Centara Grand West Sands Resort & Villas, Phuket Review

Fantastic resort and excellent services and swimming pool fun
Advise him strongly for families with children

Very good location, reed, beautiful hotel, full facilities, staff, lovely habits.

Great activity with Billy and Sara. The kids enjoyed nature walk and got free ice cream

Went to one of the restaurants with my wife to have a meal, since one of my friends gave me really good recommendations about it. When we arrive the security staff was extremely rude! ! We didn t felt welcomed at all. After discussing with the security, we had our dinner which was pretty average for a really high price.

A dream to relax and dream. The land of eternal smile

Great resort with kids, good italian restaurant and very nice pool. The room service and concierge is 1/5.

An amazing setting, right on the beach. Such a wonderful design to be able to eat looking out at the beach. Cliff jumping and slides are great for kids. Lovely food, the coffee is excellent. Lots going on all day if you want to join activities. Only a couple of hundred baht into Karon in a taxi. We got a lot of mosquito bites, could do with a plug in for the room as they are around day and night.

Buon Albergo , strada per entrare / uscire abbastanza brutta , posizione da 6 stelle , in spiaggia a Karon .

Really amazing, wonderful location, sea front, swimming pools, rest area, ocean view, good gestures of staffs, just feels like lives in jungle.

Billy and Aria were excellent in the entertainment team

This hotel is beautiful. The location is just picture perfect. The facilities and amenities are outstanding. The staff are exceptional in the level of friendliness and service. Everybody speaks excellent English. The rooms are spacious and beautiful with everything you need except and iron. The only difficulty was in getting to some of the upper rooms. It is a long walk to the elevators and back to the rooms

Simply amazing place, great for kids. Lazy river pool with a rock jump kept the kids going for hours everyday.

Unsafe. Recently a man was killed in hotel. And hotel did not had CCTV in lobby. Google "British man killed in Centara Grand Resort". Hotel staff were unable to handle situation in well manner. No first aid kit and life saving methods were tried on unconscious man.

Compare prices There are better hotels for sweet families

Place is very kid friendly. Room was nice but the mattress was not that great. Food was above average but overpriced and then VAT tax added more to the total bill. Transportation was outrageous compared to going outside the property.
Would we stay here again? I think it depends on if our kids are vacationing with us. If we come as a couple, we probably would look elsewhere.

Great resort! Away from the crouds and close to them if you need them!!!

My only request would be to please make the waffles fresh to order. Cold waffles are the pits.

One of the highlights of my trip...great service, food, drinks and vibe

Great rooms and service! Beautiful property and amazing views.

Krabi : Centara Grand (Incl Breakfast) 3 Days
- this hotel can only be reached by boat and set against amazing cliff tops and a private beach. Close to Raily Beach
- stunning rooms and private veranda
- a bit pricey for spa treatments and beverages
- the setting was absolutely perfect with a beautiful clean beach and stunning pools.
- a free boat transfer available to the pier at Ao Nang every hour from early to midnight
- a 5 star stay

Everything you'd want in a luxury resort... Which makes it a concerted effort to actually leave and experience the sites and sounds Phuket has to offer. Must stay!

I am very disappointed with my experience thus far. My husband and I booked this trip for our honeymoon with very meticulous budgeting. The morning of our stay, we called to confirm our ocean view room with a private pool. When we arrived, they said they don t reserve rooms by view- which is specifically what we paid for. They put us in a room without a view, and scheduled to have us move to the proper room tomorrow. it s really a hassle to have to move after one day. While I already paid for the room, we were required to put down an additional deposit of 15000 baht, or about $500 USD. We did not budget for this and I became very upset as we have to cancel two of our planned excursions to afford this deposit. When the staff saw I was upset, they lowered it to 10000 baht and then 8000 baht. This shows me that the hotel was heftily over charging. Very very very disappointing. It also took us a good 30 mins to check in which was a bit rediculous after 24 hours of travel. The room in itself is pretty nice, but the private pool has a gross dirty blind covering the view -it can be lowered, however, but the dirtiness is still visible. Don t pay for the private pools- they are also very very cold compared to all of the other pools.
My next complaint comes from the cost. Want to rent goggles? 1000 baht. Want to rent a beach chair? They don t have them- only at the pool and will cost you additional. They told us to go to the public beach and pay additional for a beach chair- again rediculous. A Small bottle of Sunscreen at the resort is 700 baht, which is $23 USD and absolutely absurd. The staff said this is the norm in Phuket and to just not wear it (ok will you be rubbing free aloe on my sunburn then?)Everything here will cost you. If you buy into their free money program, it is non refundable if you do not use it all. It s almost a good deal because of all the absurd prices for everything at this resort.
Lastly, it s NOT that nice and am very confused as to how this is a 5 star hotel. the pool tiles are uneven and will cause stubbed toes, their are tiles and parts of rocks missing in the pool.
Finally, there is a 10% service charge on everything but they still try to get you to tip additional when the service is just serving. In fact, some of the pool attendants were really quite rude and clearly did not want to be there or be talked to.
I wish we didn t book our stay here, and am very upset at How much we spent to stay(not including any food, drink, or amenities). My husband and I will make the best of it, but this really did put our honeymoon off to a rough start.

