Hilton HHonors - Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa

I thinking on going to phuket and i know that there are a couple of hilton,one is cat 1 and another cat 6..so I was wandering if anyone know anything about the cat 1.Like if they have access to the beach,is it nice for children since i will be going with my 2 years old kid,etc Thanks for the info

Tomorrow I'm going to Phuket for a couple of days and I was planning on staying at the cheaper Hilton property in Phuket. The best rate I could find on the internet was for 5000 baht per night. (The more expensive property goes for about 8000 baht per night.) I called the hotel directly and they quoted me a rate of 5300 baht, so the internet seems to be somewhat better. I am a HHonors Gold and asked if a free breakfast would be included in my stay and they said 'No'. They said the only benefit would be a 'possible room upgrade'. The hotel seems to be somewhat isolated so the only eating choices would be to eat at the hotel and be at the mercy of their prices. So, I canned that idea and instead booked a room at the Holiday Inn at Patpong Beach. I've stayed there and really liked it. It's got great facilities, including a fantastic pool. The rate of 3300 baht was for a room for two and it also includes a good breakfast buffet for two. The hotel is probably just as nice and is about 40% cheaper and gives the breakfast buffet free. Their website is www.priorityclub.com (http://www.priorityclub.com)

I am booked for a weekend at the end of April at this resort and wondered if any other FT'ers had any experiences? I am assuming that the property will probably be a little run down and not unlike the Hilton Hua Hin, but would appreciate any feedback.

Have booked a suite here since at the prices quoted there didnt seem to be too much point fannying around trying to get my Diamond Upgrade. I would be grateful if anyone has experienced this property either before or after the Hilton "takeover".

Stayed there a couple of weeks after the takeover by Hilton. It is an ok place if the price is right. The beach is decent and there are some food reasonable food options within walking distance.

You might want to take a look at this for more info:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=131309

Thanks for this CTP, this roughly tallies with my expectations. I am beginning to think it might be better to spend an extra $200 to stay at the JW for the weekend, I was not very impressed with the Hilton Hua Hin, and the Arcadia Beach Property seems much further behind with the Hilton Integration.

I have stayed in both the Hua Hin and the Arcadia. The Arcadia is a step down to be sure although the beach is much nicer, cleaner and much less crowded.

Go with the JW, its absolutely fantastic! And if you bid on Priceline in Thalang Beach area, you can get the JW for as little as $55. See www.biddingfortravel.com to read about bidding that property, its the only one that participates in the area.

Go with the JW, its absolutely fantastic! And if you bid on Priceline in Thalang Beach area, you can get the JW for as little as $55. See www.biddingfortravel.com to read about bidding that property, its the only one that participates in the area.

Thanks for this and for your comments CTP. I decided to run with the JW and booked myself into a suite there for only about 33% more than the Hilton, from what I have seen the JW looks incomparably better.

I'm planning a reward stay in Phuket next winter. There haven't been any posts on this property in the last 4-5 months. Its now listed in Hilton's glossy resorts brochure. Has anyone stayed in it in the last couple of months? Any reviews? How do they treat Diamond members?

I'm planning a reward stay in Phuket next winter. There haven't been any posts on this property in the last 4-5 months. Its now listed in Hilton's glossy resorts brochure. Has anyone stayed in it in the last couple of months? Any reviews? How do they treat Diamond members?

Previous threads have not been complementary, I am waiting for the Conrad to open before trying a Hilton in Phuket. The JW Marriott is fantastic though, with the suites very good value IMHO. I would highly recommend.

I will like as well some info since i booked 12 night from Nov 28 to Dec 10 ...from proximity to town, how they treat gold memeber and etc

It's not very close to the town. The resort is huge. They have an open-air lobby. I think there was no separate lounge, so you just have the regular breakfast, which was almost like a lunch buffet, considering the variety of stuff they offered. In some ways, I found the resort to be a little similar to the Waikoloa Village, probably because of its size and the fact that it is located a bit away from anything else. As a Diamond member, I was greeted in the lobby with a welcome drink and a large flower bouquet, I was almost embarrassed - don't know if that is standard for all guests or not. At the breakfast, they first made me sign the slip for the cost of the breakfast, so I asked the reception if that should not be included, and they told the breakfast staff not to make me sign that slip anymore. People were very friendly. I used one of their cars to go back to the airport. The driver told me that he doesn't think the resort is very good, and that the soon-to-be-opened Conrad should be much better. At 10,000 points, I still liked it and thought it was a great bargain (especially compared to something like HWV). It is probably good for a family vacation or so. There is a large white sand beach right in front of the property (across a small street) which is rather nice. I think you have to pay a small fee there to use the beach chairs and loungers. The sand gets so hot there that you cannot walk bare-footed on the beach. The crowd was somewhat mixed, with tourists from Europe, Asia (e.g., Korea and Japan) and a few U.S. tourists. You can do nice day tours from the hotel, e.g. to Phi-Phi island or a "Jungle Safari" where you see monkeys and trained elephants.

Attorney28,
Thanks for the update. I, too, have booked it because at 10,000 points/night it seems like a good deal. I am also a Diamond. Glad to hear about your welcome and the breakfast experience. Did they upgrade your room? What was the room like? Are there restaurants, shopping etc in walking distance?

Attorney28,
Thanks for the update. I, too, have booked it because at 10,000 points/night it seems like a good deal. I am also a Diamond. Glad to hear about your welcome and the breakfast experience. Did they upgrade your room? What was the room like? Are there restaurants, shopping etc in walking distance?

The room looked like on this page:

http://www.phuket.com/arcadia/rooms.htm

There are some little touristy shops and bars in walking distance along the little beach road, I believe, althouth I never went there.

I understand the renovations and rebranding of the Hilton Phuket Arcadia were completed late last month. I wondered if anyone has been in the hotel recently and can provide an update on the changes. Any update or new info appreciated.

Has no-one stayed in this place in the last couple of months?

Has no-one stayed in this place in the last couple of months?

This is of no help to you ... but I stayed at this hotel 9 years ago, long before it was a Hilton. Then, there were some really excellent restaurants nearby / next door ... are these still there ?

Thank you for bringing to my attention that this is now a Hilton property, a Category 1 (10k points per night) is an absolute bargain. I might be heading back there soon !!! I didn't get to phi-phi last time, although did go to James Bond island.

I wonder how much Karon beach has changed in 9 years :cool:

Just a little off topic, but when I was reading the Bangkok Post in September I came across a recruitment advertisement for some managerial position at the Phuket Arcadia. It said something like "after a major renovation the hotel was scheduled to be relaunched in November ..... "

I would also be very keen to read any feedback on this property as I have a Diamond Club voucher that was supposed valid for a complimentary night stay at the Phuket Arcadia.

I stayed there in August was treated very well. More information in the following thread:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=349981

Just a little off topic, but when I was reading the Bangkok Post in September I came across a recruitment advertisement for some managerial position at the Phuket Arcadia. It said something like "after a major renovation the hotel was scheduled to be relaunched in November ..... "

I would also be very keen to read any feedback on this property as I have a Diamond Club voucher that was supposed valid for a complimentary night stay at the Phuket Arcadia.

I was in Thailand last week and saw job ads in the Bangkok Post and Nation for positions at the hotel. The ad mentioned the rebranding and renovation had been complete and the relaunch official in late October. It is a great bargain at 10,000 points/night. That's why I'm interested in hearing from anyone who's stayed there since the relaunch.

I am using points (10,000 per night) to stay at this resort on the island of Phuket in Thailand. I just wondering if anyone has stayed there or has any info about this property. Do they upgrade Gold members?

The property looks nice but we all know that looks can be deceiving. Any info would be appreciated.

I've been there twice this past month. You won't get an upgrade as a Gold - didn't get one as a Diamond either. You'll likely get the free breakfast for up to 2 adults like I did, which will be amongst the best breakfasts you've ever had at a hotel. A huge buffet with many items you'd normally see in a lunch or a dinner menu. The rooms I got were quite spacious, had to pay extra to upgrade to a suite when I needed one (was entertaining guests the last few nights). Service can be very slow at times but is otherwise ok. The property is 10-15 minutes away from most restaurants and shops, but there's a taxi station at the back of the hotel with flat rates to the city center. I've found those cabs to be much more accessible than the ones that the concierge tried to get for me a few times (had to wait 10 minutes for one, over 20 minutes for the other, then gave up and walked to the back). Very good use for 10K points.

I have the same question but you can get a lot of answers by running a search on the Hilton forum. There are several threads with good info on the hotel. Like you, I am using the 10,000 point/night deal to enjoy 5 nights starting in a couple of weeks. It seems like a great deal.

The rebranding of the hotel as a Hilton with accompanying renovations has only been completed in the last couple of months so, like you, I would be very interested in hearing from anyone who has been in the hotel very recently. I'm also interested in how they treat Diamond members.

MoreMiles, did you ask for an upgrade as a Diamond?

Don't expect your upgrade this week.

You may want to make sure the hotel is inhabitable- Phuket sustained some serious damage (and, sadly, many lost lives) this weekend...

Looks like the property came through unscathed, according to reports from Hilton and hospitality.net, so should not have any problems checking in.

With so many people trying to get out,why would anyone go there now on holiday?
I know of someone planning to go there in a week.I will see him in 3+ weeks and know his thoughts.

I stayed at this property of this past incredible weekend and will tell you that it is not damaged at all and no reason not to go there, if you dont mind relying on the hotel area for your entertainment as Patong was seriously damaged and you will not have that venue at your disposal as you normally would. I am sure they would appreciate the business. I was upgraded to a full seaview room and although they told me we would not get breakfast for all 3 rooms we had booked we did. The breakfast was good as has been previously mentioned but I dont know that it is the best I have ever had but good for sure. When the tsunami hit there was a lot of flooding of the little streams that run through the hotel area and the road was totally flooded and full of sand but that should have subsided by now. I think for 10,000 points per night you dont get any better. It is a rather large property and has several pools some of them a bit hidden so look around and no matter if you like sun or shade one of them will suffice. I found the service to be really quite good at this hotel although they are still doing some construction so you may want to make sure you arent near any of it. They where bringing a lot of the displaced tourists to this hotel so I am sure they are at 100% capacity this week but beyond that they are talking about a lot of cancellations so I am sure the hotel will not be too busy.

With so many people trying to get out,why would anyone go there now on holiday?
I know of someone planning to go there in a week.I will see him in 3+ weeks and know his thoughts.

I am in Hong Kong now and my vacation is in motion and, at the moment, it looks like I will head to the Phuket Arcadia next Monday. I am going to monitor the situation for the next couple of days and will change if necessary.

All reports are that the hotel is OK. I expect the roads are fine. Flights in and out are operating normally. I'm sure seeing the damage will make it a different kind of holiday but if the hotel is operating normally which it is and is a big resort of good quality then I should be comfortable.

For me to change may cause problems and significant cost to my onward intinerary. And if I and everyone else cancels hotels will start laying off staff. Phuket's major industry is tourism. It needs to keep functioning to keep survivors and surviving families in income and best able to cope and absorb the cost of rebuilding their lives and their island. If the place goes into an economic depression now it only worsens the situation.

If I thought we would be impeding any rescue or rebuilding efforts, I wouldn't go but I think the opposite is likely the case. Anyway, this board is one very helpful source of information and I'll keep monitoring all the news and change if necessary.

I would welcome any further information from people with first hand knowledge or reliable info on the Phuket Arcadia.

The hotel is currently serving as an office for the Australian Consulate in Phuket and as mcgahat said is also housing displaced tourists, so will be quite busy. It will also be used to house some Australian officials, police forensic teams and others involved in relief work.

I'm sure you have, but I'd contact the hotel to confirm any bookings.

yikes....

not my idea of a place to go on vacation at this time.

yikes....

not my idea of a place to go on vacation at this time.


My wife and I had this very conversation. She said the same thing after returning that she would not want to return to the hotel right now given all that has happened and what we saw last weekend. I ask the question of what happens to the people who are still trying to make a living in such areas? If we all would cancel our trips doesnt that make things even worse for those who rely on the tourism income to survive? Personally, as long as the hotel says they still have space and the rooms arent needed for more important efforts as mentioned earlier in the thread I would go and be just a little more generous than normal to help out. I dont think there is a right or wrong answer to the question but find it an interesting one as we just discussed this last evening. I for sure understand the idea of unease basking in the sun while others are searching for family members but do we really want to cut off the primary source of income? A tough question I think.

It's not a matter of contributing to the people's income in this time. But rather the MOOD of everyone at Phuket... there will be much sadness in the air, and as much as the pool bartender is trying to make you happy because you are the guest as you have paid money to enjoy yourself... he may not be sharing the joy like you are on holiday.

Yes, life goes on. But there must be a time to grieve and heal. These people are still in a state of shock, and there will be much remnants of a reminder that people would rather forget.

I personally wouldn't want to be around a place so soon with so much death around it. The air needs clearing.. and the entire island needs healing and the need to forget such a tragedy.

The property you are staying in may not be physically damaged much... but trust me, the very essence of the people there have already been damaged beyond repair for many months, if not years to come.

jimmac - Diamonds get free breakfast for 2 adults and a nice view on a higher floor. If you'd like to stay in one of their suites, you'll have to pay the difference in fares to get it.

I have exchanged e-mails with the hotel and they have confirmed my reservation and advised the only impact is the closing of one of three swimming pools.

I understand the different opinions expressed above on the advisability of going. I don't think the mood is improved by avoiding the place and letting people who are mourning mourn while they are laid off. They need hope and hope includes the recovery of their economy. Without income generation they cannot rebuild their lives. The international community may provide immediate relief but long term rebuilding will only come from a recovering economy.

I will see while I am a there if I can contribute to legitimate charitied who will help those locally affected.

I also understand from info on the web that much of Phuket island is functioning normally despite the tragedy and destruction in low lying areas adjacent to some beaches.

I will provide FT members with an update on my experience when I get there next week.

I ask the question of what happens to the people who are still trying to make a living in such areas? If we all would cancel our trips doesnt that make things even worse for those who rely on the tourism income to survive? ...I dont think there is a right or wrong answer to the question but find it an interesting one

I have to commend you on your views but for me, I tried booking an award stay a month back during the Christmas to New Year period and the hotel turned me down (and as it so turns out, furtunately for me perhaps). Diamond Desk could not help as the hotel imposed a 45-day cancellation period which negated their Special Services ability to obtain me a room. This very hotel had availability through contracts with local tour agencies (I checked).

Thus, I find it hard for me to be altruistic as you with respect to this hotel.

Folks,

Data provided by AsiaTravelMart.com web site http://asiatravelmart.com/wave.html

Phuket
HOTEL STATUS

Hilton Phuket Arcadia The "Zen" Japanese restaurant is closed because of the damages as well as the staff parking lot. However, the flood did not affect the hotel at all since it is in the same shape as it was before the flood.



*Information provided by Diethelm Travel Thailand

I arrived at the hotel yesterday, coming from Hong Kong on a 777 with less than 30 passengers on it. The hotel welcome was great. I have been given a good room overlooking the property and the beach. The driver on the way from the airport said it has less than 20% occupancy and that appears to be the case as you walk around the property.

The hotel is undamaged. The pool and Zen restaurant which were out of commission last week are now back in operation. The beach is cleaned up and beautiful. Karon beach was the least affected of the Phuket beaches. We haven't been anywhere other than a walk on the beach and a great dinner in the hotel's Thai restaurant last night. The staff of the hotel are wonderful and our room is wonderful. At 10,000 points/night this is a great HH value. I suspect it won't be long before the reward price goes up.

I'll try to post more info after a few days in Phuket.

I arrived at the hotel yesterday, coming from Hong Kong on a 777 with less than 30 passengers on it. The hotel welcome was great. I have been given a good room overlooking the property and the beach. The driver on the way from the airport said it has less than 20% occupancy and that appears to be the case as you walk around the property.

The hotel is undamaged. The pool and Zen restaurant which were out of commission last week are now back in operation. The beach is cleaned up and beautiful. Karon beach was the least affected of the Phuket beaches. We haven't been anywhere other than a walk on the beach and a great dinner in the hotel's Thai restaurant last night. The staff of the hotel are wonderful and our room is wonderful. At 10,000 points/night this is a great HH value. I suspect it won't be long before the reward price goes up.

I'll try to post more info after a few days in Phuket.


My wife and I have been following the events on BBC.I must say that you are to be commended for going. ^
You are absolutely correct,IMO,that the economy needs to get going.What better way than spending tourist dollars.

I must say that you are to be commended for going. ^

I'll second that. ^

You are absolutely correct,IMO,that the economy needs to get going.What better way than spending tourist dollars.

I just saw a news report that stated both the government,the Red Cross and other charities are hiring and paying local citizens to do the needed rescue/cleanup/restoration work, in an effort to get money into the local citizens hands and stir the economy.

