On our last visit we said that we wouldn't return because the build quality wasn't great so this time we booked into the Hyatt Regency Phuket.

We always stay in a One Bedroom Sala Pool Villa at the Westin so booked a Deluxe Pool King room at the Hyatt for this vacation. I got the feeling the Hyatt wasn't for us when I realised we were driving through Patong and the fact that the hotel is located in such a busy area. Although we had arrived at night the 105sqm room was anything but. I decided to give it a day but upon waking up I realised the pool would receieve no sun.

I called the Westin, asked if our favpourite villa was unoccupied for our dates and made the reservation via SPG.com while on the phone. The front desk agent was super efficient and ensured the villa would be ready for a 2PM check out. For the first time in my life we booked a half board package because it was very good value.

We used a car from the Hyatt but as we were driving to the resort I was instantly reminded why we like the property - its isolation from Patong and the crowd it attracts. Whenever we visit we always stay on property with a focus on relaxtion.

Check in was efficient, they remembered our preferences from our last stay and they informed us that breakfast would be in EEST, including Champagne andthe half board could be used in any of the hotel restaurants, not just Seasonal Tastes as advertised. In addition they offered drinks with the manager of the hotel on the first night and 15% off any other dining options.

The One Bedroom Sala Pool Villa was perfect. With a large living area, bedroom, gorgeous bathroom and large pool we knew this was the stay we were looking for. When we entered the room we relaised the air conditioning wasn't cooling the room and it took engineering over five hours to fix the compressor. We really didn't want to have to change rooms but you can always judge a hotel by they deal with issues such as this. The duty manager came to see us while we were at dinner, said they were hoping to fix it by 9PM and if they couldn't they had prepared the villa next to us just in case. By the time we finished she had informed us that it had been fixed. Massive props to the property.

I have mentioned the build quality before and yes there are some issues, however they are all tolerable.

We also noticed that the pool jacuzzi on/off button wouldn't work and again engineering managed to fix it efficiently.

The overwhelming attraction to this hotel is the ability to secure a villa with private pool at a great rate. We like the safety and expectation that come with booking a chain property so we're not the type to book via AirBNB. In addition all of the front line staff are exceptional and aim to help with a delightful smile.

The irony of this is that management seem to micromanage. While the manager never spoke to us at drinks he berated a bar tender in front of us for not engaging enough with the guests. Annoyingly he also seems to demand that guests are surveyed at the end of every, single meal by a tablet. I considered it on the first night, however when I began inputting my SPG info and name it began populating the names and numbers of previous guests - a huge security issue. We were asked to complete the survey at the end of every meal and when we had room service delivered. My note to the hotel manager is that the staff are exemplary, however his managerment style via constant analytics of his staff is the complete antithesis of what guests come to Thailand for.

The half board package meant that at every restaurant we were given a smaller version of the full menu where we could choose three courses. This was an enormous amount of food and most nights we only ordered two.

Overall this was a relaxing and rejuvenating stay. The villas, the aspect of the hotel and the view is exactlywhat a guest wants when recharging. The other guests also seem to have the same focus so it doesn't attract those wanting to frequent Patong.

I would 100% recommend this property over the Hyatt Regency Phuket, and we have decided we will return annually from now on.

Check In

We arrived in the hotel limousine and were immediately escorted for a sit down checkin. Naomi, the Wetsin host, had already reached out to us with our specil requests. We requested a specific villa we had before because it is two floors and has a larger pool and private rooftop. We were served welcome beneverages, the hotel manager came out to introduce himself as well as the Executive Chef. At this point it was clear we had been VIPd.

 

Room

We arrived to the room and since our last visit the vegetation had grown immenseley. I remember our first trip and we said we would love to see the property in a few years.

Given the villa type we knew we wouldn't leave except to eat our meals. The room had a dinine table for four, large living area and a separate bedroom with 1.5 bathrooms. There was some minor wear and tear but overall we were very happy with this space. We never planned to leave the resort so having the large villa was important.

We sat by the pool every, single day and use the rooftop when the sun left the pool area.

The only negative was the music from the pool by Prego was left on late until 11PM or midnight but they turned it off at our request.

Service

The service on this stay was exceptional. The GM had emailed prior to arrival and the hotel manager checked on us during the stay. Everyone seems to know our name and go out of their way to look after us without being overbearing.

Kat who works primarily in Seasonal Tastes made every day exceptional with her warm smile. She appears to be the dedicated staff member for elits guests all of whom seem to adore her. It wasn't uncommon to see guests giving her hugs every time they saw her.

The hotel invited us to their 6th birthday event including Buddhist ceremony and cocktail party. It was very special and being part of the religious event as the only guests is a memory we will share forever.

Dining

We booked the full board package having previously booked half board and it is an incredible amount of food! You get 3 courses from the full menus for lunch and dinner.

Elite, suite and villa guests get breakfast in Eest including Bellinis. Eest's pan Asian meals were exceptional and the Indian food at Seasonal Tastes were all of great quality. Prego was disappointing.

In future we would probably only do half board as the portion sizes are for the American palette.

Overall

Overall this is still a great property. The new GM had made very positive service and we were treated like royalty.

We tried the HR Phuket on the last stay and it was too close to Patong and attracted that crowd. The Westin, by contrast, is a haven of serenity and has gorgeous views. Most will enjoy it as long as your realise that the bay is not swimmable.

We will definitely return.