Beyond Resort Kata, Karon

This a great resort, and one of only a few that is actually on the water in Kata (the others being club med and the Boathouse, I believe). I can’t stress the value of this location enough. Kata’s beach is actually mostly blocked by the wall around club med. You can only really access the beach along the northern end of the beach, or the southern end, and this is on the water in the south. If you stay in the middle you’ll have to walk a mile or more to get to the beach. The hotel and grounds are beautiful. The pool area is outstanding, and looks right out over the beach. There are chaise lounges right on the edge of the patio just above the beach. This is great for having an ocean view without being bothered by the vendors on the beach trying to sell you junk. And since the breeze is blowing off the ocean all day there were no mosquitos. The room was a bit dated, but very spacious, and had a large balcony. It smelled a bit like cigarettes when we arrived but after running the A/C for an hour or two the smell dissipated.

The WiFi is NOT free. Free WiFi only in the lobby- if you want WiFi in your room or by the pool, you must either purchase WiFi access or upgrade your room. We chose to upgrade rooms, and it was a bit disappointing. Rooms Need an update. Everything in general showed a lot of wear, and the bathrooms could use a deep clean. Bed was decent and the AC was cold. The view was amazing however and the best thing about the hotel. This area of Phuket is pricy for Thailand. The hotels food and drinks are also very expensive. Prices similar to a resort in the states. The staff at the pool bar was not very helpful our first day. $10USD for a drink, you’d think you can at least get some good service.

Key is needed to power the room. God forbid you separate from your party because they give you only one key. Not electronic key card but old school style key lock. Free wifi ONLY in the lobby.

Nice beach and too bad we couldn’t stayed longer. Love the pool and water was very warm.