Pullman Phuket Karon Beach Resort

Rodney Sipthorp

Massive resort with a heap of swimming pools and large grounds in a great position to the beach and many close eateries and shops. We had two rooms. Managed an upgrade (without requesting one), due to plumbing issues in our room. Nice that this was Forth coming without a request. The room upgrade in A Tower was far superior with a more contemporary room than the other which was dated and a long way from the breakfast restaurant. Staff were all nice, but being a big resort it lacks the soul of our earlier accommodation. At first we didn't like it, but over 6 nights the accommodation and it's position grew on us and we really enjoyed our stay. The highlight for me was pools aplenty! Big pools in many locations and some with excellent shade. Good waiter service by the pool throughout the day with reasonable prices.

Laura Morris

Great beachside location - but not a private beach. The service was great, even though they had a huge corporate party in staff were still attentive and helpful. The resort was amazing - huge! Lots of places to explore and roam around. The shuttle service to the front was helpful too. Pools were good - not too busy. Rooms were great too. Everything you would expect - bed super comfortable and all amenities needed. Some things were just being renovated / updated but there were enough places to eat. Live music in the lobby lounge each night was good, but they do put the prices up a little for “happy hour” so it’s not as much of a bargain as it could be! Small downsides - housekeeping needed to be requested each day and they didn’t seem to sweep the floors at all, we noticed the sand getting worse each day. There was also no light for the balcony which meant we couldn’t use after sunset.

James Hodge [jwh1960]

[November 2022] I would recommend staying elsewhere - my eight night stay was a big mistake on my part. This hotel is overpriced and understaffed. As a Hilton Diamond member for more than 10 years I can say through experience that the Hilton Phuket Arcadia charges 5-star prices but provides a mere 3-star experience. And, if you are a Hilton Diamond member forget receiving exceptional service for your brand loyalty. I do not fault the staff but clearly the management is lacking. For the most part, the staff are hardworking but the hotel is clearly understaffed. Evening meal time expect 45-60 minute wait with no service. Executive Lounge (Panorama Lounge) has helpful staff; food quality can be good but it can also be receiving leftover food that is mixed and recooked. The worst part is the lounge has limited hours for snacks; stops service at 1830 and is completely closed at 1900. By far the least impressive Executive Lounge in the Hilton Hotel brand offering. The location is has a few different pools to lounge and relax - it is probably the best part of the hotel. If all you want to do is lounge by a pool then this is an okay hotel. If you cross a Main Street you can access the beach. There is usually a road guard to help stop traffic so you can safely cross the street. Transportation is frustrating. I wanted to visit The Big Buddha statue and it took me 45 minutes to get a taxi. From the main lobby you take a gasoline powered people tram to get to the main entrance waiting area. There you sit until a taxi arrives. There is no convenience store on the property so you must go through this ridiculous process to leave the hotel grounds if you want to do anything beyond the limited restaurant experiences on site. All my experiences eating at the on-site Hilton restaurants were annoying. The food quality was okay but the service was mostly unsatisfactory -- the staff are fine people but they are understaffed and it shows in the service times. I also prefer easy access to the 'outside' world -- if you prefer such access to the surrounding area then save yourself a lot of money and frustration and stay in some other hotel than the Hilton Phuket Arcadia. I am clearly not impressed with this hotel and its management.

Bobson Wong

This was one of the best hotel experiences I have ever had. The service was absolutely impeccable. Everywhere I went, workers greeted and bowed. The resort is composed of several interconnected buildings. I was in Wing E which happened to be where the check-in counter was. To get around to the other buildings, there was a constant shuttle every 10 minutes or so. The pools were super comfortable and clean. Towels are available at every pool, so there was no need to bring one from the hotel room. The breakfast buffet was full-service, with servers bringing drinks, stations for making custom omelettes, crêpes, or noodles. The choices were incredible, including curry chicken, fried rice, fruits and veggies, breads and cereals, etc. To explain the 4 stars for the location, it was approximately 45 minutes from the airport. But other than that, this hotel is highly, highly recommended!

alalunia

The hotel is not new and some parts require restoration. The air con is super loud, we bought air plugs to stand the night. However the hotel age, we have truly enjoyed staying in there. The breakfast is good and plenty of options there, currently two swimming pools are open. The one inside the hotel is definitely more refreshing but the ocean club has better food selection & drinks. Enjoyed both actually. Restaurants are appropriate but the bar makes whole lot of difference with the drinking outside (alcohol quality and bartenders skills). The beach is beautiful and wide. Some fish near the coast however no sunbeds and it’s impossible to be there longer than 15 minutes as no shadow and no beach bar infrastructure. I really enjoy stay in this Hilton Hotel and would come back. Highly recommended for couples with kids which we are not but still keen to be back.