Let’s face it, when on holiday, if the children are happy and entertained, mom and dad are free to spend their time doing what also makes them happy. Even better, imagine a location where the family as a unit can enjoy exiting activities together, but where the opportunity is also created for the older and younger members of the gang to enjoy their own separate space and stimulating activities. That place is Phuket, south east Asia’s premier holiday destination. Part of the reason for this is the innovative family friendly concepts of many hotels on the island which is evident in the recreation, type of accommodation and service they offer. But attractiveness of hotels in Phuket for families does not end with the fun and excitement they provide. A holiday can easily be interrupted by a child getting sick. A concern many parents with small children and infants have when traveling to a lesser developed country in the east is their children’s health and the availability and standard of medical services. A reassuring fact is that when staying at hotels here you can depend on having a doctor on call for those scary moments when a child develops a fever. If matters get worse the island even has an international standard hospital with qualified pediatricians. No matter if yours are still crawling or at an age where they ask for your car keys, if you are planning a family vacation abroad, consider one of these top five family friendly hotels in Phuket.
Holiday Inn Patong
Patong is the center of activity on the island where one finds the largest concentration of shops, markets, restaurants, bars and nightlife. For this very reason people with small children visiting Phuket are often hesitant to book hotels in this area. The interesting thing about Holiday Inn however, is that no noise from the surrounding area is experienced inside the resort. The two things that really make Holiday Inn perfect for families are the accommodation and kids facilities which include a kids club. The hotel has either a “Kids Suite” or family suite to choose from. Both room types have a themed kids room within your room which is kitted with toys, play station and bunk beds. The kids club looks after children of all ages and has a different entertainment program every hour. Parents can either join the kids and have fun with them or leave them in the care of professionally trained caretakers. Right next to the kids club are two kid’s pools with water slides and other fun activities.
Movenpick Resort and Spa
If you want holiday accommodation with abundant space and the biggest kids club in Phuket, Movenpick is it. The hotel has a two bedroom residence with its own kitchen if you need to make food or warm a bottle for a baby, or just prepare a quick lunch for the family. The kids club is cited as one of the best in Phuket and safety for the children is such a high priority that not even the parents are allowed inside so the hotel can keep strict control of who enters and excites. If you want to keep an eye on the doings of your child though, the resort has a library right next to the kids club with a life size window allowing a full view of your child’s activities inside. The resort also has a kids pool with water slides.
Centara Grand Beach Resort
Sharing the same beach as Movenpick, this is where the whole family can have their fun together. This resort has a large water park with a selection of kids and adult pools, man-made rivers rushing through tunnels and several water slides. The Centara hotel chain has a worldwide reputation for the creative kids clubs with things like the E-Zone and Camp Safari. Although this resort also has two bedroom accommodations, almost all its room types come with two queen size beds and children below 12 years stay free.
Centara Grand West Sands
This is another one of the resort in the Centara Chain. Movenpick and Centara Grand are both resorts in Karon beach. This area is not as busy as Patong where Holiday Inn is located, but not exactly quiet either. If you want a family friendly hotel in a more secluded location and on a tranquil beach, few will beat Centara Grand West Sands in Mai Khao. The resort’s Splash Jungle Water Park is one of its biggest assets where adults and kids will both have an entertaining time and the accommodation can handle a family of any size with up to five bedroom villas which again also have fully equipped kitchens. This not only makes things easier for families with small kids, but can also help save a lot on the cost of food since you do not always have to go eat in restaurants.
Angsana Laguna
This resort is also on a quieter beach, but less secluded than Mai Khao. If you stay here with kids, they might not want to go anywhere else on the island for entertainment given the range of family recreational facilities. The Laguna complex features six hotels of which Angsana is one. The complex has an 18 hole golf course, a “Tree House” kids club for toddlers, it has tennis courts and is so popular with families it even has an annual family festival which lasts for two months of the year. Then kids are entertained with flying trapeze, adventure games, and daily entertaining artists of all sorts.
In conclusion, when you stay at these types of holiday venues you no longer have to worry about how to keep the whole family happy. These hotels are masters in this art so you can leave it up to them to keep both children of all ages and parents happy and content.
About the Author
George Conradie lives in Thailand where he works as a consultant with The Best Hotels in Thailand a locally based company specializing in hotel accommodation, tour and transfer bookings.