So it would also follow that the return of tourism, even in the face of such an overwhelming tragedy, will also help to further return the survivors lives towards something more normal.

jimmac, as others have stated I think it is good that you kept your travel plans intact.
I am looking foward to hearing more firsthand information.

To those who thought you should not go...
IMO this would be a great opportunity to be helpful to others. Whether it is a simple smile and acknowledgment of someone's sadness to an actual physical act of helping someone in need. The opportunity abounds in Phuket.
I hope you are presented with a chance to make a difference.

I arrived at the hotel yesterday, coming from Hong Kong on a 777 with less than 30 passengers on it.

I'll try to post more info after a few days in Phuket.

What have you found during your trip? Was it possible to enjoy yourself? Thanks for input.

What have you found during your trip? Was it possible to enjoy yourself? Thanks for input.

I provided a full report on a new thread:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?p=3576928#post3576928
Unfortunately the thread was hijacked by guys who want to discuss something else. I hope my report is useful. Send me a note if you want more info.

I've search using google and got some general comments on this property but does anybody have any comments or useful pointers? We are staying using points, as a family taking two rooms for 11 or 12 nights from Mar 31st this year.

It is an excellent property. I stayed there for 5 nights on points in January and really like the hotel and service. The rate on points is excellent value, maybe one of the best in HH.

Its a big property with several buildings and three big pools. Breakfast was great. Our room was great.

Use taxis on the beach road to go anywhere on the island. Don't take the hotel car service as it will be much more expensive. My only exception that was to have a hotel car meet me on arrival. The hotel has an arrivals office just after baggage claim in the airport. If you have Gold or Diamond status and you use this service they will call ahead so you are welcomed with flowers, cold drinks and cold towels upopn arrival.

The Thai restaurant in the hotel is excellent. Some evenings has Thai dancers on the patio.

I will go back there one day and recommend it to any HH member.

Thanks.

I did stay there many years ago, long before it was a Hilton, and it was much smaller then. But still very nice. As has been said, staying there on points is a bargain !!

No that's not funny :rolleyes:



Correct, it's in pretty poor taste. Maybe you want to edit it ?.

See this thread
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=349981

I just checked out of this hotel today. As the other people on this thread, I used points to get two rooms for four nights. Post-tsunami Phuket means that the hotel is moderately empty and if you have HHonors status expect top notch service. As a Diamond member, I was upgraded to the Lotus Wing where the Executive Lounge is located. Here you can enjoy free breakfast in the morning and cocktails during a Happy Hour in the afternoon. Just what you need after a long day of diving or fishing. The only issue I had with the hotel was that they were the most expensive for any excursion. This was to be expected. The local travel shops in Karon and Patong can beat the hotel price by as much as 50% for dive and fishing trips. I hope to find other 10K point gems in the Hilton Reward System.

We stayed at the Hilton for 3 nights about a week ago.
It was quite empty which was a relief. Must be quite a circus when all 600 rooms are full.
As a Gold we received access to the Exec lounge and a voucher for a one hour massage. ^
The spa area is really beautiful but the Body&Mind spa in Karon is also quite nice and much more affordable.
On arrival, I would use the taxis parked just outside the airport. On the way back, the hotel wanted to charge us nearly 3 times what we paid when we got our own taxi. And we didn't even bargain.

I stayed at the Phuket Hilton mid-April and it seemed deserted - such a shame because it is a nice property and as a Cat 1 - a good steal. It took a one hour and 15 minutes leisurely 70-80 km/h drive in a rental from HKT to get here in semi-light traffic. I think car rental's the way to go because of the remoteness of Karon Beach - I paid something like 700B/day for a Suzuki Jeep-like vehicle.Property is 15 minutes drive from Patong beach, 20 minutes from big department stores/supermarkets like BigC/Central and 30 minutes from downtown Phuket.

The first thing that hits you is the sheer size of the property 3 separate, detached wings. I parked my rental car at the front parking lot and had to be taken by a motor tram to the lobby area for check-in, after which I was walked again to the Executive Lounge for check-in. From parking the car to being in the rrom was at least 15 minutes transition due to all the walking and the tram ride.

Room was in the Lotus wing: upgraded to a seaview but not to the best room types which I think would be a corner with wraparound glass doors. Unlike a previous poster, I did not get a coupon for a massage. I did get a nice bouquet of orchids and a small traditional garland.

Room itselt is large-ish, with a balcony with patio furniture and a nice sofa by the window. Perfect view of the beach, which is quite a walk away. Separate rainshower-equipped shower (OK but not great water pressure though) and bath. Room flooring seems like wood laminate. Decor is warm with lots dark wood and Thai touches abound. the bedding looks like typical European Hilton bedding down to the white striped comforter and pillows. This clashes somewhat with the dark warm decor.
Room has broadband ethernet with RJ-11 connections with typical extortionate Hilton Thailand pricing 750B/day). Finally, there is a DVD player in the room so you can watch the pirated 80B movies you bought earlier or rent them from tsutaya or the like.

Really nice pool in the center with a mini waterfall and water slides for the kids. 2 other pools spread out throughout the property.

Breakfast is either in the cafe restaurant Sails (the other one was closed) or in the Executive lounge. The Executive Lounge has free broadband internet with 2 terminals but otherwise it is quite spartan and small. I wonder why they did not go with an open-air lounge, given this is a beach resort.

In summary, not as luxe as the JW but the Hilton is less pretentious and would be perfect for those with kids - there is a playground, great kid-friendly pool, bicycles, kids room with playstation (PSOne). The one minus is that it does not have a private beach and for example, beach chairs need to be rented out at 50B from the local operators.

Yup deserted!

We arrived 03/31 to be greeted at the airport, offered a refreshing drink, checked in and taken to the hotel provided transfer (1500B).

Transfer for about 45 mins with the driver calling 15mins before our arrival in the lobby to be greeted by the executive services manager with flowers for my wife and a lai for myself. Escorted to our rooms - large corner 12th floor sea view king and twin connected exactly as requested (we turned down the offer of an upgrade to the executive rooms as the Lotus Wing only has King-King connected and the children sharing a bed for 11 nights was not fair to them).

Welcome letter including executive amentity of lounge access and breakfast - limited to two achoholic drinks a night and the wine measure was initially very short (got better was the staff got to now us). Very very warm welcome by all the staff and everywhere was spotless.

The children loved the pools (they even turned on the water slide in the closed wing for them one day). Karan beach is not that safe for young children swimming due to the steep ledge (which propably helped save the area from the tsumani).

Thai food at Sails is ok, Thai Thai was much better and generally within the hotel F&B is reasonably priced although somewhat boring. Spa treatments are best booked on the day of arrival as you get 30% off after the first, but even then they are reasonably priced and fantastically relaxing.

Outside the hotel there are numerous shops about 1km either way down the beach road, or take the tram to the welcome lodge and walk across the road to several 'minimarts'. We found the best was to take the tram, turn right and walk up the hill, on then right down the main 'strip' to the beach, right and back to the hotel. There are several shops on this route selling a good range of essentials (sunblock, hats, beer, water, wine, spirits, chips etc) plus the usual tailors, bars and other questionable places.

Beer was 23B-35B a tin, Wine 275B-600B, Water 15B which compared well with the hotel minibar! We took a hotel car for 3 hours (1500B) to see some of the island, safe but much more expensive than the taxi drivers hanging about the front of the hotel.

During our stay we took a side trip to Phi Phi Don, staying 2 nights at the Holiday Inn Palm Beach. Paradise compared to the Hilton as the rooms are on the beach and the only motorised noise is the long tail boats. Most definately a place to go for swimming/snorkelling/sight seeing - just be careful as my credit card was cloned (only used once in the past 2 years checking out of the HI Phi Phi so rather a clear indication of were the problem is!) and fraudlent charges in Turkey greeted me on returning to the UK.

Dec 26th has taken a heavy toll on the tourist industry, much more so probably than the direct effects as little damage was evident and most of the local papers were reporting that the global press were overstating the damage. The lounge staff at the Hilton related that on Patang beach about 10,000 jobs had been lost due to the near complete collapse of hotel bookings.

Hi every one, I just got an interesting e-mail from an ex-pat who now lives in Thailand regarding our upcoming stay @ the Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa. At only 10k points a night this has to be of the best values out there. ^ ^

“Lucky you... Hilton Arcadia is a wonderful 5+ star large-scale resort
hotel. Its features are just endless. In my opinion it is the best hotel
on Phuket Island. Even the Thai Royal Family stay there. Some folks would
say that the Marriott or Sheraton are better, but all those other 5+ star
hotels are in more remote and 'artificial' areas where you are far removed
from the local Thai flavor. Arcadia is central between Kata and Karon
Villages and you meet Thai culture the moment you leave the resort main
entrance.”

Has anyone been to Hilton Phuket in the last month as a Gold? Wondered how they treated Golds..we have two rooms reserved over Christmas and wondered if still upgrading..thanks.

Stayed there last May for 5 nights on points (it's a steal for only 10K per night), and they treated us very well as Gold.

When I showed my Gold Card at check-in, I was immediately asked to sit down and the check-in was done by the assistant manager in the seating area after we received drinks, towels and a bouquet of flowers. They told me that I will be upgraded to a sea view room, incl. free breakfast. I asked if it would be possible to stay at the Executive Floor, but they told me they are full the first night (there was a WHO Tsunami conference at that time at the Hilton Arcadia). They offered us to change the room to an executive room after the first night, which we accepted.

The rooms in the standard wings are not quite impressive, since the hotel was taken over from another owner by Hilton, and the rooms are a bit dated. Two hours after we went to our room, the assistant manager called and asked if we would like to change the room right now, which we did.

The Lotus Wing (= Executive Floor) is a separate building and all the rooms are completely renovated and they are really very nice. The Executive lounge was also very good, two alcoholic drinks are free during happy hour with decent food. Breakfast selection in the lounge is a bit limited, so we had breakfast in the main restaurant the following days.

All in all a nice property, and especially for 10K / night an excellent value.

i can only confirm .

i stayed in april as a gold in phuket. got upg. to lotus wing. that time floor 9 .

this time as a diamond got a confirmed room in floor 12.

you will get more than 2 drinks in the lounge if you ask :)

the lotus wing rooms are really great, and i cant complain about anything at the hilton.

dp

A poster in another thread said that she as a diamond got a complimentary massage with her stay. Is Hilton still giving that?

Are there any restaurants within walking distance to the Hilton? Any recomendations for drivers with a van..thanks.

Do you happen to recall from which company you rented your jeep from?

I stayed at the Phuket Hilton mid-April and it seemed deserted - such a shame because it is a nice property and as a Cat 1 - a good steal. It took a one hour and 15 minutes leisurely 70-80 km/h drive in a rental from HKT to get here in semi-light traffic. I think car rental's the way to go because of the remoteness of Karon Beach - I paid something like 700B/day for a Suzuki Jeep-like vehicle.Property is 15 minutes drive from Patong beach, 20 minutes from big department stores/supermarkets like BigC/Central and 30 minutes from downtown Phuket.

The first thing that hits you is the sheer size of the property 3 separate, detached wings. I parked my rental car at the front parking lot and had to be taken by a motor tram to the lobby area for check-in, after which I was walked again to the Executive Lounge for check-in. From parking the car to being in the rrom was at least 15 minutes transition due to all the walking and the tram ride.

Room was in the Lotus wing: upgraded to a seaview but not to the best room types which I think would be a corner with wraparound glass doors. Unlike a previous poster, I did not get a coupon for a massage. I did get a nice bouquet of orchids and a small traditional garland.

Room itselt is large-ish, with a balcony with patio furniture and a nice sofa by the window. Perfect view of the beach, which is quite a walk away. Separate rainshower-equipped shower (OK but not great water pressure though) and bath. Room flooring seems like wood laminate. Decor is warm with lots dark wood and Thai touches abound. the bedding looks like typical European Hilton bedding down to the white striped comforter and pillows. This clashes somewhat with the dark warm decor.
Room has broadband ethernet with RJ-11 connections with typical extortionate Hilton Thailand pricing 750B/day). Finally, there is a DVD player in the room so you can watch the pirated 80B movies you bought earlier or rent them from tsutaya or the like.

Really nice pool in the center with a mini waterfall and water slides for the kids. 2 other pools spread out throughout the property.

Breakfast is either in the cafe restaurant Sails (the other one was closed) or in the Executive lounge. The Executive Lounge has free broadband internet with 2 terminals but otherwise it is quite spartan and small. I wonder why they did not go with an open-air lounge, given this is a beach resort.

In summary, not as luxe as the JW but the Hilton is less pretentious and would be perfect for those with kids - there is a playground, great kid-friendly pool, bicycles, kids room with playstation (PSOne). The one minus is that it does not have a private beach and for example, beach chairs need to be rented out at 50B from the local operators.

Anyone have recommendations on what room I should request in advance (as a Diamond)?

Thanks!

The Conrad was due to open late last year. For those who have recently visited Phuket, are there any signs or news of the new Conrad?

Anyone have recommendations on what room I should request in advance (as a Diamond)?

Thanks!


request ROOM 1296 in the LOTUS wing.

this is the room next to the lounge :)

dp

request ROOM 1296 in the LOTUS wing.

this is the room next to the lounge :)

dp

Is it loud, though? I was put in the room next to the Exec. Lounge at the HWV last January. If it wasn't the staff banging the carts and doors at 7:00 am, it was people coming and going, not using their "inside voices." :rolleyes:

Is it loud, though? I was put in the room next to the Exec. Lounge at the HWV last January. If it wasn't the staff banging the carts and doors at 7:00 am, it was people coming and going, not using their "inside voices." :rolleyes:


because 1296 is the room left of the exec. lounge.

its a perfect room :)

dp

Howdy;
Any one know the price for a taxi from the airport to the Hilton?
I'm heading there in Oct.

Thanks AKDUDE

you have 3 options.

1.) take a shuttle bus for 180 Baht
2.) take a meter taxi (use the last exit on the left side and go to the parkings, there are the meter taxi) price is 487 Baht
3.) take a limousine service inside the airport directly at the baggage claim 650 Baht]

I used all of them, and the bus is a pain as it stops everywhere at every hotel.

the limousine service has brandnew cars

the hilton is offering a BMW 5 Sedan Airport service for 1750 Baht (which is a total ripoff) but it pays off if you are more than 2 people.

dp

Hi derpelikan,

Thanks for a great time at Hilton.
For the moment I'm sitting in a shopping center in BKK and waiting for my girls will turn up after many hours shopping :rolleyes:
I'm looking forward to receive my Gold cards ;)

However, I got the BMW for 1800 :confused: , but on my return I got an offer for a Toyota van from Hilton for 1500. Thats Thailand :D

A poster in another thread said that she as a diamond got a complimentary massage with her stay. Is Hilton still giving that?

I received a voucher for a massage as a Gold in March.

Thanks Derpelikan.
Did you have any problems with the regular taxis using the meter?
Only one more question how long did it take to get there in a regular taxi?

Thanks for your help.......Akdude

Is it loud, though? I was put in the room next to the Exec. Lounge at the HWV last January. If it wasn't the staff banging the carts and doors at 7:00 am, it was people coming and going, not using their "inside voices." :rolleyes:

In my award recent stay (July 28 to 31), I was assigned to Rm 1291 (three doors down from the Exec Lounge in Lotus Wing). I liked the room a lot. A fruit basket was waiting for me when I arrived in my room escorted by HHonors Guest Relations manager. It's a beautiful resort. wish I had more time there in Phuket.

you can also book a transportation from AP to your Hilton at this website. The driver was prompt and very courteous. I was glad that I arranged the pickup service before I went there.

http://www.asiatravel.com/thailand/transfer/southern.html

Have fun in Phuket.

T was checking online for an award stay for May or June 2006 and every date I trried came up with hotel sold out. I even trried a few days in Jan or Feb just to see what would happen and it still says sold out. Is anyone else having any luck getting award stays for next year?

The dates for ALL of 2006 have yet to be released. I have had much correspondance with the DD and hotel management, and they expect Hhonors to release them around September (hotel doesn't control it).

Are there any restaurants within walking distance to the Hilton? Any recomendations for drivers with a van..thanks.

Leave the hotel via the beach road exit and to the left 500 meters up the road starts the Kata Town area and about a kilo meter to the right is Karon Town where I personaly prefer the restuarents in that area.

For the freshest and cheapest seafood in Phuket go out to the Chalong Bay and Rawai Towns or drop me a mail before you come to town.

The Conrad was due to open late last year. For those who have recently visited Phuket, are there any signs or news of the new Conrad?

I cruised past the hotel from the sea just last week and from the stage of construction that I saw it is highly unlikely that they will be open at the beginning of the season. They may do so anyway like the hilton did last year and offer all kinds of extras and upgrades for those who complain about the construction noises.

