Gregor H

Review of Renaissance Phuket Resort & Sp...

Very nice and stylish resort on the seemingly endl...

Very nice and stylish resort on the seemingly endless Mai Khao beach - I stayed here 3 times already and keep coming back.
While significantly smaller than the neighboring JW Marriott, it's more modern in design. It also has a much larger share of private pool villas, which gives you a better chance for an upgrade, especially during low season.

It's located right on the beach but a bit further away from off-premise dining and shopping options. If you don't have a car, you can grab a free shuttle to the Turtle Mart shopping center.

The breakfast buffet is extensive and delicious, with egg station, noodle bar, and freshly made smoothies. The beach front Sandbox restaurant is a great option for a snack and beer or casual dinner. Decent pizza but weak drinks. The open air bar is perfect for a sundowner.

Service is excellent - they once kept the restaurant open for our late arrival. The property hosts events for kids, special food events, and has free fat tire bikes available. I wish they had Hobie Cats for rent as the JW does.

Only potential downside is the single, relatively small pool, which combined with a large percentage of families with small kids makes it tough to actually swim. I wish more families took their kids to the actual kids pool.

The property also heavily caters to Russian tourists (including kyrillic menus), which isn't a problem, but worth noting for some travellers.