Originally Posted by
thbe
Patong Beach is the main party and red light area of Phuket. Not as "bad" as Pattaya, but also not the best place to relax. The main reason to stay at Patong is that you can sleep where you drink (a lot) or have fun (a lot) without needing transport.
Karon Beach offers some party (and fun) as well, but it's much more an area for families. I think, that almost everybody will say, that the beach at Karon (Hilton) is better than the beach at Patong (DoubleTree).
This is spot on.
Unless you are in Phuket for partying and/or seek the company of local girls/lads, there is no reason to stay in Patong.
With this itinerary (only 2 nights in Phuket) I would skip Phuket entirely and stay in BKK or 2 days more in Koh Samui. Travelling to Phuket (and the airport transfer there) is time consuming.