Has anyone satyed in the "Deluxe Rooms" (Not "Deluxe Plus" of the Lotus Wing) in the "Saitong Wing"? How are the views of the sea in this wing compared to the Lotus Wing? Is the separate pool Pool attached to this wing any better then the others?

Also..If you book in the Lotus Wing, do you automatically get the "Executive ammenities, ie cocktails etc.?

hi

lotus wing is the executive wing.
you get acess to the lounge and all ameneties.


call the manager Izumi for an upgrade .

dp

So if you reserve a deluxe plus seaview which wing is that in?

Thanks

So if you reserve a deluxe plus seaview which wing is that in?

Thanks

The hotel has four main 'wings' with the Lotus being a seperate 12 story circular tower with the executive lounge. The remaining three consist of two in the main hotel section and the last in a seperate building with it's own reception and amenties. Not all the wings remain open all year round and some areas are closed for refubishment.

If the room has a sea view it will be described as such otherwise assume it's at the back of the property with a view over the mountains behind.

HHonors upgrades seem to be auotmatically and systematically applied although when we stayed lounge access mean breakfast and two free evening cocktails from a limited menu with some different snacks each evening.

The hotel and staff are fantastic, food & drink reasonably priced (benefit as the Baht being tied to the US$ for UK people).

I just returned from staying at the hotel twice during my most recent trip (actually was there about this time a week ago).

I was upgraded to the Lotus Wing with access to the Lounge both trips (a 2 day award and a single day paid). I liked the first room a bit better because I could see the ocean from it. The balcony was huge.

The Saitong Wing is currently closed. Actually, the resort is pretty deserted. I didn't really see very many people there.

There is a separate Hilton HHonors check-in desk at the far end of the check-in counters. The young Japanese lady who handles check-ins is named Tomoyo and is quite helpful. It may be because of a mention to her that I was staying at the hotel for my birthday that I wound up with a birthday cake in my room.

As a general note... People PLEASE PLEASE visit Phuket. It's a great area that's coming back after the Tsunami but not very quickly. Things are cheap, including the meals in the hotels. The weather was great with NO rain and a nice breeze.

If anyone has questions about Phuket, please PM me. My transfers were also pretty easy and didn't rely upon the gouging of the hotel for a taxi.

Bluehen,

I am glad that you enjoyed the stay at Hilton Phuket. I am very glad that the ground transfer worked out really well as well. I pm'ed you about the ground transfer. I am going back to Phuket in 2.5 weeks (Oct 3 to 7). I understand generally Sep and Oct are wet season over there. But in my opinion, staying at the hotel would give me many oppotunities to do things even in rainy days.

Hope you got to meet up Izumi, Wanna, etc. at the Executive Lounge. They were extremely attentive and courteous during my previous visit. Hope that I get to meet them up again in my next stay there.

wyoon

I am only HHonor Silver.... guess I won't be upgraded to Lotus (executive) wing. :(

Looking for advice/reviews on experiences at the Phuket Arcadia in the last year or so.

-Has the property and surrounding area recovered from the tsunami? (all reviews so far point to yes)

-As a HH Gold, are we in a good position for a room upgrade, at least to the executive level/building?

-What are the additional amenities included with the executive building?

-Is the beach, even though across the road, not crowded and worthwhile?

-What are the range of prices at the restuarants and drinks by the pool?

Thank you.

Hi,

We stayed there for 14 nights this april. The property and surrounding area was affect in very minor ways by the tsunami and apart from the lack of tourists the Karon beach area is fully recovered.

Diamond always get upgraded to the Lotus Wing (exec rooms) and I suspect gold also but do email the hotel in advance to check. Upgrades etc are done by the book and it's a large hotel so usually will accomadate. The executive wing has a dedicated lounge serving a hot breakfast (table service) plus soft drinks during the day and two cocktails/glass of wine per person per day in the evening. Some hot food in the evening which is rotated during the week.

The beach is across the road and extends for about a mile each way. It's not safe for bathing due to the step ledge and rip tides (red flags for warning). It's unlikely to get that crowded but others might have more insight. We generally stayed within the hotel grounds as they are expansive with varied pools and lounging areas.

Drinks at the pool were 120B for coke, 180B for beer and 210B for Mia Tai's to which add 7% tax and 10% service from memory. We spent about 38000B in total for 4 of us which was about 50GBP a day for pool side drinks, lunch at the pool and dinner in the evening.

Beer/Wine/Water can be sourced from the hotel shop but a short walk into the centre (takes about 5 mins) gets you to several local shops selling Coke for 20B, Singa beer for 40B, Wine for around 500B - and these represent the tourist prices. You get two bottles of water per day but these are glass so you need some small plastic water bottles for beside the pool and whilst out. Walk out the front of the hotel, turn left down the beach road, down to the traffic lights turn left and up the road gets you to the nearest 'supermarket' and stock up on snacks etc - plus suncream and most other stuff you'd normally pack but are freely available (this helps support the local community in recovering).

We are returning for Xmas this year with a side trip to PhiPhi and rate the hotel/staff very highly. Very safe and secure with a very relaxed atmosphere coupled with an excellent thai restuarant and massage therapy centre.

If you are arriving at Phuket airport than check in at the airport if you can and use the hotel transfer car/minibus. They will greet you as you come out of arrivals. The hotel cars are expensive but are top class BMW's etc driven by sensible drivers - unlike some of the private taxi's. If you seach there are numbers for private cars/drivers for the day offering better prices and the chance to find the quieter beaches etc.

Looking for advice/reviews on experiences at the Phuket Arcadia in the last year or so.

-Has the property and surrounding area recovered from the tsunami? (all reviews so far point to yes)

-As a HH Gold, are we in a good position for a room upgrade, at least to the executive level/building?

-What are the additional amenities included with the executive building?

-Is the beach, even though across the road, not crowded and worthwhile?

-What are the range of prices at the restuarants and drinks by the pool?

Thank you.

Just completed a four day stay and fully concur with the accuracy and completeness of Tony's post (as always). You must have a massage in the Spa and ask for Junaporn. She is as good a masseuse as has worked these old tired muscles ever. All staff are attentive and cordial and you will be updated to Lotus Wing as a Gold.

Hi All,
I will be staying at the Phuket Arcadia Hilton for a 2 night reward stay at the end of this month. I splurged and opted for the hotel's car service (kinda silly, but the arrival/welcome sounds nice!) I had heard from someone in another thread that Diamond members sometimes receive a complimentary massage voucher...does anyone else have any experience with this? The lounge and the Lotus wing sound quite nice! I also upgraded my BKK-HKT TG ticket to business for pretty cheap (too bad the DFW-ICN-BKK legs on KE won't be upgraded since I'm Delta PM - oh well - can't have it all I guess!) I'd love to hear any more details on this hotel and surrounds...I'm looking forward to this short trip. Thanks!

I too am going two weeks from tomorrow on an award stay as Diamond -- my first trip to Thailand, first flight on SQ and first award stay of any kind. Sooooo looking forward to this after a long year and we booked so many months ago. I am planning to email the hotel next week as a hello pre-visit.

Thanks for your posts that have me champing at the bit even more than I was already -- especially as a Diamond, which I earned the hard way after 27 consecutive weeks of full-time travel for my job (and I really owe my husband for putting up with it). I will post a report upon my return, though you guys that are going before me, I'd love to hear your experiences as well.

SEA2BA

I had heard from someone in another thread that Diamond members sometimes receive a complimentary massage voucher...does anyone else have any experience with this?

The free massage was a promotion during the first month that the new spa opened. It is no longer offered.

The hotel is really great, but i wont book the limousine service as their is a limousine service at the airport for 650baht which is really fast and good. the bmw sedans are a ripoff.

on a reward stays we booked them now, as the hotel does not earn enough money on rewards..



if anybody who is going there is looking for a great golf pro coach, sent me a pm.

you will be upgradet to the lotus wing as a diamond or gold , but i suggest you are not going end of december as i blocked 7 rooms with my friends ... and we are all diamonds...
so your chances for an upgrade will be lower :D

dp

p.s. if you want an upgrade as gold write to IZUMI she is the executive lounge manager.

The hotel is really great, but i wont book the limousine service as their is a limousine service at the airport for 650baht which is really fast and good. the bmw sedans are a ripoff.

on a reward stays we booked them now, as the hotel does not earn enough money on rewards..



if anybody who is going there is looking for a great golf pro coach, sent me a pm.

you will be upgradet to the lotus wing as a diamond or gold , but i suggest you are not going end of december as i blocked 7 rooms with my friends ... and we are all diamonds...
so your chances for an upgrade will be lower :D

dp

p.s. if you want an upgrade as gold write to IZUMI she is the executive lounge manager.

Might see you there then Derpelikan, we are going for 8 nights arriving 31/12 after a great (but not perfect stay in April). It was too great a rate at 10k points per night to pass up over the peak season.

I would recommend car hire though if you want to get out and about. We certainly found this enhanced our stay and we would pick up from the airport in future.

I guess I am a skeptic, but I would expect the hotels do get some type of compensation from Hilton for reward stays.

I guess I am a skeptic, but I would expect the hotels do get some type of compensation from Hilton for reward stays.


but at the current rate they only get around 30% of the rate in the internet...

so its not a really good deal for them.

dp

p.s. if you want an upgrade as gold write to IZUMI she is the executive lounge manager.

I thought the upgrade is automatic for gold :confused:
Anyway, as a HH Gold, should I book the cheapest room and expect a upgrade to the Lotus wing?
On a side note, how is the Karon beach? Suitable for swimming?

Thanks

have decided to change my plans and go here instead of hua hin.
is that a good move?

As Diamond I imagine I can expect lounge and a suite?
Can someone tell me of the lounge food-drinks etc?

also anyone who has been upgraded to a suite as they look stunning!

tinkybelle

Not sure about a suite but I was upgraded to the Lotus Wing as Gold and had daily access to lounge for breakfast, cooked for you as like, and free internet.

Drinks is in the eveing as limited to 2 per person and this was the rule for our first few days then it was relaxed after thet recognised us.

to answer neuro0 re the beach, it is quite a strong tow and i would only swim where it is patrolled which fortunately right in front of the Arcadia.

The best restaurants are back towards Kata beach not Karon proper if you wish to eat outside the resort.

Enjoy your stay it is a lovely property.

As Diamond I imagine I can expect lounge and a suite?
Can someone tell me of the lounge food-drinks etc?

Tinky, I was upgraded to the lounge but had no suite I did have a very spacious room with a nice view overlooking the ocean. Evening snacks were nice, a good assortment.

The complex is huge. It's quite a setup, with coming in thru the front gate, then having to transfer to their bus to go to checkin. Then you walk to the building in which the executive lounge is.

I encourage you to rent a car. I regretted not doing so, as I felt quite isolated. Roads are decent, and it looked easy enough to drive around.

have decided to change my plans and go here instead of hua hin.
is that a good move?

As Diamond I imagine I can expect lounge and a suite?
Can someone tell me of the lounge food-drinks etc?

also anyone who has been upgraded to a suite as they look stunning!

I think the Arcadia is infintely preferable to the Hua Hin Hilton having been to both. The Layout and pools etc. of the Arcadia are much better but then it is a bigger resort. It does lack a swim up bar though. When staying at Hua Hin I couldn't help wishing I was staying at the Sofitel next door, at least at the Arcadia I felt that I was in the nicest hotel in Karon. I wouldn't hold your breath for a suite, but the lotus rooms are surprisingly nice and relatively spacious and well laid out. I was quite happy with the room there, the service can be a bit hit and miss but at 10k points a night it is still a bargain.

but at the current rate they only get around 30% of the rate in the internet...

so its not a really good deal for them.

dp

I think that depends on how you redeem. I think for Diamond "pushed" stays, like the one I have just arranged, HH and the hotel work out some sort of deal I think and in these situations HH are willing to pay close to the standard room price. This as far as I am aware is the reason why Diamonds have greater redemption opportunities than other tiers, essentially HH take the hit for the difference in cost between the minimum the hotel is prepared to accept and HH's standard redemption payment.

I think that depends on how you redeem. I think for Diamond "pushed" stays, like the one I have just arranged, HH and the hotel work out some sort of deal I think and in these situations HH are willing to pay close to the standard room price. This as far as I am aware is the reason why Diamonds have greater redemption opportunities than other tiers, essentially HH take the hit for the difference in cost between the minimum the hotel is prepared to accept and HH's standard redemption payment.


the amounts is the same they are getting...

i have a friend working at a hilton. she explained it to me once.

dp

the amounts is the same they are getting...

i have a friend working at a hilton. she explained it to me once.

dp

During my last stay at the Arcadia in May this year, upon check-out at the Club Lounge the lady gave me TWO invoices, one for my extras and another one for the accommodation. I was a bit confused, since I had used my points for the stay. The Lady said: "Sorry, that one is not for you, that one is for HHonors".

I don't remember exactly the room rate on the invoice, but it was something equivalent to around USD 40, which would match derpelikan's info about "30 % of normal rate" (internet rate was at that time approx. USD 120).

the amounts is the same they are getting...

i have a friend working at a hilton. she explained it to me once.

dp

dp

Logically though this does not make sense, what leverage can HH apply to force the stay for Diamonds when the normall HH allocation has expired if it is not a rate negotiation? I got my confirmation direct from HH who handled the booking and said something about how I might get spend credit for the stay, but that this would be removed at a later date by audit. Also I had no need to print a certificate as all the arrnagements had been made by the HH service centre. This seems very much like a purchase of a room to me.

It is the first time I have used the Diamond Desk to get me awards unavailable in the normal way, and the process was very different from that I had encountered previously when redemption certificates etc. were required to be printed and given to the hotel on arrival. The confirmation also explicitly says I am only eligible for an upgrade at the time I check in (now I know this is always the case but I have never had it in writing as part of the confirmation before). I am now a bit worried about getting stuck in a basic room.

There are 5 of us.
anyone got a good transport co from the airport?

I thought the upgrade is automatic for gold :confused:
Anyway, as a HH Gold, should I book the cheapest room and expect a upgrade to the Lotus wing?
On a side note, how is the Karon beach? Suitable for swimming?

Thanks

To answer your question about Swimming at the Karon, I would not recommend. I got caught in riptides especially in front of Hilton Arcadia and almost died (in real) a month ago. Although the tides are a bit milder close to the Karon town side, generally the swimming is not recommended. If you want to swim, walk over to Kata beach, which is only 10 to 15 minutes away from Arcadia at your own leisure pace. the property is very nice. The staff at the Executive Lounge is very attentive. Izumi and Wanna are two names that come to my mind. They are very helpful. I stayed twice this year (in July and Oct) and am planning to go back in March next year. Have a great stay!

There are 5 of us.
anyone got a good transport co from the airport?

Send a PM to PhuketRichard. He's a great resource for the area and will give you a tour while doing your transfer. It cost me 1200 THB each trip (round trip) to/from the airport. His cost is less than a single trip in the Hilton's car.

Just to reinforce my original comments:

1. Swimming in the sea from the beach immediately infront of the hotel is red flagged - the shelf and danger can clearly seen if you spend a few hours observing the tide. Given the hotel has at least 4 swimming pools why bother - just take some 'anti-green' shampoo as we suspect they use copper based pool treatments, as my daughter found out.

2. Don't worry about redemption rates. The hotel works to a well defined formula for HHonors status and recognises that you will spend money on high margin items.

3. The hotel provided car service from the airport is expensive *but* it includes being met at arrivals, a welcome drink and initial check in at the airport lounge, a well serviced car from the airport to the hotel, the driver phoning 10 mins to confirm before arrival and the ability to be taken directly to the lobby without having to transfer at the welcome lodge. Without this a 1 hour transfer/checkin to room is likely to transform into a longer and more stressful arrival at the end of the long flight.

Hey AUDITOR2005 and SEA2BA - I'll be there 11/22 - 11/25 on an award stay.

Maybe we can meet up? AUDITOR2005 BTW - I grew up in Kentucky. :cool:

Cool, sounds great, let's definitely have a drink together. Mr. SEA2BA and I will be there for the last two nights of your stay. We are there the nights of 11/24 and 11/25 on award stay!

Just to reinforce my original comments:

1. Swimming in the sea from the beach immediately infront of the hotel is red flagged - the shelf and danger can clearly seen if you spend a few hours observing the tide. Given the hotel has at least 4 swimming pools why bother - just take some 'anti-green' shampoo as we suspect they use copper based pool treatments, as my daughter found out.

2. Don't worry about redemption rates. The hotel works to a well defined formula for HHonors status and recognises that you will spend money on high margin items.

