We spend the last 2 nights in Phuket staying in Proud Phuket Hotel, a boutique hotel I came across on Instagram. The hotel locates in Nai Yang, which is 5 minutes away from the airport and right beside Nai Yang Beach. I stay at this hotel so I could have better time management before my flights, I suggest you do the same too; as I have an early flight on my last day, I do not spend a lot of time staying inside the hotel, though I have managed to enjoy the most of it. Another reason that I do not spend most of my time in the hotel is that we have signed up for a yacht tour and party, so we only spend our night time staying at the hotel.
LOCATION
Nai Yang is a pretty nice and local neighborhood, it is definitely an opportunity for me to get closer to the locals and explore Phuket in another way (without everything being touristy). However, I do suggest staying at Patong or Phuket town first if you want to explore the south side of Phuket or go island-hopping; we spend 2 hours going to the pier from this hotel for island-hopping, so if you are not up for a long ride, stay near the city center before exploring the north side. Sadly, we do not get the chance to visit Nai Yang beach due to the rainstorm, but I definitely suggest visiting if you are staying around as there will not be many tourists visiting, you can have a calm and relaxing beach to yourself. In my expectation, I thought there wouldn't be that much to explore around Nai Yang as it is where the airport locates, but I was totally wrong. Besides Nai Yang beach, there are a lot of decent restaurants with really good deals (as they target mostly local customers), it is also where we have the best Indian food.
IN THE HOTEL
The hotel has an orange color theme with turtles (not real, but as in patterns) basically everywhere. The hotel gives me a really cozy vibe once I enter the lobby; next to the lobby is a beautiful green lawn with a pavilion at the center for guests to sit down and relax. All the designs and interior of the hotel are very relaxing and beautiful, very Thai-oriented as well. It also has a rooftop bar, a tea-house and a restaurant for breakfast. The hotel also provides spa and massage which I enjoy a Thai-massage and absolutely love it.
A very interesting spot of the hotel has to be their reading room. I come across this room on my way to the spa and love the idea of it, which most hotels do not provide as well. The reading room, as you know from the name, provides a place to read; the room has various genres of books as well as computers where guests can enjoy their peace of mind or work quietly.
THE HOTEL ROOM
The room I am staying at is the Superior Pool Access, it is the room I instantly fell in love when I saw it on their website. The gem that catches my eyes is this room gives direct access to a semi-private pool, connected to the terrace. I cannot describe how much I love this design, where I could have a picnic by the poolside with my feet in the water and then dive into the pool next second, this is what vacation is about! There also is a swing on the terrace, so you can just sit there and enjoy the view inside the hotel -- a beautiful secret garden.
The pool isn't very big, it is about 3 m from the terrace to the other side of the pool, and when you get out of the pool, you are basically outside the room area and at the lawn near the lobby. And because of this, there is a slight privacy problem as everyone who walks past the pool can see what you are doing, no matter you are at the pool or in your room. The hotel puts up some sheer curtains for privacy reasons, but it is pretty inconvenient when you change your clothes. I, myself, love my room with sunlight, so I do not put down the curtain for most of the time, and it is a bit disturbing when people walk past and look into the room, but I could live with that.
I really enjoy my time on the terrace and by the pool, I would say I spent most of my time in this hotel sitting by the pool eating and relaxing. Surprisingly there are not a lot of bugs or mosquitoes at night even when I keep the windows open with my AC turned on, I hate bugs and mosquitoes and thank god they are not the problem I had to deal with during my stay.
I also enjoy my time in the room as well, just sitting on the bed browsing the web or editing my photos. The room gives out a very relaxing and calming vibe, might be due to the lightings or the use of colors in their interiors, but I must say this is the most peaceful and calming room I have ever stayed in Thailand. Funny enough that they actually provide some soundtrack of Nature, for example, rain, thunderstorm, waterfall, streams etc. I chose the sound of the fireplace, which with the sound of wood crackling in the fire, also once in a while there will be a person throwing in a piece of firewood.
The room also has a bathtub, with a sheer curtain around it for privacy reason. The bathtub sits right next to the TV (the bathroom is an open bathroom) so it is another perfect spot to ease my mind during a vacation. Other than the bathtub, I would say the bathroom is a bit small, because they have stalls for toilets and the standing shower for privacy reason, but it is not a big problem.
I have been to numerous hotels in Thailand, and for a boutique hotel with medium pricing like Proud Phuket Hotel, it is safe to say that this hotel is the most calming and tranquilizing hotel I have ever stayed in, with experiences just like staying in an expensive villa. And I definitely recommend this hotel if you are aiming for a very close-to-Nature and quiet vacation or even a staycation. The hotel brings you out of the city and into an immaculate Thai-garden that will lift you out of all your troubles.
What do you think of this hotel I am staying in? Have you ever been to similar hotels like Proud Phuket Hotel? Let me know in the comment section, I would love to hear your thoughts! xx
CONVERSATION