***update***
We have now been here for 7 full days and it is safe to say It has only gotten worse. This place is rules city- for example I bought a pair of goggles only to be told after the fact I couldn t bring them in the pool- only the ocean. They give you a towel card and are incredibly strict about giving out towels. If you lose the card, 800 baht will be charged. The resort in itself is large and spread out over a lot of space and requires a ton of walking. They are NOT accommodating and will not make things easy and relaxing for you. Our room is near the adult pool but we have to have a 10 minute walk to the main pool to get a towel. When I went to take the towel to my room because it was nighttime and I didn t want to do the walk, they yelled at me and forced me to go walk and return it. I am sorry but I am paying for a resort experience, not to work my butt off all day to abide by their crazy rules. We stayed at two other places in Thailand- very cheap chains and the service and accommodations were FAR SUPERIOR, including English speaking staff. This is a resort catered to tourist but there is no one in customer facing positions who speak good english, which has lead to a ton of misunderstandings and extra charges for things we didn t know cost money.

Last, elevators are always broken. Get ready to walk up and down 4 flights of stairs.

DONT STAY HERE

Friendly staff. Very attentive. Central without being in the hustle and bustle

Great hotel. Beautiful landscaped gardens and friendly staff. Food and drinks are good however a little expensive hence why many guests choose to go out to dine.

Very friendly staff, relaxing beach and pools. great restaurants and room was fantastic, the Jacuzzi on the room balcony was worth the upgrade.

Just we found a lizard in our room . And prices are really high for eating and drinking . But the other things was great

A fantastic resort, brilliant choice of cafe, restaurants, bars and private dinning experiences.
There were weddings, birthdays and other small events set up with the beach as a back - drop. Just like they show in travel broachers and magazines.
Picture- perfect . No wonder everyone was taking so many selfies (including us ).......
A special mention for the Resort Staff - friendly ,attentive, alway's smiling - nothing was a problem. Even when I requested Vegemite for my toast on day 12 after having 3 courses of exotic and local dishes including fresh fruit and eggs cooked in more combinations than you can imagine for the other 11days..... Just wanted basic vegemite on toast and freshly brewed coffee YUM...... OK, went back for fresh fruit and waffles as it was my last day.
Loved the bathroom and was spoilt with the spa-bath on the balcony overlooking the beach each afternoon whilst making the decision -where to have dinner that night. OMG the biggest decision of the day.
It was a pleasure to meet some of other guests that had been to this Resort before. They offered tips on where to go and what to see.
Hope to get back next year to catch up with our new friends and make sure I book for the Thai cooking course.

My tip - Visit the Day Spa at the Resort. "The experience was amazing"

Thank you to all the staff for a lovely experience and a wonderful holiday.
Management - you are to be congratulated on your Team at Centara Grand
10/10 See you next year !!!
Cheers,
Brandy & Al

Poor service in every aspect of area..
1.Breakfast--Need to wait outside even its empty.
2.Swimming pool--No security guards looking for kids in lazy river. Kids are left to their fate. If they know swimming it's ok else God knows.
3.Kids area-No personal attention given to kids.Attendents are leaving children alone and indulging them in video games instead of same creative activities.
4.Rooms cleaning-Rooms and bathrooms are not clean as it should be.Bathrooms left dirty with sands and are not properly cleaned.Even rooms are not cleaned with left over fruits are not cleared.

