Radisson Blu Plaza Resort Phuket Panwa Beach

HOTEL: Radisson Blu Plaza Resort Phuket Panwa Beach
NIGHTS/DATES: 2 Nights - Saturday, March 22, 2014 to Monday, March 24, 2014
LOYALTY PROGRAM STATUS: Club Carlson Gold
ROOM: 6405 (Moved from 6402, which had no A/C)
ROOM TYPE: Junior Suite
COMPLIMENTARY ROOM UPGRADE FROM RESERVED TYPE?: Yes

The taxi from HKT across the island took about an hour to reach the hotel. The lobby, restaurant and check-in area have an open-air concept, so, we were distracted by the water while checking-in. My gold status was recognized at check-in and I inquired about the on-property benefits. Essentially, I was told that there wasn’t much beyond a room upgrade and the 15% Gold Status F&B discount. But, the room upgrade was wonderful! Also, the hotel amenities were pretty good and there were convenience stores nearby for inexpensive sundries. One of the nice benefits, especially for this being a resort is that the front desk will loan DVDs to guest for free and each room has a DVD player (we watched Lara Croft: Tomb Raider in honor of our recent time at the on-location film sites in Cambodia).

We booked a Deluxe Room but were upgraded to a Junior Suite. The room into which we were upgraded was fantastic! It was a gigantic corner room with an enormous bathroom with the largest shower I’ve seen in a hotel room (and separate spa tub with a view of the beach!) and large outdoor patio (complete with private outdoor shower). However, the A/C wasn’t working in that room…so, we had to be moved into the same room-type (luckily) just down the hall. The television spun around completely, which made watching TV from the bed, desk, or daybed/sofa equally comfortable (not that we watched it much considering the beautiful sparkling waters of Thailand were outside the window). The patio had a table and chairs and daybeds/lounge chairs (as well as a pergola).

The hotel property is more expansive than it first appears upon arrival because it slopes down to the beach from the lobby level. There are multiple pools, restaurants and bars and on-property food prices weren’t too bad.

One benefit of the hotel’s location is the walking distance to the waterfront esplanade with restaurants, views, and the aquarium. Since our room faced east and the esplanade faces west, we were able to watch both sunrise (from the room) and sunset (from the esplanade) above the water most days.

Photo Below: Bed – Guest Room - Radisson Blu Plaza Resort Phuket Panwa Beach


Photo Below: Sitting Area – Guest Room - Radisson Blu Plaza Resort Phuket Panwa Beach


Photo Below: Patio – Guest Room - Radisson Blu Plaza Resort Phuket Panwa Beach


Photo Below: Patio View – Guest Room - Radisson Blu Plaza Resort Phuket Panwa Beach


Photo Below: Bed – Guest Room - Radisson Blu Plaza Resort Phuket Panwa Beach


Photo Below: View from Patio – Guest Room - Radisson Blu Plaza Resort Phuket Panwa Beach


Photo Below: Desk – Guest Room - Radisson Blu Plaza Resort Phuket Panwa Beach


Photo Below: Bathroom Tub – Guest Room - Radisson Blu Plaza Resort Phuket Panwa Beach


Photo Below: Separate Outdoor Shower – Guest Room - Radisson Blu Plaza Resort Phuket Panwa Beach


Photo Below: Bathroom Vanity – Guest Room - Radisson Blu Plaza Resort Phuket Panwa Beach


Photo Below: Closet between Room and Bathroom – Guest Room - Radisson Blu Plaza Resort Phuket Panwa Beach


Photo Below: Bathroom Shower – Guest Room - Radisson Blu Plaza Resort Phuket Panwa Beach


Photo Below: Hotel Grounds - Radisson Blu Plaza Resort Phuket Panwa Beach


Photo Below: Beach View - Radisson Blu Plaza Resort Phuket Panwa Beach


Photo Below: Beach - Radisson Blu Plaza Resort Phuket Panwa Beach


Photo Below: Lower Pool - Radisson Blu Plaza Resort Phuket Panwa Beach


Photo Below: Pre-Dawn - Radisson Blu Plaza Resort Phuket Panwa Beach


Photo Below: Sunrise - Radisson Blu Plaza Resort Phuket Panwa Beach


Photo Below: View from Patio – Guest Room - Radisson Blu Plaza Resort Phuket Panwa Beach