Southeast Asia is generally a very cheap area for accommodation and Thailand is no exception.
The island of Phuket, however, stands out within this region and prices here are up to 30% higher than in other less visited areas of Thailand and easily more than twice as expensive as in Indonesia or Vietnam.
What are the most practical locations for accommodation in Phuket? And what are the average prices?
Agoda or Booking?
Where is the best place to book accommodation in Phuket? Traditionally, agoda.com has been very strong in Southeast Asia, with more accommodation listings than rival booking.com.
However, in the case of Phuket in particular, the forces are almost equal and both portals show a similar number of hotels with virtually identical prices.
Agoda has slightly more offers for private accommodation and small budget guesthouses.
Compare prices and check availability of hotels on both portals.
Phuket hotel prices
Despite the fact that Phuket is one of the more expensive destinations within Thailand, you will find a really large number of hostels with shared showers or toilets, where prices are between 13 usd and 18 usd per night.
Smaller local 3* hotels with nice modern rooms then offer prices between 30 usd and 45 usd per night in high season.
For large 4* hotels and multinational chains, expect prices between 70 usd and 100 usd.
Luxury beachfront resorts will then offer similar prices to anywhere else in the world, roughly from 200 usd upwards.
Where to stay - the best locations
Take your time when choosing a specific location. Due to the specific traffic on Phuket, the location will affect your mobility quite a bit.
Major resorts in the west
If you're heading to Phuket mainly for beaches and water activities, the west coast is a clear choice.
This is where you'll find the longest and prettiest beaches with lively resorts, plenty of entertainment and full facilities.
Phuket Town
The island's capital and largest city is the number 1 choice for backpackers and especially travellers who want to discover a different part of Phuket every day.
Local buses run from the town to all the major beaches, and boat docks with organised tours are the closest from here.
The cheapest hotels with private bathrooms in the room offer a night from 20 usd.
Further afield in town you will come across many good quality local hotels with prices up to 50 usd. We would recommend these:
However, you can also stay in large multinational chains and 5* hotels, where you can expect significantly lower prices than the main resorts on the west coast.
Patong
A vibrant hub of nightlife and shopping, this is ideal for those who love unbridled fun as well as beautiful beaches.
In Patong you will find most accommodation in 3* and 4* hotels. It is one of the most expensive resorts in Phuket, however, if you don't want to stay right on the beach, then you will also find decent prices here.
The cheapest accommodation
- Grand View - very cheap and well rated apartments in a hill in a quiet area about 1 km from the centre
- Bedbox Hostel - ideal backpacker hostel with hotel rooms in a quieter area 1 km from the centre
Cheap hotels by the beach
- Baan Boa Resort *** - nice small hotel in the southern part of Patong near the local bus station towards Phuket Town
- The Front Hotel and Apartments *** - apartment type hotel in South Patong
International hotels
- Days Inn by Wyndham Patong Beach Phuket *** - hotel located in the middle of the centre near shopping centres and about 400 metres from the beach
- Novotel Phuket Vintage Park Resort **** - large hotel near Bangla Road
- Phuket Marriott Resort & Spa, Merlin Beach *****
Kata and Karon
Two well-known resorts are effectively combined into one big strip of 3 beaches surrounded by a town with lots of restaurants and shops.
The southern part of Kata resort in particular has one of the nicest beaches in Phuket, very quiet and very photogenic with a hilly backdrop.
Both Kata and Karon offer a full range of accommodation from the cheapest to the better expensive resorts.
- The cheapest (up to 40 usd) - Hotel Kata Hill Sea View **
- Best value for money right on the beach (do 70 usd) - Ibis Phuket Kata ***
- Luxury resort - Novotel Phuket Kata Avista Resort and Spa *****
Bang Tao
The beautiful long and very quiet beach is surrounded by mainly expensive luxury resorts where you can enjoy a peaceful holiday without compromise.,
Kamala
Of the main resorts in the west, Kamala is probably the least known as it is mainly smaller hotels and not very accessible.
Buses do pass through on the west coast, but if you want to make trips east as well, you're dependent on the local songtaew which only runs once an hour or expensive taxis.
Kamala is a good place if you're looking for a quieter beach holiday in a smaller resort.
- The hotel with the best value for money - Sungthong Kamala Beach Resort ***
- Best resort - InterContinental Phuket Resort *****
Rawai
The southernmost resort is a popular choice for digital nomads and lovers of local life.
Here you'll find smaller beaches and very rich facilities in the form of supermarkets, restaurants and motorbike rentals. Rawai is cheaper and quieter than the resorts to the west, and also a little less accessible.
- The cheapest hotels to 40 usd - Rawai Whale Resort
- International Hotels - Wyndham La Vita Rawai Phuket *****
Surrounding islands
Dreaming of a holiday on a quiet little island in a tropical paradise? In a nice resort with direct beach access?
Then Phuket, or rather the miniature uninhabited islands in the bay between the island and Krabi province, is the ideal destination.
The small islands have no permanent residents, but many of them have luxury hotel resorts. During the day, the beaches can be busier as tourists head there on organised tours, but after 4pm most of them leave and you'll have the island to yourself.
Where can you find the best resorts with private boat transport to Phuket included?
- Cruiser Island Resort *** (Koh Lon Island) - a nice smaller resort with prices from 130 usd
- Barcelo Coconut Island ***** - one of the best resorts with very good value for money (night from 250 usd)
- The Racha ***** (Koh Racha Yai island) - a luxury resort on Racha Yai island where you will find several beaches
Our tip - where we stayed
Finally, we add our personal experiences of where we stayed during our stays in Bangkok.
Blu Monkey Hub and Hotel Phuket ****
We chose to stay in Phuket Town because we wanted to be in the most convenient location for exploring Phuket and the adjacent islands.
We were staying in Phuket for a longer period of time, so we chose a cheaper, yet reasonably good quality and modern hotel about 10 minutes walk from the centre of Phuket Town.
Blue Monkey Hub has comfortable rooms and nice co-working spaces.
The breakfast for 200 thb is a little weak and we only used it once. The hotel only offers luggage storage the day before check-in.
