The View Rawada Phuket

We wouldn’t stay here again or recommend it, though we would come back for a sunset dinner and a cocktail or two. The restaurant served some of the best food we had on the trip, and the staff were a joy to deal with. The views are wonderful, and they gave us a free meal and afternoon tea, both delicious. Still, the bill felt 40% higher than what the room was worth to us, and this definitely isn’t a four star hotel. If you have mobility or heart issues, don’t stay here. They have two golf buggies and try to help guests up the very steep hills, but sometimes nobody was available to drive them. We had to walk, and all those stairs in the heat left us breathless and sweaty. We’re both pretty healthy, but for someone who isn’t, it could be a serious health risk. Our midrange room had dated decor, and half the lights and switches didn’t work. The air conditioning was weak and incredibly noisy. They refused to give us two keys, so we couldn’t leave the aircon running when we went out. We ended up leaving our one key in the room to keep it on, and asking them to take us back to our room each time. We hated doing that, but otherwise we’d have spent hours sweating while the aircon wheezed until the room was cool enough to sleep. The safe was half the size it needed to be, though once they got it working, we crammed in our valuables and documents. The pool is pretty good but has only about six loungers, far too few for a place this size. Without your own transport, the location feels isolating. There’s nothing within walking distance, local taxi drivers seemed reluctant to come all the way up, and waits of 20-30 minutes for an expensive taxi were normal. They run one free shuttle each day, but it isn’t enough and should run at least three times daily. While the shuttle is out, nobody can drive the golf buggies on site, which is daft and needs fixing. During our stay the place was full of very courteous Russians, but they seemed cliquey and weren’t interested in talking to anyone who wasn’t Russian. They caused us no trouble, but that left us feeling even more isolated.