How ever the good the hotel and facilities be,if service is zero you really feel cheated on your wallet and decision to stay here.

We had an amazing vacation. Couple with 3 children (9,7,7). A great and varied breakfast, the big one took advantage and completed hours at Play Station, the skis and bouncing off the rocks kept a lot of my kids busy.
The service is excellent and the children flew over the pizzas we ordered in the pool.

Great facilities, nice beach and pool area, lazy river, friendly and helpful staff.

A big shout out to the entertainment crew, Billy & Aria. Both my kids and many others benefited from the fun games, the wide variety of activities and their engaging personalities. Mum's and Dad's were also encouraged to play some of the pool games - which certainly helped create a nice social environment for everyone. Thanks guys, from Maddie & Zach :)

Beautiful could not say anything bad so far loved every minute so far 150% would come back i love the way they always smiling

Friendly warm staff , excellent facilities for kids amazing pool area, perfect beach resort holiday

Lovely hotel. Rooms are a very good size. Food choice not great and restaurants are overpriced.
Good size pool. Lazy river and slides brilliant for children.

Perfect location, beachfront area. Great pools. But some room are too old - facilities and wood walls decor. Very cold floor. In some room too dark, because of the blind curtains.

Massentourismus.Teuer.Laut.Zu too little beach chairs.Water supply not o.k.
Fun for kids more fun with water slides. No 5 star hotel.

Nice hotel, beautiful beach, secluded, feels like having our own beach as the hotel is located by the beach. Nice facilities, service is wonderful, true Thai hospitality.

Great rooms. Really nice view, and beautifull beach. Carpe diem team is Amazing.. Gino,Sara, Sanja and David made our trip 10 times better!!

comfortable resort, location side the karon private beach, facilities very good

Very nice outdoor facilities, lots of entertainment for kids and adults, animation, pools, pool bars - everything is worth the hype

Fantastic resort... having a great time with wife and kids 8&4...lazy river and swimming pools are brilliant... rooms are a bit worn out for a 5 star.. service was brilliant Sid, Oh & lin from breakfast.. Ms Ling from housekeeping made sure the room was clean at all times.. Nat at the bar was great and Bill & Ham around the pool did a great job. Por at reception made us feel welcome with her warmness and hospitality.

Centara grand beach resort Phuket wow what can I say my wife and I stayed here for 10 nights in September. our 30 th wedding anniversary was fantastic our room view breathtaking. food exceptional service. pool area great for kids and ice cold beers.beach and sea were steps away some good waves all in all a fantastic place to stay would I go back yes definitely met some good friends picture is the view from my room thanks Darren +Michelle

Amazing, very pleasant stay, convenient for swimming pools, private beach, like a jungle, really love it.

This hotel is indeed right on the beach which was the only nice thing about it.

I read a review writing it is really a 3 star masquerading as a 5 star and I somewhat concur.

To get 5 stars, hotels just need to have all the amenities which this place does have. Restaurants, spa, gym, pools etc.

The hotel is rather dated. We paid for a premium ocean facing room and indeed it faced the direction of the ocean but it did not have a view of it at all. We couldn t be bothered kicking up a fuss so didn t request a better view.

The resort itself is about 1km away from the actual town of Karon. Walking back to the resort is a steep uphill.

Being a km away you would have thought they d offer a shuttle, but nope there is a transport service only at 10am, 12pm and 2pm but it costs you $5 per person for a 2 min drive.

The tuktuk s in the town will take you back but at a starting price of $10.

The housekeeping was decent at least with good quality fresh sheets and towels.

The buffet breakfast was extensive but the food actually wasn t that great.

The hotel staff will happily shuttle you within the grounds on golf buggy s (it s a huge complex) which we utilised at times.

The hotel buffet food is a bit ordinary when compared. With price per head

Brilliant holiday we have had a great time relaxing at the pool and enjoying the activities organised by Billy and Aria. They are doing a good job entertaining the kids and adults. Keep doing what you love guys!