3. The hotel provided car service from the airport is expensive *but* it includes being met at arrivals, a welcome drink and initial check in at the airport lounge, a well serviced car from the airport to the hotel, the driver phoning 10 mins to confirm before arrival and the ability to be taken directly to the lobby without having to transfer at the welcome lodge. Without this a 1 hour transfer/checkin to room is likely to transform into a longer and more stressful arrival at the end of the long flight.

I beg to differ on 2. but after we took the hotel car on our last stay, we were not checked in at the airport, upon our arrival we were escorted by the guest service manager from the lobby to the Executive Lounge (quite a walk actually we found then), where we were checked in. My other half received a totally unexpected bouquet of roses, which was a nice touch, but we were definitely not checked in at the Airport. This might be a welcome service for those who are ending a long airline trip in HKT, especially if they are previous guests at the hotel. However we did appreciate the Exec Lounge check in and walk through service on our first visit.

Incidentally I do wonder what would happen with the Lounge as the Lotus Wing reaches full capacity. It is by no means a big lounge and it could get quite unpleasant when rammed to capacity (especially with families and young children).

3. The hotel provided car service from the airport is expensive *but* it includes being met at arrivals, a welcome drink and initial check in at the airport lounge, a well serviced car from the airport to the hotel, the driver phoning 10 mins to confirm before arrival and the ability to be taken directly to the lobby without having to transfer at the welcome lodge. Without this a 1 hour transfer/checkin to room is likely to transform into a longer and more stressful arrival at the end of the long flight.

I did not see any info about this service on its website! Where did you guys find it? My SO and me will be there on a paid stay from 11/20-25. I booked the cheapest advanced purchase rate. Hopefully, we will be put in the Lotus wing because of my Gold status. :cool: :cool:

Perhaps we just got lucky!

We stayed in April so the place was quiet and the staff to guest ratio was very high. Returning 17/12 so will see if we get the same level of service.

Thank you tony, information was extremely valuable.

-PLTHOO


Hi,

We stayed there for 14 nights this april. The property and surrounding area was affect in very minor ways by the tsunami and apart from the lack of tourists the Karon beach area is fully recovered.

Diamond always get upgraded to the Lotus Wing (exec rooms) and I suspect gold also but do email the hotel in advance to check. Upgrades etc are done by the book and it's a large hotel so usually will accomadate. The executive wing has a dedicated lounge serving a hot breakfast (table service) plus soft drinks during the day and two cocktails/glass of wine per person per day in the evening. Some hot food in the evening which is rotated during the week.

The beach is across the road and extends for about a mile each way. It's not safe for bathing due to the step ledge and rip tides (red flags for warning). It's unlikely to get that crowded but others might have more insight. We generally stayed within the hotel grounds as they are expansive with varied pools and lounging areas.

Drinks at the pool were 120B for coke, 180B for beer and 210B for Mia Tai's to which add 7% tax and 10% service from memory. We spent about 38000B in total for 4 of us which was about 50GBP a day for pool side drinks, lunch at the pool and dinner in the evening.

Beer/Wine/Water can be sourced from the hotel shop but a short walk into the centre (takes about 5 mins) gets you to several local shops selling Coke for 20B, Singa beer for 40B, Wine for around 500B - and these represent the tourist prices. You get two bottles of water per day but these are glass so you need some small plastic water bottles for beside the pool and whilst out. Walk out the front of the hotel, turn left down the beach road, down to the traffic lights turn left and up the road gets you to the nearest 'supermarket' and stock up on snacks etc - plus suncream and most other stuff you'd normally pack but are freely available (this helps support the local community in recovering).

We are returning for Xmas this year with a side trip to PhiPhi and rate the hotel/staff very highly. Very safe and secure with a very relaxed atmosphere coupled with an excellent thai restuarant and massage therapy centre.

If you are arriving at Phuket airport than check in at the airport if you can and use the hotel transfer car/minibus. They will greet you as you come out of arrivals. The hotel cars are expensive but are top class BMW's etc driven by sensible drivers - unlike some of the private taxi's. If you seach there are numbers for private cars/drivers for the day offering better prices and the chance to find the quieter beaches etc.

Originally Posted by TonySymons
Just to reinforce my original comments:

1. Swimming in the sea from the beach immediately infront of the hotel is red flagged - the shelf and danger can clearly seen if you spend a few hours observing the tide. Given the hotel has at least 4 swimming pools why bother - just take some 'anti-green' shampoo as we suspect they use copper based pool treatments, as my daughter found out.

=======================
Does this mean that the beach in front of the hilton is not usable???? or was it only when you were visiting?

I'm deciding whether to go in the last week of Jan 06 and this can be a key factor...

It should be green-flagged in January, it all depends on the time of year. I have been in late April on two occasions, once it was too rough and windy to swim and the other we had a great time in the water, but both my visits were at the begining of the monsoon season so I knew that it might be red-flagged. Either way the walks and sunsets along the beach are always great and you can swim at the many pools at the hotel...all wonderful.

Was there last week, green-flagged.
Enjoy.
46

Another questions for the experts:

is it worth paying 170 USD/night or use 10K HHonors points. planning to stay 6 nights.

also, I really want a suite instead of a regular room since we are travelling with an infant. Is there a way to get upgraded either as a HH Gold status or pay $$ (assuming that I were to redeem 6 nights initially)?

THX

I stayed there during the thanksgiving weeks for 5 days as a HHonor gold.
Paid the lowest rate and was pre-assigned a upgrade to the Andaman(sp?) wing seaview room with executive lounge access. Instead I asked for the lotus wing and was offered a garden view room only(no seaview) which was okay for me since I didn't plan to stay in the room except sleep. ;)

Another questions for the experts:

is it worth paying 170 USD/night or use 10K HHonors points. planning to stay 6 nights.

THX

Definitely points and not cash is the way to go at this hotel. I often wonder when they will raise it a category as at the current level almost all you can get stateside is a Hampton Inn.
As a gold you usually get upgraded to the lotus wing, and while not true suites these rooms are larger and quite nice.

170 a night is steep, I was booked on points up until about a week before i left. This hotel has 685 rooms and if they're not full you will see a significant drop in the rates about a week before the date. I paid 60 bucks a night and was upgraded to Lotus as Gold. For your info, Golds ALWAYS get lounge access(Izumi the lounge manager told me this in both English and Japanese just to clarify), butupgrades are usually Andaman(renovated) seaview or Lotus garden view. Rooms are very similar but Lotus a little bigger. Diamonds usually get Lotus seaview.
Back to your original point, if the rate is 170 go for points.
Cheers,
46.

I stayed there during the thanksgiving weeks for 5 days as a HHonor gold.
Paid the lowest rate and was pre-assigned a upgrade to the Andaman(sp?) wing seaview room with executive lounge access. Instead I asked for the lotus wing and was offered a garden view room only(no seaview) which was okay for me since I didn't plan to stay in the room except sleep. ;)

Do they even have suites there? I called hilton and all they could quote me is for a King Deluxe Plus room. is this a suite?

My main objective is to get a suite because baby goes to bed way earlier than us, so it's just not practical to have a regular room.

If I were to use points, do they upgrade to suite either via status or by paying an extra fee?

They have suites.....some are in the Lotus Wing and some in the Saitong Wing. I stayed in a 2-bedroom suite in the Saitong Wing back in November.....Saitong 3168 and 3167....which is actually a one bedrooms suite (3168) plus the connecting one bedroom (3167) at the living room. Quite spacious, but the decor is more traditional with lots and lots of wood....(wood floors, wall panels, closets, and furniture......) and very Thai.

Anyway, I was told to upgrade to this suite it would be 6200 THB to confirm the upgrade (about $150). I ended up using a tour operator to book it which ended up at about 7000 THB plus the connecting room 3167 I used with 10K points per night. Worked out quite nicely..... :)

Oh, and in the suite they stock Bulgari bath products, if that means anything......

Contact the hotel directly for Suite quotes.......they'll be able to offer better rates/alternatives....

anybody now in the hilton phuket.??

i am now sitting in the exec. lounge.


cheers dp

Hi,

If you are arriving at Phuket airport than check in at the airport if you can and use the hotel transfer car/minibus. They will greet you as you come out of arrivals. The hotel cars are expensive but are top class BMW's etc driven by sensible drivers - unlike some of the private taxi's. If you seach there are numbers for private cars/drivers for the day offering better prices and the chance to find the quieter beaches etc.

Thankk you for the great information. My wife, 13 year old son and I will be staying here from Jan-11th to the 21st and are counting the days.
One last question if you have a moment; what would be the best way to secure the hotel transportation from the airport?
Thank you again for all the help! ^

anybody now in the hilton phuket.??

i am now sitting in the exec. lounge.


cheers dp

Well how is it? I have less than 20 days until I am there? :D

Thankk you for the great information. My wife, 13 year old son and I will be staying here from Jan-11th to the 21st and are counting the days.
One last question if you have a moment; what would be the best way to secure the hotel transportation from the airport?
Thank you again for all the help! ^

When I arrived at 6pm, the Hilton counter couldn't check me in! No biggie for me :D I walked out to the parking lot and a bunch of metered taxi (they are rare in Phuket outside the airport) were waiting. A trip to Hilton in the new Toyota taxi took about an hour and cost THB350 + airport taxi fee THB100.
The very nice driver didn't have change for my THB1000 bill and he waited in the welcome lobby as I got change. ^

When I arrived at 6pm, the Hilton counter couldn't check me in! No biggie for me :D I walked out to the parking lot and a bunch of metered taxi (they are rare in Phuket outside the airport) were waiting. A trip to Hilton in the new Toyota taxi took about an hour and cost THB350 + airport taxi fee THB100.
The very nice driver didn't have change for my THB1000 bill and he waited in the welcome lobby as I got change. ^

wow... it takes 1 hour from the airport to the hotel!?!?!

Thankk you for the great information. My wife, 13 year old son and I will be staying here from Jan-11th to the 21st and are counting the days.
One last question if you have a moment; what would be the best way to secure the hotel transportation from the airport?
Thank you again for all the help! ^

Just stayed in November. If you email them (PhuketArcadia@hilton.com) You should have no problem setting up the transportation. Wish I was going with you. Great Hotel.

wow... it takes 1 hour from the airport to the hotel!?!?!
At least 45mins. I also did email the hotel about the BMW transfer. They quoted me at THB1700 :eek:

Yep....At least 45 minutes, an hour if there's traffic or if there's construction going on on the new road.

I'm here now and I think 45 minutes is optomistic - it's not so far but the roads are windy mountain roads part of the way - others say abut an hour.

They have suites.....some are in the Lotus Wing and some in the Saitong Wing. I stayed in a 2-bedroom suite in the Saitong Wing back in November.....Saitong 3168 and 3167....which is actually a one bedrooms suite (3168) plus the connecting one bedroom (3167) at the living room. Quite spacious, but the decor is more traditional with lots and lots of wood....(wood floors, wall panels, closets, and furniture......) and very Thai.

Anyway, I was told to upgrade to this suite it would be 6200 THB to confirm the upgrade (about $150). I ended up using a tour operator to book it which ended up at about 7000 THB plus the connecting room 3167 I used with 10K points per night. Worked out quite nicely..... :)

Oh, and in the suite they stock Bulgari bath products, if that means anything......

Contact the hotel directly for Suite quotes.......they'll be able to offer better rates/alternatives....

Do the suites have washers/dryers? If not, are there any self-service laundry facilities on property?

Do the suites have washers/dryers? If not, are there any self-service laundry facilities on property?

No washer/dryer in the suites, but laundry/dry cleaning prices are reasonable. For a more reasonable deal (read: VERY CHEAP) go out the main gate and cross the road, there's local Thai operated laundry shops (has large Laundry signs on the building). We were seen with our 25lb bags going to/from there..... :D

[QUOTE=jkc22]They have suites.....

Anyway, I was told to upgrade to this suite it would be 6200 THB to confirm the upgrade (about $150). I ended up using a tour operator to book it which ended up at about 7000 THB plus the connecting room 3167 I used with 10K points per night. Worked out quite nicely..... :)

QUOTE]

jkc22,

Who quoted you teh 6200 THB for the confirmed upgrade? did you call the hotel directly and spoke to the front desk?

thx

jkc22,

Who quoted you teh 6200 THB for the confirmed upgrade? did you call the hotel directly and spoke to the front desk?

thx

The hotel reservations quoted me that price. It's a confirmed upgrade from a standard room reservation (paid or using points).

No washer/dryer in the suites, but laundry/dry cleaning prices are reasonable. For a more reasonable deal (read: VERY CHEAP) go out the main gate and cross the road, there's local Thai operated laundry shops (has large Laundry signs on the building). We were seen with our 25lb bags going to/from there..... :D

Then can I assume that there are no coin-op washers/dryers either?

Then can I assume that there are no coin-op washers/dryers either?

Yes....

The coin op washer dryers concept is not very popular outside of the US, and especially in Thailand, where you can get your laundry done for pennies (really!) so I'd save my quarters :D

As an aside, whenever I have a trip (biz or personal) to Thailand or China, I'd bring another suitcase full of dry cleaning to be done there!!! Think about it, $5-$10 per piece versus $1-2 per piece in Thailand or China for dry cleaning, with all my clothes (which unfortunately all required to be dry cleaned) I'd save $100's easily!!! ^ ^

The hotel reservations quoted me that price. It's a confirmed upgrade from a standard room reservation (paid or using points).

wow, i just got a reply back from them ---> 7000THB + 17% tax for the upgrade...

hmm... do you think they would give a better price if one is gold HH?

wow, i just got a reply back from them ---> 7000THB + 17% tax for the upgrade...

hmm... do you think they would give a better price if one is gold HH?

I ended up cancelling my reward adn book a suite directly using the "More Free Nights" promo... it ended up costing a bit more than the points + pay upgrade that they quoted me... oh well :o

Question: which of the restaurants at the resort are good? it's my wife's b-day during our stay and I would like to do a surprise... can you buy a cake there? :confused:

I ended up cancelling my reward adn book a suite directly using the "More Free Nights" promo... it ended up costing a bit more than the points + pay upgrade that they quoted me... oh well :o

Question: which of the restaurants at the resort are good? it's my wife's b-day during our stay and I would like to do a surprise... can you buy a cake there? :confused:

There's a cake and coffee shop that's open during the day and into the evening a bit. I'm sure if you talked to them they would produce the cake and deliver it to the restaurant of your choice.

The Thai restaurant is outstanding.

I ended up cancelling my reward adn book a suite directly using the "More Free Nights" promo... it ended up costing a bit more than the points + pay upgrade that they quoted me... oh well :o

Question: which of the restaurants at the resort are good? it's my wife's b-day during our stay and I would like to do a surprise... can you buy a cake there? :confused:

go to the cafe cino... they have a lot of cakes there.
and all the food in the cafe cino is really great....

dp

Bring your wife's birthday to the attention of the hotel. They regard your special occasions as special. They go out of their way to make things memorable.

I was pleasantly surprised by their acknowledgement of my birthday on a recent stay with a cake and roses.

The spa is a great way to feel special also.

170 a night is steep, I was booked on points up until about a week before i left. This hotel has 685 rooms and if they're not full you will see a significant drop in the rates about a week before the date. I paid 60 bucks a night and was upgraded to Lotus as Gold. For your info, Golds ALWAYS get lounge access(Izumi the lounge manager told me this in both English and Japanese just to clarify), butupgrades are usually Andaman(renovated) seaview or Lotus garden view. Rooms are very similar but Lotus a little bigger. Diamonds usually get Lotus seaview.
Back to your original point, if the rate is 170 go for points.
Cheers,
46.

Great tip about checking on rates prior to travel. We are planning an 8 night stay in June/July and would like to use some of my wife's orphan points. She doesn't travel and no more combining accounts, yada yada yada. So I am planning to split our stay into two four nighters with my points for the first 4 nights and hers for the second. Since I am gold, will we have gold benefits for the entire stay or just the first 4 nights?

Great tip about checking on rates prior to travel. We are planning an 8 night stay in June/July and would like to use some of my wife's orphan points. She doesn't travel and no more combining accounts, yada yada yada. So I am planning to split our stay into two four nighters with my points for the first 4 nights and hers for the second. Since I am gold, will we have gold benefits for the entire stay or just the first 4 nights?

you wife can issue the award for you, so you will get gold benefits. i think izumi will put the two reservations together so in the end its no problem

dp

I'm thinking of visiting Phuket later in the year. The Arcadia looks nice - is it a suitable spot to bring my 2 year old daughter? Are there kids activities? Daycare?

Does anyone have news on the new Conrad?

I'm thinking of visiting Phuket later in the year. The Arcadia looks nice - is it a suitable spot to bring my 2 year old daughter? Are there kids activities? Daycare?

Does anyone have news on the new Conrad?

