From coastal retreats to jungle hideouts, private beaches to personal butlers, muay Thai trainers to twin pools—Thailand’s largest island and longest-standing holiday hotspot has hotel options aplenty, but picking the right one can be a daunting task. Phuket is blessed with more than thirty different bays and beaches, and while they all score top marks in terms of postcard prettiness, their vibes (and therefore, their hotel line-ups) vary widely.
Most of the vacation action happens around the bays on its western coast, from the laid-back Nai Harn and Rawai beaches in the coral-fringed deep south to the seemingly endless stretch of crowd-free sand of Mai Khao on the island’s north. In between, there’s buzzy nightlife around Patong, family fun around Kamala, and an inspired restaurant scene around the expat hub of Bang Tao. Cross the island’s jungle-cloaked heart for a culture fix in Phuket Town, where smart cafes and next-gen cocktail bars breathe new life into the Sino-Portuguese warehouses lining its oldest streets. Nearby, the quiet and craggy coastline of Cape Panwa delivers eye-popping views over the island-dotted Phang Nga Bay.
We’ve narrowed down the hundreds of places to stay to a tight edit of our favorite Phuket hotels, in no particular order.
How we choose the best hotels in Phuket
Every hotel on this list has been selected independently by our editors and written by a Condé Nast Traveller journalist who knows the destination and has stayed at that property. When choosing hotels, our editors consider both luxury properties and boutique and lesser-known properties that offer an authentic and insider experience of a destination. We’re always looking for beautiful design, a great location, and warm service—as well as serious sustainability credentials.
All listings featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. If you book something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
