Last week I stayed for 3 days with my family at The Palms on Kamala Beach, Phuket. The hotel is located towards the southern end of Kamala and is only a 2-minute walk to the beach. The Palms isn’t a typical hotel because it is more like an apartment complex although it does have all the benefits of a high-class hotel. This means that guests have the best of both worlds with all the privacy and comfort of a luxury apartment together with top-class hotel services.
We stayed in a 2-bedroom suite on the third floor which was beautifully designed and very spacious (98 sq.m) and had a sea-view (but only just!) The main room features a kitchen, dining table and lounge with seating area. The lounge is airy and light with large sliding doors leading on to a private balcony. 
The master bedroom has a king size double bed and private ensuite bathroom with shower cubicle and his and hers washbasins. The second bedroom has twin beds and plenty of storage space. A separate bathroom is situated in between the two bedrooms. I particularly liked the fact that The Palms is a low-rise block with just 4 floors. In total there are 30 two-bedroom suites and 6 three-bedroom penthouses. The ground floor suites have direct pool access from the balcony which will appeal to many, but personally I prefer more privacy so opted for a third floor room.
The Palms features 2 swimming pools, a swim-up pool bar, a fitness centre and plenty of sun loungers. During my stay I also used the hotel’s free wi-fi which I found to be speedy and reliable in the apartment.
Breakfast buffet was included in the price our family paid and provided quite a good selection of cooked food, pastries, cereals and fruit. I did find that on our first morning when the breakfast room was at its busiest (approximately 09.00) the staff seemed to struggle and there were a few unhappy customers complaining about how slowly food was replenished. This also happened at the dinner buffet on our first night (the hotel provides a dinner buffet on Monday, Wednesday and Friday which is charged at 290 Baht). However, that’s only a minor complaint and overall the food was good and the staff were mainly helpful and friendly.
The Palms is quite central to everything Kamala Beach has to offer. Kamala isn’t as lively as somewhere like Patong, but there are still plenty of restaurants and a number of low-key bars. For more activities and night-life, transport to other parts of Phuket is easy to arrange. Kamala Beach itself is pretty and because of the calm sea and low waves it is popular with families. I recommend a drink or dinner on the beach at one of the numerous beach-side restaurants in the early evening to enjoy the beautiful sunset.
I would definitely stay at The Palms again which is a sentiment echoed by the rest of my family. The hotel was excellent value for a family holiday and Kamala made for a very enjoyable 3-night stay.
Marks (out of 10):
Cleanliness – 8
Facilities – 9
Location – 9
Staff – 8
I booked this hotel via Agoda.
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