The Arcadia seems to be a good spot for kids, one of the better places in Phuket I would have thought from what I have seen. There is a full programme of activities including kids activities. The resort is very family oriented and they will answer any specific queries by email if you have them.

Does anyone have news on the new Conrad?

Apparently, the Conrad is now set to open in 2007...

The Arcadia seems to be a good spot for kids, one of the better places in Phuket I would have thought from what I have seen. There is a full programme of activities including kids activities. The resort is very family oriented and they will answer any specific queries by email if you have them.

is it possible to get access to a microwave in the lounge or anywhere else int he hotel to heat food for an infant?

Hi all my family and I just got back this week from 10 days at this location and loved it! We did pay the $45.00 for the Hiltons BMW to be picked up at the airport and driven to the property. It was the best $45.00 I have ever spent!!! They actually picked us up at the baggage check out, brought us to a Hilton desk area at the airport so that we could check in. While there we were offered cold towels and drinks.
When we got to the property my wife was given a dozen roses and I was even given flowers. Our room was upgraded to a deluxe room on the top floor of the Lotus wing with a sea view and access to the executive suite. (The executive suite offered made to order breakfast, fantastic coffee, a great finger food selection for both breakfast and evenings and internet service. All of which were complementary but we did tip the staff 100 Batt or $2.50 every morning and evening as the service was exemplary!
The grounds, staff and pools are the best that I have every encountered. I would highly recommend this location because for only 1000 points a night it is bound to go up soon. Please feel free to pm me for more direct questions on the resort.

...because for only 1000 points a night it is bound to go up soon. ..
Hey, can I make a reservation then for the whole year? I mean just 1000 points/night? ;)
Ok, let´s say 10000 points/night and it will fit.
And thanks for your trip report!

Thanks for that report. I'm off for 4 nites there. I'm thinking about renting a car at the airport, as parking is free at this hotel. Debating whether one would really come in handy, with the drive to the hotel being about 7PM and not knowing the roads, and without knowing what else is around there to see.

Thanks for that report. I'm off for 4 nites there. I'm thinking about renting a car at the airport, as parking is free at this hotel. Debating whether one would really come in handy, with the drive to the hotel being about 7PM and not knowing the roads, and without knowing what else is around there to see.

rbAA, I stayed there last summer without a car, and really regreted it. I would have had a much better time if I had been mobile. The resort is ennormous; you won't be able to walk to anywhere from it - and the area roads seem quite easy to navigate. I'll certainly rent a car if I return.

Thanks for that report. I'm off for 4 nites there. I'm thinking about renting a car at the airport, as parking is free at this hotel. Debating whether one would really come in handy, with the drive to the hotel being about 7PM and not knowing the roads, and without knowing what else is around there to see.

I just got back, and YMMV but I'd never rent a car here. Although intimidating, driving would not be all that bad, but parking would be a major problem. If you do not know how to navigate a round about, stay away from the car. A car and driver can be had as cheap as renting a car. Tuk Tuks seem quite expensive compared to Bangkok, but you can make a lot of trips a day for the price of a rental car. And you can’t walk ten feet without having one pass by and honk.

The Siatong wing of the Hotel is currently closed. But its pools are not. My wife and I had the pool on the inside of the wing all to our selves.

Bring bug repellant and do not use the hotels. It does not work. I always take my own big bottle of Deep Woods Off and fill a smaller spay bottle with it. I try to always carry the small bottle with me. I made the mistake of trying out the hotels and had been bitten three times before I realized it did not work.

The beach in front of the hotel is clean and nice. I did not like it because it literally squeaked when you walked on it. And to me it had the same squeaky feeling as wet cotton, which for some reason gives me the willies.

Book a trip to Phang Nga Bay. My wife and I had a great time on this trip. We did the James Bond island tour, but did not care that much for the island, but we loved the sea canoeing! I could spend days just canoeing around.

Skip FantaSea. Biggest waste of time and money. Food was horrendous! Had a Disney-County Fair kind of feeling.

If you’re a diver, we used West Coast divers. Price was right, and service was great! Boat is very slow though. We book two trips, Shark Point/King Cruiser and the Phi Phi Island trips. Shark Point lived up to its name seeing two leopard sharks, a striped sea snake and numerous spotted stingrays. The visibility was 30 feet or so, but the amount of sea life seen more than made up for this.

Stop by the Andaman Lounge at night while Music Heights is singing. Tell the girls Tina and Cris said hi.

Thanks for the reports - I am going to be there in February myself. Interesting comment about the bug spray, as bringing that never even crossed my mind.

The bug spray was only needed when sitting outdoor at the hotel. I had a dinner at the restaurant next to the pool one night, the waiter bought me a bottle of the hotel's bugs repellant when i decided to sit outdoor. ^ FYI, those repellants are 100% natural, no harsh chemical. I had no bug problems on my trip to PhiPhi Island and the sea canoeing at the bay.
The hotel is huge, but it is still a walking distance to the Karon beach town from the Lotus buliding.

FYI, those repellants are 100% natural, no harsh chemical. I had no bug problems on my trip to PhiPhi Island and the sea canoeing at the bay.

My wife had no problems with using the hotels spray until I started with the Deet. The hotels is citronella based and is enviromentally safe. That being said, I'd still take the Off. Not only is it my advice, But the CDC's and WHO's as well. DEET and Bayrepel are the only two recomened insect repellants. I do not know what brand names use Bayrepel.

the lemongrass spray offered in the hilton is the best spray i found .

depending on the month you definately need it.

dp

Sitting in the Executive Lounge now, after my 2 free (alcohol) drinks, watching the sun set. This place is great. (The bugs are not even biting and no repellent!)

Did one paid night and 3 award nights. Same room in the Lotus Bldg with a sea view. Breakfast is better than any Hilton Exec Lounge offering I have had. Fitness center is a little smaller than those at other Asia properties (Hyatts) that I stayed in, but useable. Pools and beach (sign says beach not owned by Hilton so have to pay for chair and towel separately,) and the sea are very clean and relaxing. Checked the spa prices but the spa in town is a better deal, 2.5 hours of Thai plus foot massage for THB1000. Not a bad walk to town, at least in the AM before it gets hot.

And for 10000 points per night, a bargain.

I just got back from 6 nights at the hilton phuket. What a wonderful property.

When arrived after an hour in a taxi from the airport, the family was exhausted. When we went to the front desk, they noticed my HHonors status (lowly gold) and told us to have a seat at the sofa. The check-in was done at the sofa and we were presented with a bucket of roses.

I booked a suite using the "more free nights" promo so I ended up paying 4 nights instead of 6. The suite was GREAT. If you don't like wood, then it might be a problem because there is a lot of it. I got a room with ocean view in the lotus wing which is the newest of the 3 wings. The suite has a living/dining room with its own toilet and pantry area and a balcony. The bedroom has its own balcony and a bathroom with seperate shower and bathtub. There is a sliding door next to the bathtub that can be open up to the bedroom.

The hotel itself is very big. Almost like the Hilton Waikoloa Village in Hawaii. There are 3-4 pools. as the previous member said, the gym is a bit small, but they have do have tennis and squash courts and a game room with a table-tennis table.

The beach is public, but is very clean and you can rent chairs and umbralla for 100 bath (= 2.5 USD) for the whole day. Very cheap in my opinion. the beach also provides massage for much less than what the spa @ the hotel charges, but then again, the facility is not the same :p My wife had one of the spa packages and she was very impressed with the facility.

We had breakfast at the Sail restaurant. The selection is great! I'm not sure if gold status will get free breakfast in the restaurant or only at the lounge, but my rate included breakfast, so that's why we chose to have it in the restaurant.

the lounge is nice too. happy hour from 5pm to 6:30pm where you get 2 free drinks and finger food. very tasty :)

We had dinner at the Thai Thai restaurant one night and I told them that it was my wife's b-day and they provided us with a cake, free of charge ^ nice touch. The food itself was ok... i've had better thai food in Bangkok.
Also, the restaurant was dead empty. We were the only ones their for the first hour or 2 with 6 waitresses standing next to us :rolleyes:

We also had sandwiches at Cafe Cino and lunch at Sail restaurant. The sandwiches were OK, but expensive to local standard. The lunch at Sail was pretty good, but again expensive compared to outside the hotel. One thing that made it more expensive at the hotel was the 18-19% that they tag on everything for VAT + service charges.

One more thing, the hotel has free daycare for kids 4 years and older from 9am to 5pm. for younger ones, they charge 150 bath/hour.

I would definitely go back there again... oh well, back to reality in cold/rainy NYC :rolleyes:

I just got back from 6 nights at the hilton phuket. What a wonderful property.

When arrived after an hour in a taxi from the airport, the family was exhausted. When we went to the front desk, they noticed my HHonors status (lowly gold) and told us to have a seat at the sofa. The check-in was done at the sofa and we were presented with a bucket of roses.

I booked a suite using the "more free nights" promo so I ended up paying 4 nights instead of 6. The suite was GREAT. If you don't like wood, then it might be a problem because there is a lot of it. I got a room with ocean view in the lotus wing which is the newest of the 3 wings. The suite has a living/dining room with its own toilet and pantry area and a balcony. The bedroom has its own balcony and a bathroom with seperate shower and bathtub. There is a sliding door next to the bathtub that can be open up to the bedroom.

The hotel itself is very big. Almost like the Hilton Waikoloa Village in Hawaii. There are 3-4 pools. as the previous member said, the gym is a bit small, but they have do have tennis and squash courts and a game room with a table-tennis table.

The beach is public, but is very clean and you can rent chairs and umbralla for 100 bath (= 2.5 USD) for the whole day. Very cheap in my opinion. the beach also provides massage for much less than what the spa @ the hotel charges, but then again, the facility is not the same :p My wife had one of the spa packages and she was very impressed with the facility.

We had breakfast at the Sail restaurant. The selection is great! I'm not sure if gold status will get free breakfast in the restaurant or only at the lounge, but my rate included breakfast, so that's why we chose to have it in the restaurant.

the lounge is nice too. happy hour from 5pm to 6:30pm where you get 2 free drinks and finger food. very tasty :)

We had dinner at the Thai Thai restaurant one night and I told them that it was my wife's b-day and they provided us with a cake, free of charge ^ nice touch. The food itself was ok... i've had better thai food in Bangkok.
Also, the restaurant was dead empty. We were the only ones their for the first hour or 2 with 6 waitresses standing next to us :rolleyes:

We also had sandwiches at Cafe Cino and lunch at Sail restaurant. The sandwiches were OK, but expensive to local standard. The lunch at Sail was pretty good, but again expensive compared to outside the hotel. One thing that made it more expensive at the hotel was the 18-19% that they tag on everything for VAT + service charges.

One more thing, the hotel has free daycare for kids 4 years and older from 9am to 5pm. for younger ones, they charge 150 bath/hour.

I would definitely go back there again... oh well, back to reality in cold/rainy NYC :rolleyes:

Interesting to see more details of the suites. The only Suites I knew of are in the Andaman wing, some seem to be replete with BBQ. How much was the suite per night if you do not mind me asking? I have stayed at this property twice now (on redemption due to the great value), but have always been curious about the suites. On the one hand I think the lotus wing rooms are big enough for 2, on the other hand it's always nice to have a change ;)

Interesting to see more details of the suites. The only Suites I knew of are in the Andaman wing, some seem to be replete with BBQ. How much was the suite per night if you do not mind me asking? I have stayed at this property twice now (on redemption due to the great value), but have always been curious about the suites. On the one hand I think the lotus wing rooms are big enough for 2, on the other hand it's always nice to have a change ;)

The rate for the suite was 12400 bath + (17 or 18% VAT and Service) per night... I ended up paying for 4 nights instead of 6 with the promotion.

I loaded some pictures of the suite on tripadvisor... have a look:
Picture of suite in Lotus Wing (http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviewImages-g293920-d305270-b1247120S-r4440480-Hilton_Phuket_Arcadia_Resort_Spa-Phuket.html)

Hi All,

I recently got HH Gold and wondered what I can expect if I stay at this hotel. I heard that you get upgraded to the newer rooms with seaview and access to lounge with evening snacks and breakfast. Is that true?

Thanks!

Hi All,

I recently got HH Gold and wondered what I can expect if I stay at this hotel. I heard that you get upgraded to the newer rooms with seaview and access to lounge with evening snacks and breakfast. Is that true?

Thanks!

Yes, award stays are all put in the Lotus Wing (though not necessarily ocean view), and elite members get access to the Executive Lounge, which was great during my November award stay. Full spread of breakfast in the morning, full spread of hot appetizers and cocktails in the evenings, all-day CNN on the flat screen, two internet terminals, and gracious service.

You might want to do a search as this hotel & topic has been discussed ad nauseum in recent months.

Thanks a million!

Yes, award stays are all put in the Lotus Wing (though not necessarily ocean view), and elite members get access to the Executive Lounge, which was great during my November award stay. Full spread of breakfast in the morning, full spread of hot appetizers and cocktails in the evenings, all-day CNN on the flat screen, two internet terminals, and gracious service.
I fully agree. Great hotel!

I, too, am recently Gold. I stayed at Arcadia in February with my family and in-laws. Completely forgot about the lounge....Where is it?

I was placed in the lobby wind (forgot name). Anyhow, my wife and I had two reward rooms - both upgraded which was nice but not at all practical for the crowd. Thai families are large and travel in packs.

Anyhow, I've just moved to BKK and plan to abuse this hotel with reward stays.

I, too, am recently Gold. I stayed at Arcadia in February with my family and in-laws. Completely forgot about the lounge....Where is it?

I was placed in the lobby wind (forgot name). Anyhow, my wife and I had two reward rooms - both upgraded which was nice but not at all practical for the crowd. Thai families are large and travel in packs.

Anyhow, I've just moved to BKK and plan to abuse this hotel with reward stays.
You would have been in the Andaman Wing (Wing is a bit misleading since it seems to consist of seperate buildings). The Lotus Wing is the round tower at the end of the Andaman Wing just before you reach the circular Saitong Wing. The lounge is on the top floor of the Lotus Wing (12th?).

The Arcadia is a good hotel, but redemption levels are on the rise from summer.

I usually post my hotel reviews (and pictures) on tripadvisor.com, but I have also copied my report here.

Very nice resort in a quite part of town.

GOOD:
- The hotel is located on Karon beach (you can see it from your room, but technically it is a public beach right across the street) about 45 minutes from the airport. They have a check-in desk at the hotel where you can check-in early (they also give you cold towels to wipe off your face and hands, as well as some nice fruit juice while you wait). The hotel can escort you to a standard taxi with the regular rate of 650 baht (about $17) or you can try and negotiate yourself (on the way back, we negotiations 450 bath - about $11).
- All of the staff were extremely friendly and helpful.
- The Lotus wing (where our room was) is very nice and has very large rooms. They have been recently (in the last couple of years) renovated and are pretty modern and spacious with a nice sized outdoor deck. Turn down service in the evening.
- Excellent elite HHonors recognition (I am Diamond). After staying at 60+ different Hilton properties all over the world, this is the best welcome I have ever received (and I was staying on reward points too!!). My wife received a dozen roses, and I received a local flower bouquet. We were then escorted to our room (upgrade to the executive floor in the Lotus wing) where we had more flowers on our desk and a bucket of fruit. We also received access to the executive lounge where there is a full hot breakfast and snacks/free alcohol in the evening.
- The pools. This hotel has probably 4-5 large pools that are some of the nicest I have seen. There was always plenty of room to take a chair and relax. Poolside food was also reasonably priced for a 4-star hotel (beer was about $3 each and pizza was about $6 each).

BAD (I am putting them in to share with folks, but we would definitely come back here in an instant, in spite of the below):
- The beach. Upon arrival, I talked to some locals who explained to me that this particular beach is infamous for killing 3-4 overambitious swimmers every year. Supposedly, that is why this area of Phuket is the least developed. This beach is known for having a pretty strong undertow and can pull you out pretty quickly if you are not careful. That said, they do have a roped off area in the water that is manned by a lifeguard and is marked by a flag for the safe swimming conditions (it was GREEN (safe) every single day I was there). On the good side, this is a long, less-crowded, beautiful beach that we loved walking on.
- Activities are overpriced. The hotel will charge you $80 for a tour of Phi-Phi islands or James Bond Island that you could get for probably $50 or less outside the hotel. Of course, you run the risk of getting a bad operator and have to do it yourself.
- As a Diamond HHonors member on a reward stay (this is currently probably the best value for your points in the whole HHonors program – at 10,000 points per night), I was upgraded to the nicer wing but did not get a sea view room. I don’t want to sound petty because it was lovely and we were perfectly pleased, but it is a little disappointing to go on a beach vacation and not have a view of the beach. Also, while the lounge staff here was perfectly adequate, this had to be the most serious and least outgoing of the lounges I have been in. I was treated very nicely and service was good, but the staff just seemed to want to be somewhere else (I am not sure I ever saw one of them crack a smile – which is VERY rare in Thailand). Only other small complaint is that for some reason they don’t deliver your newspaper to your door in the morning but bring it in when they clean your room, so you typically don’t get your paper until you come back in the evening.
- Small TVs. I never once turned mine on (I can watch TV at home, why come all the way to a beach in Thailand to do it?), but it was very small for Hilton standards – probably a 25 incher.
- I hate to put this in the “bad” section, but you should be aware this is a big property. They have a trolley to take you from the entrance to the hotel rooms. It could take you 15 minutes to walk from end-to-end, and if they are sold out (they were only 20% booked when I was there in February) there may be 1,000+ people in your resort. If you want a small, on-the-beach intimate property, this isn’t it.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g293920-d305270-r4624662-Hilton_Phuket_Arcadia_Resort_Spa-Phuket.html

jkzahn I hope that you also filled out the in room questionaire about your stay and mentioned the unsmiling staff in the lounge. Sometimes a few complaints can set things right...afterall they do call Thailand the land of smiles.
You mention that the hotel was only 20% occupied but as a diamond you did not have a seaview room, did you ask to be moved to one if available or just suffer in silence?

