Phuket Emerald Beach Resort

This was my first time staying at this hotel in early 2024, and back then, the hardware and service were excellent. I returned in 2026 and noticed a significant decline in the hotel's facility maintenance. There were a few shortcomings that affected my stay, and there's an important check-in reminder: **Drawbacks and Things to Watch Out For** 1. **Severe dampness and moldy smell in the room; changing rooms didn't help.** Being on an island, humidity is a major issue. The first room had a strong moldy smell upon entering. After speaking with the front desk and switching rooms, the new room still had noticeable dampness and an unpleasant odor; it wasn't dry enough. 2. **Basic disposable amenities are not fully stocked.** The hotel does not provide common toiletries like razors for free. If you unexpectedly need one, you can't get it, which can be quite inconvenient if you've packed lightly. 3. **Be sure to close windows and doors tightly at night to prevent red flying ants.** In the evening and at night, make sure to keep your room door and windows tightly closed! Flying ants are attracted to light and can easily fly indoors. On my first night, I didn't close the door properly, and five or six red flying ants flew in, which was very unpleasant. Everyone staying here should be aware of this. **Hotel Highlights – Great for Families with Kids** 1. **Abundant breakfast options, a top choice for light eaters.** The breakfast selection is incredibly rich, with a wide variety of dishes. The salad and light meal section, in particular, has numerous choices, perfect for those who enjoy fresh, low-fat meals with many possible combinations. 2. **Kids' pool is a hit with children.** The exclusive children's splash pool in the resort has plenty of play facilities. Kids can spend a long time playing here, making it highly suitable for a family vacation. 3. **ADD Buffet Restaurant offers refined cuisine and a great ambiance.** The hotel's ADD Buffet Restaurant is one of the best quality ones I've tried in the Karon Beach area; the dishes are exquisite and delicious. In the evenings, there are live performances, and with fewer diners, it's quiet and relaxing. Overall, it offers great value for money. 4. **Unbeatable location, super convenient for daily life and getting around.** It's just a two to three-minute walk directly to Karon Beach. Right outside the hotel to the right are seafood stalls, and to the left, you'll find pharmacies, 7-Eleven convenience stores, and massage shops – everything you need for dining, shopping, and spa treatments is within easy reach. Highly recommended for family trips. **Summary:** If you can accept the room dampness issue and remember to close your windows and doors at night to keep out flying ants, and you primarily value a rich breakfast, convenient location, kids' water play, and delicious restaurant food, this place is a worthy choice. However, if you have high expectations for room dryness and the completeness of toiletries, I suggest you consider other options carefully.

I stayed for seven days, here's my objective review. The facilities are comparable to a 4-star hotel in China. I'd give the service a low rating; while the room service was excellent, the restaurant service was terrible, especially the ladies in shirts – they acted like we owed them money. The location is decent, right by the beach. The room is a good size, though it's not a sea-view room, and the amenities are equivalent to a Chinese 4-star. The restaurant staff's rude service was a big negative. I'll definitely be looking for a different hotel next time.

Heads up for Emerald Beach Resort Phuket! 1. Check-in experience: Upon arrival, they kept pushing their dining options – 10% off the first time, 15% off the second, and 20% off the third. It was really off-putting. Then, they asked for a 3000 baht deposit for two nights, whereas at Kata Thani, we only paid 2000 baht. 2. The room was a huge disappointment. It had a very strong, unpleasant odor, something we hadn't encountered at any other hotel in Phuket. We had to open the doors and windows to air it out, and it only dissipated by the next day. The main issue, though: the duvet and sheets seemed unwashed! Because of the good online reviews, I trusted them and didn't check under the covers. Only the next morning did I lift the duvet to find dirty stains everywhere, as shown in the pictures. 3. Major issue! The air conditioning was incredibly noisy. When I woke up in the morning, I actually thought it was raining. 4. I contacted Trip.com to explain the situation and requested to check out and move to another hotel, but the hotel refused. They then sent a fruit platter. Maybe I'm not a local, but are the fruits here always this wilted? (See picture). 5. On the first morning after checking in, the toothbrushes were neatly packaged in three boxes. On the second morning, there were no boxes; the used toothbrushes from the previous day were just left on the counter. The front desk said we needed to inform them in advance if we wanted new ones. But with two used toothbrushes sitting there, how am I supposed to tell whose is whose? It made me feel like this was done intentionally because we had requested to check out. 6. The views around the building are as follows: behind is a piece of abandoned land. The hotel felt more like a dormitory building with no discernible environment whatsoever.

The front desk staff were incredibly welcoming, especially 'Nong Ing' – she was wonderful and provided excellent service. The room was fantastic and very clean. Breakfast was absolutely amazing! There were also lots of activities for kids, including a kids' club and a water park.