, ended up being more of a "pool view" than an "ocean view" -- not exactly my idea of a good sales pitch on their behalf. I called down to request a different room, perhaps an upgrade to a junior suite or a suite, but the front desk manager said they were full. She didn't seem very willing to go out of her way to help us out. When we were about to bed-down for the night, I found dirt on our sheets and had to call down to have them changed. I did get good responsiveness then ... but come on. Other than that, the room and bathroom was clean. Every morning there was a fresh orchid on our pillows.

We paid for the breakfast buffet most of the days we were there (around $25 -- ripoff, yes, but this is a resort hotel what do you expect). They had a good selection of western and asian dishes, including eggs to order and cold cut meats. Despite the full occupancy, we did not have to wait in line for a table or feel over-crowded during the meal.

There were lots of Russians and other Europeans at the hotel. I didn't know that Thailand was such a Russian destination, but I guess you learn something every day! We spent a good bit of time on the white powder beach and around the pool (it is quite big), all of which was nice (and private, unlike other hotels in Phuket). The ocean was churny and rough, so not the best for swimming.

The nightlife happened all at the nearby Patong, which was accessible by taxi/tuktuk or by hotel shuttle (about $4-5). We didn't go there but once as it was full of tourists and generally not our scene. The hotel has an on-site scuba diving shop and we took a day scuba-diving lesson/trip, which was excellent. The instructor did a great job of putting us at ease, especially my wife, and showing us all the tricks.

I guess if you go to Le Meridien Phuket, it's best to keep in mind that this is a large resort property. You won't get a boutique experience here, but you'll get what you pay for -- (mostly) clean, nice beach, good pools and decent service. We probably won't go back to Phuket (too many tourists), but I have recommended the property to several friends already with appropriate caveats.

Review submitted by Charles K.

Posted at May 3, 2008 1:42 PM