Interesting that you had that experience, as during my stay the Exec Lounge staff were very friendly, initiating conversations with me, making suggestions, and taking the time to find out what I was interested in doing, so they could help me.

Also, the undertow was nothing, compared to the Southern CA beaches I use. In fact, I thought the sea was very calm and there was not a decent wave to body surf.

TV is what it is. Useful for the soccer matches on those few occasions when you are in the room.

For a large resort, it is actually easy to get to the places you want to be. And the shuttle to/from the welcome center operates frequently so the wait time is minimal.

I had a sea view room in the Lotus Wing, as I paid the sea view rate for the first night and did the other 3 nites on points.

The only thing I would add is remember to call to arrange a meter taxi at least 3 hours before you need one, for the trip to the airport. The taxi drivers at the stand near the beach were not as agreeable to drop their prices as they can not pick up at the airport, apparently.

Only other small complaint is that for some reason they don’t deliver your newspaper to your door in the morning but bring it in when they clean your room, so you typically don’t get your paper until you come back in the evening.


http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g293920-d305270-r4624662-Hilton_Phuket_Arcadia_Resort_Spa-Phuket.html

There are a few idiosyncracies at this property and it is far from perfect but I don't really agree with most of the negatives you list. I won't go through them all but in respect of the newspapers, Phuket is an Island. The English language papers are printed in Bangkok and then transported to Phuket (by air I presume). In common with other parts of Thailand (e.g. Samui), The Bangkok Post and The Nation tend not to be available until around lunchtime, which is why the newspaper is delivered later, not necessarily when the room is cleaned (although the cleaners do take the paper in if it is hanging outside when they clean the room).

- I didn't complain about my room selection, because to be honest, we were plenty happy with our room. We didn't spend much time in there anyhow, and we could kind of see the edge of the sea from our balcony if we really wanted to.
- I had no need to complain about the lounge staff at all because they gave me everything I needed and the facilities were excellent. I just thought it was interesting that they seemed a little less outgoing......
- Agree that the shuttle did run very frequently and we never waited longer than 5 minutes for it. Didn't bother us, but for some this might intrude on the property "atmosphere."

I had a wonderful time at this property and would not hesitate to return again. There is always going to be room to improve on every stay, so I just posted all I could think about so folks would be aware.

Can anyone suggest a company tour that can give something good for the right price.
We will be there on April 14 for 1 week and i will like some info from someone that already got one of those tours to phi phi island, elephant trek and any other place worth to see with the wife and my 3 year old kid.

Thanks for the info

JK,

you have been in the phuket hilton?

why didnt you pm me before...
i have friends working there.

dp

Can anyone suggest a company tour that can give something good for the right price.
We will be there on April 14 for 1 week and i will like some info from someone that already got one of those tours to phi phi island, elephant trek and any other place worth to see with the wife and my 3 year old kid.

Thanks for the info

Hi puntos68

April is a wonderfull time to be visiting this facility and you will find the beach and water conditions almost like a lake back home. It is not untill the "Monsoon" weather system roals in about the second week of May that the red swimmer warning flags go up on the beach. Great clean sandy beach but no snorkeling as you will not find any off shore reefs unless you wander down to Kata Beach a little farther South.

My wife and I have been living and working on and under the sea in Phuket for the last 10 years now ( origionaly from B.C.) and we are very familiar with the beaches, reefs and water conditions year round. We opperated the dive counter at the Hilton for 2 years from when it it was still the Arcadia Resort and we had just run up to the deck of the Seafarer Pool overlooking the beach as the tsunami waves came in and got it all on camera.

There are all kinds of great family attractions and activities availiable in the area and you can see some great photos in the on-line photo sharing link sent to us via some "Tripadviser" forum members where I am a very active poster. http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8Abs2bRu2ZtWFc

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions about the activities that you are interested in and you will find some good photos of the ones you are interested in with the link above.

Regards From Phuket

Richard & Megumi

jkzahn, I enjoyed your report. I spent a week there in February (12th - 18th). I'm surprised you weren't given a sea-view room, because as a Gold, I was upgraded to one in the Lotus Wing. I thought the service in the Executive Lounge was fine, and the food was varied and delicious.

Glad I wasn't the only one who noticed the strong undertow in the sea. The water was clear and warm, though, and the beach uncrowded. The pools were uncrowded, too. My favorite pool was the one by the closed wing (Saitong?), because hardly anyone was over there. The eggrolls served at the pool were good, and only about $4 USD.

jkzahn, I enjoyed your report. I spent a week there in February (12th - 18th). I'm surprised you weren't given a sea-view room, because as a Gold, I was upgraded to one in the Lotus Wing. I thought the service in the Executive Lounge was fine, and the food was varied and delicious.

Glad I wasn't the only one who noticed the strong undertow in the sea. The water was clear and warm, though, and the beach uncrowded. The pools were uncrowded, too. My favorite pool was the one by the closed wing (Saitong?), because hardly anyone was over there. The eggrolls served at the pool were good, and only about $4 USD.

i stayed there many times, and i have chosen the mountain view room sometimes over the seaview room, as the view on the other side is not bad too.

the upgrade there depends on the occupancy and the amounts of diamonds/gold staying there.

dp

JK,

you have been in the phuket hilton?

why didnt you pm me before...
i have friends working there.

dp

Wow - I didn't realize how popular you are at all these Hiltons! :)

Either way, I did still have a nice time, and as you mentioned, the mountain view rooms are also very nice.

Thanks again for all your help!

Hi all,

Just wondered if anyone has stayed at the Hilton Phuket? If so, as a Hilton gold do you get any good upgrades etc?

The rate is coming in at £44 a night, which for me is cheap. But talking to friends who have been, they have told me that you can get 4* hotels there for like £5 a night. I don't mind paying the extra and getting the HH points to my account if the hotel is decent.

Thoughts welcomed.

Cheers

Hi all,

Just wondered if anyone has stayed at the Hilton Phuket? If so, as a Hilton gold do you get any good upgrades etc?

The rate is coming in at £44 a night, which for me is cheap. But talking to friends who have been, they have told me that you can get 4* hotels there for like £5 a night. I don't mind paying the extra and getting the HH points to my account if the hotel is decent.

Thoughts welcomed.

Cheers

It's a great hotel. Can't tell you what you'll get as a room upgrade for Gold; I'm a diamond, and we got the lounge access and Lotus wing. I believe it was all Diamonds in there. But the standard area of the hotel seems really nice--- I wouldn't worry. The main wing has better views of the ocean than the Lotus wing's backside rooms, actually. Be sure to patronize both the Thai restaurant, which is the best in the area IMHO, and the spa for dinner.

You'll have a great time there.

4* hotel rooms for 5 GBP...they must be pulling your leg, 2* maybe.

The Arcadia is a great a hotel and treats golds very well. As long as you won't be there during a very busy time you can expect to get the lotus wing upgrade with lounge access as well.

Here's a lengthy thread where you'll be able to find a lot of information about the hotel: http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=450728

Who would want to spend £5 a night for a 4* when you can stay at the holiday inn for 1 baht a night :D

As a gold, I've always rec'd Lotus Wing upgrade and access to their lounge, with breakfast.
Hi all,

Just wondered if anyone has stayed at the Hilton Phuket? If so, as a Hilton gold do you get any good upgrades etc?

The rate is coming in at £44 a night, which for me is cheap. But talking to friends who have been, they have told me that you can get 4* hotels there for like £5 a night. I don't mind paying the extra and getting the HH points to my account if the hotel is decent.

Thoughts welcomed.

Cheers

As a gold, I've always rec'd Lotus Wing upgrade and access to their lounge, with breakfast.

will be there this sunday thru saturday - we'll see if they keep it up

How far is this hotel from the beach and the bars etc? I've never been to phuket but herd the beach and party life is great, so we dont want to be to far away from it all. Also, are there young people at the hotel? Me and my mate are 25 and dont want to be hanging out with retired english men looking for 15 year old girlfriends.....whats the story? we going to be ok?

The beach is across the road and you can rent loungers with umbrellas, buy a beer and have a massage for much cheaper than the hotel or you can use a lounger at the ocean pool and just run across the road when you want a saltwater dip.
The clientele is of all ages. You get conventioneers, holiday group travellers from Asia or abroad, famillies with kids etc. This April the hotel was the busiest I had seen it in the last three and all seven buildings were open as well as two restaurants for breakfast.
If by nightlife you mean bars (including bar girls), pool halls and cheaper restaurants, these are all available a 15 minute walk to the right or left of the hotel.

The beach is across the road and you can rent loungers with umbrellas, buy a beer and have a massage for much cheaper than the hotel or you can use a lounger at the ocean pool and just run across the road when you want a saltwater dip.
The clientele is of all ages. You get conventioneers, holiday group travellers from Asia or abroad, famillies with kids etc. This April the hotel was the busiest I had seen it in the last three and all seven buildings were open as well as two restaurants for breakfast.
If by nightlife you mean bars (including bar girls), pool halls and cheaper restaurants, these are all available a 15 minute walk to the right or left of the hotel.


Nice one Moon...thanks for the heads up!!

Nice one Moon...thanks for the heads up!!

Why walk 15 minutes when you can have it right in front of you? Let's assume you try and take it to the edge - do you really want to walk 15 or try and figure out a tuk tuk.

Plus you'll have better eye candy in Patong.

Sgt--- I'm not sure from your post that you're going to like the Arcadia--- when you crave the beach and the bars, I hope you mean a pretty low-voltage, scandinavian bar scene. Karon Beach, where the Hilton Arcadia is, is not exactly Party Central. If you've heard of wild nightlife, my guess is you're talking about Patong or Phuket City (I haven't been to either), not Karon. Both it and Kata, which is south of the hotel, look pretty tame. In February, we were talking about mostly middle-aged, middle class, mostly Swedish and Norwegian folks who seemed out to have a decent evening, drinking and watching sports on TV after dinner. Sure, there's a slew of bars, but it's not Bangkok. If I understand your inquiry, you're going to be having a LOT of (relatively) expensive long taxi rides to get where you're seeking.

The Hilton just isn't in a party destination. (PS: I say relatively because you have to bargain with the cab drivers, and it'll probably be $15 each way and 20-30 minutes up to Patong.) Hope you find what you're looking for.

I recently paid a visit to the Hilton Arcadia and quite like the atmosphere there. Will probably stay there on my next visit to Phuket instead of the Sheraton Grande Laguna even though I am only Gold with Hilton and Platinum with Starwood.

Executive Lounge : I was informed by a Manager there that Gold will receive breakfast vouchers at the restaurant but no lounge access. I have not read any report of Gold being denied access to the lounge. Any Gold with recent stay still getting access to the lounge ?

Seaview Rooms : I quite like the decor of the rooms at the Lotus wing. If I book a seaview room, will I get a room at the Andaman wing which I believe is closer to the sea. Hows the decor of the rooms at the Andaman wing ? From the website pictures it doesnt look quite as nice with the glazed floor tiles instead of timber floor on the Lotus wing. Is the website picture outdated ?

Tennis Courts : Is there a charge for the use of the courts and do they have coaches/sparing-partners in the resort ?

Spa : I did not have the opportunity to visit the spa but I believe its quite nice. Are the prices reasonable at the spa ?

Thanks :)

Spa : I did not have the opportunity to visit the spa but I believe its quite nice. Are the prices reasonable at the spa ?

I stayed at the Hilton Phuket Arcadia in November on an award stay as a Diamond. I can only answer one of your questions, and that is about the Spa. Mr. SEA2BA and I had a package of treatments there together. It was one of the best overall spa experiences I have had anywhere, but it was not cheap -- rather on the scale of what you'd get in the U.S.

Enjoy your future stay, we loved it.
SEA2BA

Executive Lounge : I was informed by a Manager there that Gold will receive breakfast vouchers at the restaurant but no lounge access. I have not read any report of Gold being denied access to the lounge. Any Gold with recent stay still getting access to the lounge ?

Seaview Rooms : I quite like the decor of the rooms at the Lotus wing. If I book a seaview room, will I get a room at the Andaman wing which I believe is closer to the sea. Hows the decor of the rooms at the Andaman wing ? From the website pictures it doesnt look quite as nice with the glazed floor tiles instead of timber floor on the Lotus wing. Is the website picture outdated ?

Tennis Courts : Is there a charge for the use of the courts and do they have coaches/sparing-partners in the resort ?

Spa : I did not have the opportunity to visit the spa but I believe its quite nice. Are the prices reasonable at the spa ?

Thanks :)
1 & 2. I was there last November as a gold. I booked the cheapest room and was assigned a seaview room at the Andaman wing with lounge ascess upon checkin. I asked for the Lotus Wing and was told either garden view room at lotus wing or seaview room at Andaman wing. I picked the Lotus wing room and I loved it. One can get the seaview as the lounge which is not that impressive IMHO.

3. Never use the tennis court.

4. Spa was very good. The atmospere was nice. Each room consists of its own building with "outdoor" bath tub. The therapist was young and good looking :D . Price was high by Phuket standard but it was worth it. Look out for the special spa package flyer in your room to save some money. Make sure you book early for the time slot you desire.

This must be a new policy.I was their this April and got the Lotus building with seaview and lounge access.
I'm also gold.

Enjoy while it last. 10K per night is a bargain. From June onward it will cost you 20K. Yes 100% increase.

Was there in March as Diamond and got garden view in Lotus. I would choose Lotus, no matter what the view is, as they are all pretty good views.

Just finished trip - stayed in Lotus Wing seaview. Have stayed in Andaman as well. Not a huge difference in decor.

Was given the speech that only Diamonds get lounge access. This is a bs line from the staff. She did some checking and for some magical reason later in the check-in; she said that I do indeed have access to the lounge. Anyhow, I've never been denied an upgrade in rooms.

I actually prefer the Andaman wing as it is closer to the beach entrance and my son's favorite pool.

They gave my wife roses - has happened 7/8 times now.

It's a great hotel for a family. I would not do this hotel with the guys or looking for nightlife.

Thanks for the replies.

It seems that except for the closer proxomity of the beach from the Andaman wing, most posters actually prefer the Lotus wing. Unless the seaview from the Andaman wing is much nicer than the Lotus wing, I think I would be very comfortable at the Lotus wing :)

Regarding lounge access, there was a mention of a charge for non-diamond guests and they seemed quite serious about it. I suspect they have may made an exception for donavan1313 ; it just doesnt seem wise to deny lounge access to a repeat guest who has more than 8 stays at the resort :)

I stayed at the Hilton Phuket Arcadia in November on an award stay as a Diamond. I can only answer one of your questions, and that is about the Spa. Mr. SEA2BA and I had a package of treatments there together. It was one of the best overall spa experiences I have had anywhere, but it was not cheap -- rather on the scale of what you'd get in the U.S.

Enjoy your future stay, we loved it.
SEA2BA

My wife is eager to find out more info about their SPA.

The hotel offer a SPA REJUVENATION PACKAGE which includes 1H SPA for 2 daily for THB8400+ (Deluxe Plus room). Price excluding SPA is approx THB4600+. So the question is: Is it worth to pay over THB4000 extra per night (for 1H SPA for 2?) compared with the prices for a la carte SPA?

Thank,
H.J.

Was there any problem obtaining a 110V electrical converter at this property or are they even necessary?

I tried a search and didn't find anything, so if anyone can point me in the right direction, I would appreciate it.

My question is: If I book the Hilton Phuket on expedia, will I still get treated according to my HH Diamond status? I know that I might not get points or stay credit, but that's ok. I don't want to use points because the rate next month is so cheap and I have an expedia coupon to use, so it turns out to be quite a deal if I book through expedia. Does anyone have experience with HH treatment by booking through non-Hilton methods?