My first night here wasn't that great. No power, no hot water, no ac. It seems like its an old resort and the rooms are abit dated but still nice. It remided me of a mexican drug lords building from the 70s. It is a damn big resort so maintaining this place would be a big job however the gardens outside are well established and it is quite beautiful walking around. There are adult pools if you want to escape the screaming kids but it still is a great resort to come with the kids, I'd say thats why you would come here. You can literally dump them in the morning and know they will keep themselves entertained for the day. Would I stay here again? Most likely not. I'd like to see what else there is in the area before staying here again.

The one this that stood out was the staff and customer sevice. Its up there with the best I've come across

The hotel and the facility is from year to year worse. In the pool you should wear shoes because some of the tiles are missing and you otherwise open your feet. There are for the most part only Russians in the area, which pull through their appearance and behave the whole plant in the dirt. With 5 stars the whole thing has nothing to do Max. 3.5 stars.

Nice rooms with very good service. The breakfast is very varied and offers something for every taste. Especially for children is the very beautiful and large pool area paradise! It was one of our best holidays!

Beautiful hotel and beach, service need to be improved

Ilike good location and near the beach the tast food it nice good service from dear i will come back

We ALWAYS stay at Centara Grand at Central World and we love it! let's try this one from phuket !!

Terrific resort, cozy place, authentic facilities, magnificent pool area, beach at the foot of the hotel, from the pool it looks like you are in the sea, being an infinity pool

Amazing resort, food is unbelievable & the staff are very lovely & welcoming. Location of the resort was pretty good as well, right on the beach & only a 5-10 min car ride to the main area Patong. Our room was really nice, tidy & clean. Would definitely recommend this hotel to others looking in Karon beach.

This place is like a pearl in a very gritty oyster. Yes, the epitome of luxury - a room with its own pool, an impressive lazy river, with an incredible "cliff jump" and excellent service. Great restaurants - which are as expensive as you would expect.

The problem is that its located in a place which is neither naturally beautiful (apart from the stunning hotel beach) nor well developed as a city. Going to the 'street' is fighting through a dirty, grimy, smelly gutter, dodging traffic in places and traders in others. Its not for the faint hearted and quite the opposite of the idillic resort. Despite the mess nothing is cheap or good or even authentic. If i were paying small prices for good quality 'local food' that is still fine, but this is tourist trap and questionable quality.

The other note of caution is stomach bugs are common - my son and I were in bed, out of action for 48 hours.

So contrasts - are what to expect. My advice: goto Patong - much better developed surroundings or go rural and native...

Beautiful surrounding, well appointed rooms, very very limited menu for vegetarian

I'm not sure about the past review this guy posted about a week ago...
But we went on the beach today -see the picture,(Oct 25,2020)- at Centara Grand and the beach was SUPER CLEAN.... REGARDLESS of Covid-19. With the staff they have, they're doing an amazing job.
Our room was gorgeous and spacious. The complex is HUGE, (so you have to think about what to bring with you to the pool bcuz it CAN be far from your room to anywhere on the complex.)
The lobby even offered to give you a quick "10 minute 'welcome' massage" while you wait.
Breakfast was good, drinks were great, the pizza was fantastic (thin crispy crust), the Chef who cooked the mushroom truffle RISOTTO was perfectly sexy.
The pool had a fun slides, very family friendly.
The gym is actually really, really well equipped and modern.
The wait staff even took a picture of us at dinner... Then surprised us 30 minutes later with that picture FRAMED as an anniversary gift!
We found out that Centara really takes care of their employees and have given them their salary even during CoVid.
Centara understands the details.
They even use the LINE app to communicate with the lobby and guests. It's so efficient! (In case you lose an earring. 555 )
And... It's linked to all the managers!
-Kookkai at food reception was amazing.
-Aom, waitress was so so sweet.
-Mr. Peak at the pool, was a great waiter who always watched when our glasses were empty.
-Mr. CD, the waiter, was very... Professional. I think he was the Head Waiter. He is there to work!
-Boy, at the pool was nice to talk to.
-Ms. Gaem, the waitress, was SUPER SWEET.
-Panny the massage girl, was small... BUT SO STRONG!!! I'll never forget that massage! She was great. I loved her!
-MGR. Mathieu was gracious with his time in talking to us, like an old friend.
-MGR. Laurent was friendly and always walking around looking after everything, making sure we were having fun.

We love the Centara brand, and we surely will be back.

Great location away from the hustle and bustle of Phuket - right on the sea!