Bandara Beach Resort, Phuket

The staff were always ready to help, with advice or anything else to make the stay easier. We enjoyed our short visit and would stay again. The hotel is about 100m back from the beach, with easy access. Flamingo beach bar is partnered with the hotel and sits between it and the beach. We didn't use its facilities, though they looked comfortable. We stayed at Bandara Beach hotel resort for a couple of days before sailing. Our room was very comfortable, and breakfast offered enough variety for most tastes. The pool has a great view over the bay and plenty of umbrellas for shade in the hot afternoon sun. The gym on the ground floor is small, with realistically three treadmills and some weights. I didn't try it, since jogging along the beach has a much better view. The airport is about an hour south, depending on the day and time you travel.

We were in villa 304, which was secluded and beautiful, with a panoramic view. The location feels romantic, and the morning views are lovely. The beach was clean, with white sand, and was one of the best we've seen in Thailand. It's a boutique hotel, not a big chain. The private pool villas are great, and the staff were super nice and accommodating. Breakfast was delicious, and the app made it easy to handle guest requests. The food was affordable and tasty. We also got free minibar snacks on the first day and fruit every afternoon. There's a small but handy gym with a beach view. Housekeeping stops at 2pm, which is a shame, but no big deal. Really recommend it.

The little things made this place stand out. The minibar was included, and daily activities came with the stay, so things felt easy. After a long afternoon in the sun, staff brought us cool wet towels and even cleaned our sunglasses without being asked. I've stayed at many five star resorts and never had that level of attention. A staff member named Lift found my husband's AirPods on the beach and personally brought them back. He hadn't even noticed they were missing. No fuss, just thoughtful care. We booked Bandara Pool Villas almost by accident, thinking we'd spend one night near the ferry port before going to Phi Phi rather than take an hour-plus trip across the island from our resort. It turned out to be one of the best choices of our trip. Our villa was ready early, and we walked into a stunning private pool looking over the ocean. Within minutes we were relaxing with drinks on beachside loungers, enjoying the calm, clear water and the stylish, laid-back setting. After walking along the beach, it was clear we were staying in the best spot on the shoreline. The pool bar, loungers, and setting all felt a step above without trying too hard. I don't usually review a resort before leaving, but Bandara impressed us from day one. We came for convenience and left wishing we had stayed longer. It's relaxed, beautifully designed, and run by a team that understands hospitality. We'd come back in a heartbeat.

The biggest issue was the air conditioning in our villa, which seriously affected our sleep and ruined the vacation. Avoid villas 304 and 303. The AC seemed defective, with no proper temperature control or dehumidifier mode, and no real adjustment beyond switching it on and off. Without it, the room became unbearably hot and humid. With it on, the air was extremely cold, around 16°C. We woke up about 20 times each night to turn it on and off manually just to make the room tolerable. We reported it to reception three times, but it was never fixed. By the end, we couldn't wait to get home and sleep through a full night. There were plenty of good points at Bandara Villas Phuket. The villa and resort were impeccably clean, staff were very friendly and polite, and always willing to help. The beach had perfect sand and clean, clear water. There were no insects around, which is rare in Thailand, just a few geckos that didn't bother us. Our private pool was well maintained and stayed clean. The spa was excellent, with outstanding service, and was one of the best parts of the stay. Half board was a big letdown. It had a separate menu from the regular restaurant, with very limited and poor choices, and felt like being punished for choosing it. We stopped using it so we could order from the regular menu and pay separately. I'd avoid half board. The bar has a beautiful setting but a strange schedule, open only from 5 PM to 8 PM, so most of the time it felt closed and almost useless. Staff were kind, though their English was often hard for tourists to understand, which made communication harder when we needed an actual problem solved. There weren't enough beach sunbeds for the number of guests. Each morning it felt like a race at sunrise to save a spot. We first thought we'd give three stars, but settled on four because Mr. Excel from reception was so helpful, supportive, and kind during our stay, and that really made a difference. The resort has a lot going for it, including cleanliness, the beach, private pools, and spa, but the AC problem and the way half board is handled need urgent improvement.