I tried a search and didn't find anything, so if anyone can point me in the right direction, I would appreciate it.

My question is: If I book the Hilton Phuket on expedia, will I still get treated according to my HH Diamond status? I know that I might not get points or stay credit, but that's ok. I don't want to use points because the rate next month is so cheap and I have an expedia coupon to use, so it turns out to be quite a deal if I book through expedia. Does anyone have experience with HH treatment by booking through non-Hilton methods?

I've booked Hiltons at Hotels.com and received points. I don't think its a problem except with sites like "masked" priceline.

So you should have the best of both worlds going for you.

^ ^

I think you get VIP benefits (but not points or stay credit) on all except "opaque" bookings.

The Hilton website states:

Eligible Rate stays are stays at all rates except wholesale/tour operator
packages, contracted airline crew rates, complimentary or barter rooms,
stays on NET Group, Series Group or IT Group rates, contracted Entertainment or Encore rates and stays using airline percent-off award certificates. Stays that are booked via third party websites other than the websites of Hilton HHonors airline partners are not Eligible Stays irrespective of rate paid, for the purpose of earning points, miles or stay credit toward VIP tier status. Stays booked via "opaque" channels where the brand is unknown at the time of purchase are not Eligible Stays for the purpose of earning points, miles or stay credit toward VIP tier status, or the receipt of VIP tier benefits such as upgraded accommodations / amenities or access to
health clubs.

Is there a Internet cafe close by?

Is there a Internet cafe close by?

I have just arrived from Arcadia.

as Hilton Gold you have complementary internet acess in the lounge. (along with other stuff such as two alcohol drinks , snacks buffé, free soft drink,etc )

They have limited the usage to ten minutes but now during low season you can surf all you want as the lounge is empty most of the day.

Otherwise, the coffeshop by the pool has internet acess for a nominal fee.

Both the cafe and the business center will charge you 150 baht for the first 15 minutes even if you use it for 10 - then prorated charges of 150 baht for each subsequent 15 minutes.

Your best option at the Arcadia is to use wireless - here you have two options.
1. It is free - just PM me and I'll tell you how
2. Pay 300 baht for an hour (a savings of 300 baht using the above methods) - you'll get decent strength by the andaman lounge and bar area.

Both the cafe and the business center will charge you 150 baht for the first 15 minutes even if you use it for 10 - then prorated charges of 150 baht for each subsequent 15 minutes.

Your best option at the Arcadia is to use wireless - here you have two options.
1. It is free - just PM me and I'll tell you how
2. Pay 300 baht for an hour (a savings of 300 baht using the above methods) - you'll get decent strength by the andaman lounge and bar area.


I am not talking about the business center, but the HH Lounge on top of Lotus building. a spend at least one hour each day for a week there with no questions whatsoever. They have two computers for complementary usage...

However, free wireless would have been even better :D

edit: ...and you can order complementary softdrink while surfing...

I'm not bringing a laptop but will have my PSP so wireless may work. I sent you a PM. Nice to know about the free internet access in the lounge.

TinkyBelle - I tried replying to your PM but you are full. Sactoroy you have PM. Enjoy the PSP. In addition, post a report or send PM about your stay.

I have just arrived from Arcadia.

as Hilton Gold you have complementary internet acess in the lounge. (along with other stuff such as two alcohol drinks , snacks buffé, free soft drink,etc )

They have limited the usage to ten minutes but now during low season you can surf all you want as the lounge is empty most of the day.

Otherwise, the coffeshop by the pool has internet acess for a nominal fee.
We are here now and was told that lounge was for diamonds only. Is this true???

We are here now and was told that lounge was for diamonds only. Is this true???

Well I am a Diamond and they let me in so that part is true ;)

I think they have allowed Golds in to the lounge in the past. I had always thought that lounge access accompanied the Lotus wing room (i.e. the Lotus Wing is an Executive "floor"). I do know that many Asian Hiltons differentiate between Golds and Diamonds and allow Lounge acess to Diamonds only (The Conrad BKK springs immediately to mind). I would thus not be at all surprised if the Arcadia had the same approach.

The difficulty with the lounge at the Arcadia is that it is really small. When there are 10 to 12 people in there it feels quite busy. Presumably if there are a number of Golds staying at any one time then it could rapidly become very busy indeed (and quite unpleasant).

It really is not much fun in that particular lounge once it contains more than 14 guests.

Well I am a Diamond and they let me in so that part is true ;)

I think they have allowed Golds in to the lounge in the past. I had always thought that lounge access accompanied the Lotus wing room (i.e. the Lotus Wing is an Executive "floor"). I do know that many Asian Hiltons differentiate between Golds and Diamonds and allow Lounge acess to Diamonds only (The Conrad BKK springs immediately to mind). I would thus not be at all surprised if the Arcadia had the same approach.

The difficulty with the lounge at the Arcadia is that it is really small. When there are 10 to 12 people in there it feels quite busy. Presumably if there are a number of Golds staying at any one time then it could rapidly become very busy indeed (and quite unpleasant).

It really is not much fun in that particular lounge once it contains more than 14 guests.

Okay we got access after I asked a couple of staff members at the front desk. I'm using the lounge right now. We are also staying in the Lotus Wing on a reward stay. It's very quiet right now even though it is "happy hour". There are two large parties here right now. A large contingent of mainland chinese tour group and an Indian wedding of approximately 700 guest. Yes, 700 guests. Last night was the engagement party and the party is supposed to last until Friday. We're not sure when the actual wedding is but it looks to be a blow out party as the staff members we spoke with can not remember a bigger event. Judging from the decorations, guest tours, etc., I believe them! I'll post a more detailed trip report when we return to the States. This place is a bargain at 10K a night. Too bad it's gone up.

It's very quiet right now even though it is "happy hour".

You are indeed very lucky to have missed the glutton asian family (with a hint of american accent) who must have checked-out by now.

The entire family would takeover the lounge during "happy hour", occupying the sofa infront of the tv with their baby who was barely a few months old and their daughter would hog the internet terminal for hours. The first time they used the lounge, the wife asked the lounge attendant to arrange for a large plate of food and some drinks to be brought back to their room since their daughter was "hardly" eating and was busy with the internet. Even though her request was denied, I saw the husband leaving the lounge after "happy hour" with a large plate covered with a serviette, presumably full of leftover food :eek:

The same routine was repeated the next day with the husband piling up as many of those little plates as their table could hold. I was particularly disgusted when he practically emptied everything from the 4 food-warmers the minute he saw us entered the lounge, shouting across the lounge to his daughter to comeover to eat. His constant request for food refills was almost unbelievable, and it appeared the entire family was using the lounge offerings as a substitute for their main meals :td:

The lounge is actually not that small. The size is equivalent to 3 deluxe-plus guest rooms and there are also a few tables in the balcony. I dont mind a lounge full of "civilised" guests, but a relatively empty lounge with glutton and selfish guests is a big turnoff :mad:

BTW hows the weather in Phuket now ? I read it has improved a lot since we left early this week. The weather was gloomy and it rained a lot during our last 2 days there.

BTW hows the weather in Phuket now ? I read it has improved a lot since we left early this week. The weather was gloomy and it rained a lot during our last 2 days there.
The lounge is pretty spacious and there is no obnoxious guests that we have encountered here. The weather has been very nice. Any rain we have had has been overnight so we haven't been bothered. Kinda hazy around the hotel but nice at Banana Beach today.

A review of our stay last week :

The Good :

1) Lounge : Quite pleasant with both indoor and outdoor seating. Food during evening cocktails was very good, 4 different hot items (mostly asian/thai based items) each evening. Breakfast was purely American with several hot food items and you can order eggs cooked-to-order. We were also given the option of having breakfast at the restaurant Sails which has a more extensive spread and includes a few asian items.

2) Room : Deluxe Plus room at Lotus wing was quite spacious and tastefully decorated, though I wont say it falls under the "luxury" category. Large balcony and quite nice view. Bathroom has both tub and shower stall (with overhead shower), again pleasant but not luxury.

3) Staff : most staff are friendly and eager to engage in conversations with guests. Lounge staff also has good memory of what you like to eat and drink.

4) Trams : I actually thought the tram is a good thing. It saves a lot of walking especially from the carpark to the main lobby since the resort ground is quite massive. If you are staying at the Lotus wing, you can ask the driver to drop you off at the Saitong wing (below the overhead building) where a covered walkway brings you directly to the Lotus lift lobby :)

5) ATM : I noticed an onsite ATM just outside the Business Centre.


The Not so Good :

1) Toiletries : there was no body lotion/moisturiser in the bathroom. Only one bottle of shampoo, conditioner and bathgel. Compared with the HI Patong which stocks 2 bottles of everything, I am surprised the Hilton would stinge on toiletries.

2) Newspaper : consistently failed to deliver newspaper to my room everyday eventhough they were reminded each day.

3) Thai-Thai : Only 6-8 diners each evening. Traditional thai music (live). Wait staff were not friendly and hardly smile. The freshness of certain seafood item was also questionable. The taste/flavour of food was quite good, and with some improvements it has the potential to be an excellent restaurant.

4) Beach : Karon Beach was very dirty during this time of year. A lot of bottles, pieces of wood and other rubbish washed ashore and one has to be very careful walking along the beach. Though this is a public beach, the hotels along the "strip" should make some combined effort to cleanup the beach. Strangely, Karon beach was quite clean a month plus ago.

5) Sunday Lunch : At Sails , if you decide not to indulge in the Sunday Brunch buffet, there isnt much else on offer. The usual alacarte menu was withdrawn on Sunday and in its place is a simple menu for light meal/snacks. No other restaurant open (low season now) except for Cafe Cino which basically serves cakes, pastries, sandwich, ice-cream etc

Would I return to the Hilton Phuket Arcadia ? Most definitely :cool:

I agree with mario33's review and would add:

Breakfast - went to Sails as it had a nice variety of Asian and Western options. Didn't try the breakfast in the Lounge.

Laundry - there is a laundry place about 10 min walk from the hotel which charges 60 Baht per kilo. Take the beach road towards Kata and make a left at the first street (there's a minimart on the corner). About halfway up the block on the right, you'll see a sandwich board sign advertising the laundry. We got it back the next day.

Metered Taxi's - we took one from the airport to the hotel to support their effort against the Taxi/Tuk Tuk mafia. The cost was about the same though they use cars vs. vans so if you have a bit of luggage it may not work for you. I tried to call for a metered taxi while at the Hilton and they didn't even know the number to call. That said, you can find taxi/tuk tuk at both entrances to the hotel. Their prices are pretty well fixed to the more popular locations (Kata 100 THB, Patong 200 THB, Phuket Town 400 THB).

Shopping - Central Festival is a Western-style mall and a nice relief from the heat. We found some bargains nosing around the casual wear and sporting goods shops. Don't miss the weekend market in Phuket Town, great food at very low prices. There is also shopping stall similar to the weekend market in Bangkok and Temple St in Hong Kong.

Fantasea - a theme park with no rides which features an indoor show as the highlight. It was a bit cheesy but our 3.5 yo daughter enjoyed it, especially since the show involved a whole bunch of elephants. I'd avoid the buffet and just order ala carte from the restaurant, the prices are pretty reasonable. The price for 2 adults and 1 child was 3600 THB booked at the Adventure Desk at the hotel, which included round trip tranportation.

Spa - they have daily specials so we tried the Siamese massage (50 min) for 1100 THB each. The Spa grounds are very nice and tranquil though I think you can see into some of the Spa rooms from the hotel!

Kid's Club - free for kids 5 and older. Under 5 requires a babysitting charge of 150 THB/hour. This is the same rate for in-room babysitting.

Thailand's reputation for loving children was very evident on our trip as the staff treated her like a princess. The one's we saw on a regular basis would call her by name, gave hugs and were very playful with her. In town, local women were also very nice to her. Even the Andaman Lounge act, Music Heights, loved her. Of course, she and occasionally us were the only one's that danced to their singing. All in all we had a very nice stay and would go back but we are still searching for our beach front Shangri-La.

Just checked out from a 6 night stay (originally planned on 3 nights); I ended up with several days to kill between being in Kuala Lumpur and having to be in Bangkok for a flight onwards to India, so I decided diving in Phuket would be just the thing. The diving there is great so I stayed even longer! (I would've done a liveaboard but had much work to keep me occupied in the evenings, unfortunately.)

I checked in around 11PM; the staff and tram were quite efficient. I noticed "Gold" penciled in next to my name on the Welcome Lobby check-in list while they finding my reservation, and very few other such notes. Makes sense, being a tourist destination with fewer elites. Asked to take a seat and greeted with guava juice and a cold towel at the Andaman Lobby for actual check-in; good elite recognition. I'd been pre-upgraded to a garden-view Lotus Wing room with lounge access; no sea-view rooms available but that was fine. (And I spent most of my days on diving trips, so plenty of sea there!) The room was spacious, well-appointed with a nice balcony, and had a decent bathroom. A couple I talked to who were in a standard room were not that happy with their apparently run-down room in the Andaman Wing, so apparently some of the rooms could use a bit of refurbishment. The staff were all quite friendly and helpful, as one would expect in Thailand.

Breakfast in the lounge was good, but nothing spectacular. I didn't try the option of breakfast at Sails, though I was told I could do that. The lounge was practically deserted every time I had breakfast. Pretty deserted in the evenings too, though busier on the weekend. The evening appetizers were quite good, and varied throughout my stay. There was free Internet, which consisted of two computers and no wireless; I asked if I could use my laptop and they told me to unplug a computer and plug it in. Of course that wasn't a good permanent solution so I ended up using the THB750/day in-room Internet, which was often times horribly slow.

They were very strict in enforcing the two drink policy (well, they did give me a third on my last night after asking nicely :)). I decided that this was a very good policy for this hotel on my last lounge visit. I understand this is a vacation hotel and doesn't really cater to business-traveler types, but there was a loud, obnoxious group of twenty-somethings making the lounge quite unpleasant (and I'm a twenty-something myself; no blanket discrimination there.) They kept the chef very busy as they repeatedly depleted the food and requested more and more; though I can't completely blame them as the shrimp tempura was delicious! One of them kept calling down to a friend to come up for the free food and drinks. (I was quite amused by the most loud and annoying of the group yelling over to his friends "hey they have some really expensive cheese over here! I think it's that green cheese!" I think he was referring to the Brie. :)) I mostly tuned them out as I was busy reading, but if that two drink limit wasn't there I'm pretty sure they'd have been pounding back drinks and making me get the staff involved. The Exec Lounge invitation letter noted a smart-casual dress code, which wasn't enforced (and I wouldn't expect any such thing at a resort hotel), but one would assume that from that sort of wording and the ambiance of the lounge, the aforementioned group would get the idea that it was NOT meant to be Party Central. There were also more families than the average lounge; and as usually seems the case, every kid I saw there was well behaved.

I didn't make much use of the hotel's facilities, nor did I visit nearby Karon Beach. The restaurants and bars were quite empty the few times I went by. I booked a few dive trips with Sea-Bees through the tour desk (a good value, as they charge the same or less than directly with the dive companies; their rates include tax, too.) I highly recommend Sea-Bees if you do go diving; another outfit I used was quite substandard by comparison, and in talking to various people my experience was confirmed. If you go to the back of the hotel there's a tuk-tuk stand with a makeshift TAXI sign; I went down to Patong Beach one evening and negotiated my THB400 fare down to THB250, but even that was a horrible deal for Thailand. Apparently the tuk-tuks in the area cooperate in gouging tourists, and meter taxis are rare.

Checked out today at 3PM; absolutely no problem getting a late check-out. Though I guess this is something of low season, since the monsoon rains should be setting in shortly. Overall, a very good experience (other than the lounge nuisance, and if that REALLY bothered me I certainly could've taken it up with the staff); I will definitely come back here on a real vacation someday.

Oh yeah, there was something else: the doorbells are annoyingly loud. I could hear the bell from next door almost as loudly as my own doorbell. There was a family of several people in there, and they seemed to have people coming and going constantly (some of who apparently liked ringing the bell repeatedly); it interfered with me sleeping in on my last day. I told the front desk about this on checkout and got an unheartfelt apology. I'm inclined to complain to HHonors about this one. If it had been earlier in my stay I'm sure they'd have offered to move me, but it just had to be on the last morning sleeping in... :(

I was wondering if anyone who has gone recently and gotten an upgrade can tell me what room they booked. I'm headed over again this year after a wonderful stay last year (at that 10K points price). With the fact that I'm also staying in Singapore and possibly a short stay in Bali, I'm going to be paying for the room in Phuket.

And yes Richard, if you're trolling, you should have an e-mail from me soon. It will be good to see you and Megumi again.

I was wondering if anyone who has gone recently and gotten an upgrade can tell me what room they booked. I'm headed over again this year after a wonderful stay last year (at that 10K points price). With the fact that I'm also staying in Singapore and possibly a short stay in Bali, I'm going to be paying for the room in Phuket.

And yes Richard, if you're trolling, you should have an e-mail from me soon. It will be good to see you and Megumi again.


I was there at the end of July on a stay booked through expedia and using a $50 coupon. We booked the lowest category and our upgrade was to the Lotus Wing, 7th floor facing north with a view of the ocean and mountains. Our reception after taking the hotel BMW from the airport was similar to what others have described with a ton of flowers and very personal touches. This is an excellent property and the spa is great. As stated either in this or similar forums, the spa has daily specials, so don't book ahead. We did book ahead of time, and we spent much more than we would've had we done one of the specials. Oh well, it's still much cheaper than any spa in the US.

I'm not sure if this has been mentioned, but you have a choice of 3 places for breakfast. There's the lounge on the 12th floor, which is the least crowded but has the smallest selection. The Cafe on the Lagoon and Sails are the other places. The Cafe has slightly less of a selection, but is just as good, and it's not nearly as crowded as Sails, which is quite busy. When we were there, the hotel was at 45% capacity, so I can't imagine what breakfast at Sails would be like in much higher hotel capacity.

Just returned from a 4-day Hilton Phuket stay a few days ago. I am Diamond and on an award stay, and was given a room in the Lotus Wing. The reception was great, my room was not ready so they escorted me to a normal room so that I could freshen up or take a rest.

Does anyone have a spa recommendation within walking distance of the Hilton Arcadia ?

The regular prices at the inhouse spa is too expensive for me to go on a daily basis, and I am looking for a decent place at more affordable prices.

Thanks.

....the Body&Mind spa in Karon is also quite nice and much more affordable.

I followed cathaana's suggestion and went to the Body & Mind (http://www.body-mindspa.com/index_eng.htm). I had the hotel call the spa who then sent a complimentary car for me, and returned me after my appointment. I was well pleased with the considerably more affordable service.

I went to the Body and Mind Spa in town too, and it was great. It's very good, clean and is even cheaper than the already cheap Spa at the Hilton. I made reservations online before we left the States and they will pick you up from the hotel too. They just want you to reconfirm when you actually get to Phuket.

Must say I was very impressed with my recent stay here as a Gold. Booked 2 night award under the old 10,000 points per night rate before 1 June increases. Such good value then!!

Got upgraded to Lotus Wing.

This made a huge difference!

Last year I visited as Silver and got a crappy room in the Andaman wing.

Now, the whole hotel and staff seemed to be much nicer, professional and attentive.

Congrats to the management for improving things!

I followed cathaana's suggestion and went to the Body & Mind (http://www.body-mindspa.com/index_eng.htm).

Thanks for highlighting cathaana's suggestion (I must have missed it earlier). Will give it a try on my upcoming stay.

I find NW-A332 's comment on the Hilton Arcadia Spa quite interesting. With a 1hr massage costing almost as much as the cheapest low season room rate, I thought its quite expensive :(

Thanks for highlighting cathaana's suggestion (I must have missed it earlier). Will give it a try on my upcoming stay.

I find NW-A332 's comment on the Hilton Arcadia Spa quite interesting. With a 1hr massage costing almost as much as the cheapest low season room rate, I thought its quite expensive :(

I would argue that if a few £ here or there really makes such a difference then Phuket isn't really the place in Thailand for you. Everything in Phuket is a rip-off compared to elsewhere in the Kingdom, from the (non-chain) shops to food and drink prices. I personally think the Hilton Spa is very good value for money, after all a spa treatment is not just about the massage etc. it is about the ambience of the place and how much you are able to relax as a result.

The Arcadia Spa frequently has specials which are very good value for money. I have always thought that I received good value whenever I have been to the Arcadia Spa, and since this is FT after all, think of the HH points you forego by going elsewhere ;)

I would argue that if a few £ here or there really makes such a difference then Phuket isn't really the place in Thailand for you.

While I agree that certain daily specials at the Arcadia Spa are decent value, 2hrs of treatment from the standard menu each day will add up to quite a substantial amount for an entire stay, whether one earns in GBP or BHT :rolleyes:
However, its good to know that you do get to earn HHonors points from spa treatments at Hiltons, unlike SPG which I found out too late at the end of my stay :(

And if Phuket is not the place for me as you have suggested, I wont be making my 3rd trip in 2006 next week. I actually find Phuket to be one of the best value destinations around, as long as one avoids the tuk-tuks ....

I actually find Phuket to be one of the best value destinations around, as long as one avoids the tuk-tuks ....

I forgot to mention before that the hotel's drivers can take you around too. I believe it is 500 Baht per hour for the Toyota and 800 Baht per hour for the BMW. We had the same driver, Pao, that got us from the airport drive us around the island for about 3.5 hours in the Toyota because the BMW wasn't available. It was really great and he showed us so much of the island. He is extremely nice, just like everyone at the Hilton, and he's from Phuket so he knows everything. To me a private driver in any air conditioned car for 3.5 hours for about $50USD is a deal. I loved everything about Phuket and the Hilton.

hi,

normally its a better deal to take a airport limo. it is 650Baht and they are in brand new toyotoas. and they are driving very good.

if you want to got with a meter taxi , if you go out of the airport, go to the left and at the end you can see 50m away yellow taxis. these are meter taxi and it is 450baht to the phuket hilton.

dp

While I agree that certain daily specials at the Arcadia Spa are decent value, 2hrs of treatment from the standard menu each day will add up to quite a substantial amount for an entire stay, whether one earns in GBP or BHT :rolleyes:
However, its good to know that you do get to earn HHonors points from spa treatments at Hiltons, unlike SPG which I found out too late at the end of my stay :(

And if Phuket is not the place for me as you have suggested, I wont be making my 3rd trip in 2006 next week. I actually find Phuket to be one of the best value destinations around, as long as one avoids the tuk-tuks ....

yes it is really annoying that the tuktuks are ripping up customers.
in BKK you can drive 10 times longer for the same money. some tuktuks ask for 500baht from karon to patong....

dp

I'm looking forward to my second stay just after Labor Day. It's the second year I'll be spending my birthday in Phuket. I loved it last year, but didn't take advantage of the spa at the Hilton or in town. I plan on it this year.

Hi. I searched but did not see this specific topic addressed. I have a stay booked at the Hilton Phuket in December 2006

On September 28, the hotel charged my HHonors AMEX, $504, more than the entire cost of the my three night stay ($445). I did not book a rate that required prepayment. (I was travelling and paid bill without detailed review or would have noticed sooner)

When I looked at my confirmation on the hilton honors website, there is no statement about deposits and no acknowledgment of the payment.

I have referred this to Hilton who is researching it, but has anyone had similar experiences with this hotel?


Thanks.

Never happened to me before.

My guess is that someone at the hotel mistook your rate as an advanced purchase rate. The slightly higher amount is probably due to service charge/taxes on your rate.

I hope for peak season they are not adopting the Maui practice i.e charging you first for first couple of nights when you book and refunding to you if you cancel before the cancellation dateline :(

never had a problem there.
i know the staf very well, if you need to get it solved very quick, drop me a pm, i will email you the contact data.

dp

I had a similar problem , but not with Hilton Phuket, Conrad Bali, they charged my card A$400 for a two night stay, 2 months before, however, the rate was cancellable within 3 days before the stay, which is 1 December 2006, took me two weeks to get the credit, by that time A$ revalued against the Indonesian Rupee, so lost A$10!!!

oin Hi. I searched but did not see this specific topic addressed. I have a stay booked at the Hilton Phuket in December 2006

On September 28, the hotel charged my HHonors AMEX, $504, more than the entire cost of the my three night stay ($445). I did not book a rate that required prepayment. (I was travelling and paid bill without detailed review or would have noticed sooner)

When I looked at my confirmation on the hilton honors website, there is no statement about deposits and no acknowledgment of the payment.

I have referred this to Hilton who is researching it, but has anyone had similar experiences with this hotel?


Thanks.

I am still waiting for Hilton to research this issue. I received one unhelpful email from the diamond desk saying--no prepaid stay, no deposit required, they shouldnt have charged you.

Someone is researching it with the hotel but I decided not to wait and contacted American Express to challenge the charge.

I noticed on my HHonors acct that somehow three reservations for this hotel showed up and I cancelled two, letting the Diamond staff member researching this know which ones I cancelled and which one is still active.

I would like to arrange for a car pickup from the airport but until this messy situation is resolved, I don't want to throw fuel onto the fire. Who knows what they would charge me in advance for the car pickup.

This is more complicated than I would like....

I have been at the Hilton Phuket last week (Andaman Suite, old but nice).
I would suggest to take a limousine at the airport, the charge is 650BAT compared to 1.750BAT that the Hilton would have charged if they sent you the hotel limo.

The airport limousines are totally fine and you can book them when you walk out into the arrivals hall from the luggage claim. Can´t miss them....

First time to SE Asia. We are hoping to go visit relatives in Hong Kong in Oct. and are considering taking a side junket to a beach resort using points or dollars/paid stay. I had read through this forum that Phuket Hilton was a good place to stay. Questions I have:

1. As a diamond how are the upgrades on either points or paid stay?
2. Is there a lounge?
3. Is this an isolated location where you need to eat and drink at the hotel or are there restaurants and bars within walking distance?
4. Any other places you would recommend other than Phuket?

Thank you,

Gwen

Plenty of info on this forum, search for "Phuket".

-- The hotel is wonderful-- really first class. It's got several walkable restaurants nearby. But the hotel's restaurants are excellent, and not particularly expensive. The spa cuisine restaurant was great, and we were the only patrons last year about this time. The formal thai restaurant was really, really fine: try the soft shelled crab and a few other dishes. We were very impressed.

There is a lounge; quite nice, too. As a Diamond, there was no question, we were given a really superb room and lounge access without asking, on a points stay.

Writing from the Phuket Hilton. We've always been given a nice room. Hotel is wonderful. Lounge is really busy for cocktail hour these days... so much so, that we skip it sometimes.

Breakfast is provided for Gold and Diamonds in the lounge and the 2 breakfast restaurants.

We had a nice walk last night... a few minutes to nearby restaurants. A 10+ minute walk to the next street with umpteen more choices.

This hotel is currently running about 95% occupancy. 4 Swimming pools and all chairs full each day. Restaurants full, with a few minute wait for breakfast each morning (lounge nice and quiet for breakfast).

Note, the hotel is in Karon Beach, not Patong. I love it and will come back again, but they are suffering growing pains. They're busier than they can handle, but are managing well despite thier challenges.

First time to SE Asia. We are hoping to go visit relatives in Hong Kong in Oct. and are considering taking a side junket to a beach resort using points or dollars/paid stay. I had read through this forum that Phuket Hilton was a good place to stay. Questions I have:

1. As a diamond how are the upgrades on either points or paid stay?
2. Is there a lounge?
3. Is this an isolated location where you need to eat and drink at the hotel or are there restaurants and bars within walking distance?
4. Any other places you would recommend other than Phuket?

Thank you,

Gwen


Hi Gwen. My husband and I stayed there in December and loved it. As a diamond, I was treated very well, from the welcoming bouquet of roses and flowers in the room to an upgraded room (stay on AAA rate) and access to lounge. This is the busy season and the hotel is popular with Europeans--more so than Americans during my stay. Search the Phuket threads for lots of good info--we got info on a great nearby, off property spa that picks you up at the Hilton, where to take laundry a few blocks away and a suggestion for a great driver for an all day excursion. In the lounge I was talking to someone who has come for 10 years in a row and she likes the shoulder seasons (late Oct) when rates are a lot lower and the hotel is not so crowded.

Hope this helps--Mary Anne

I agree with most of the comments here and infact this is one of my favourite Hilton hotel.

Its a nice and pleasant resort, however it is not in the "luxury" category and this is reflected in the room rates. Beach is across the road from the property and can be quite dirty during certain months. Highlight of this property is the Spa which is very nice but not cheap; and also the Executive Lounge which is small but cosy, and offers great food and beautiful sunset in the evenings.

If you are looking for a relaxing and inexpensive stay, yes Hilton Phuket Arcadia is definitely your place. If you are after marble bathrooms etc, Conrad Bali may be a better choice (though I will probably never return to stay at the Conrad Bali due to poor treatment I received when I was Gold)

I'll post it here as well.... I love this property. I've spent my last two birthdays here and have really enjoyed it. They have gone above and beyond as far as I'm concerned (I've had a birthday cake both years). I'm considering heading back at the end of March.

We are also here at the moment. Haven't seen you for a couple of days sean. :)

The Hotel is nice, but is certainly struggling at full capacity as it is at the moment. Unless you're up at the crack of dawn or are very fortunate you can virtually forget getting a sunbed, despite their being large areas of the grounds unused. They are getting lots of complaints about this at the moment. It was certainly a bargain at the old rate of 10,000 points a night and still is decent value at 20,000.

Plenty of places to eat nearby, either turn left or right and there are a number of options. There is one great little local place immediately next to the Hotel on the right, but I believe this may be moving shortly due to the new Hotel that is being built next door.

One small thing that may be of interest to some is they abandoned the 2 drink limit in the lounge on New Years Day.

1. As a diamond how are the upgrades on either points or paid stay?
2. Is there a lounge?
3. Is this an isolated location where you need to eat and drink at the hotel or are there restaurants and bars within walking distance?
4. Any other places you would recommend other than Phuket?


We loved it there when we went in late July 06. They were at about 40% capacity but I can't remember exactly but I remember posting about it. I think we were the only Americans at the hotel and it seemed that most of the tourists were European and Middle Eastern.
1. We are diamond and booked the lowest category room through expedia and we were given tons of flowers fruit at the Lotus Wing with ocean view. I think the non-Lotus Wing rooms are not all that nice looking, but that was just from what I could see from one of the pools.
2. The lounge on the top of the Lotus Wing is great. The attendants there are so great and helpful and called us by name. Here's an example of how helpful they are. In the middle of the day I was the only person in the lounge and wanted to check email. I asked the woman there how to eat a Lychee, which they call Rambutan I think. I had never had one and wondered how to peel it. The lady offered to do it for me after explaining how to do it. She warned me about not eating the pit.
3. See above posts. You can also have your laundry done in the town there for much cheaper than the hotel charges.
4. Our driver at the Hilton said that he had worked at the Le Meridien Yacht Club at Rawai Beach is really nice. He drove to see it, but we just went to the beach not the hotel.

Well, the hubby and I are going to Phuket this October for 5 nights. Thanks to all who answered my questions. I know that I will have more after this as time goes on since I have never been to this area before. For those of you who have been there mid October is the rain daily and overcast?? Do rooms have fridges and are there places to purchase beer within walking distance? With the 2 drink max in the lounge we will want to purchase beer for evening consumption. Nothing like beer, beach and sun on vacation.

Very, very excited. :D

Gwen

Well, the hubby and I are going to Phuket this October for 5 nights. Thanks to all who answered my questions. I know that I will have more after this as time goes on since I have never been to this area before. For those of you who have been there mid October is the rain daily and overcast?? Do rooms have fridges and are there places to purchase beer within walking distance? With the 2 drink max in the lounge we will want to purchase beer for evening consumption. Nothing like beer, beach and sun on vacation.

Very, very excited. :D

Gwen

There are places to purchase beer within walking distance but there was not a refrigerator in our room. You may want to purchase or bring a collapsable portable cooler for this purpose. If I recall there were also happy hour beer specials at the pool.

There are places to purchase beer within walking distance but there was not a refrigerator in our room. You may want to purchase or bring a collapsable portable cooler for this purpose. If I recall there were also happy hour beer specials at the pool.

Thanks for the advice. We will be sure to bring a soft side!

Well, the hubby and I are going to Phuket this October for 5 nights. Thanks to all who answered my questions. I know that I will have more after this as time goes on since I have never been to this area before. For those of you who have been there mid October is the rain daily and overcast?? Do rooms have fridges and are there places to purchase beer within walking distance? With the 2 drink max in the lounge we will want to purchase beer for evening consumption. Nothing like beer, beach and sun on vacation.

Very, very excited. :D

Gwen

actually mid october to end october is the end of the rain season.
it will rain sometimes, but normally in the night, so in the day time its no problem.

dp

..but there was not a refrigerator in our room.

There is definitely a refrigerator in the rooms I have stayed in the Lotus wing.
I have seen the rooms in the Andaman wing but did not lookout for a refrigerator since its almost a standard feature in Asian hotels. First time I have heard a room (in an Asian hotel with some rating) without a refrigerator !

I know both my rooms in the Lotus wing had them. That's where I kept the water and beer I bought down the street at the Green store. Loved paying 16 baht for a Chang.