There’s a brand spanking new family-friendly hotel recently launched in the north of Phuket and we’re raving about it. This five-star luxury bolthole is exactly why you need to put Phuket on your next family holiday bucket list and leave your stresses behind!
Le Méridien Phuket Mai Khao Beach Resort – it’s new, it’s shiny, it hits the ideal holiday spot in all the right ways. Stepping into your air conditioned transfer at Phuket Airport, you’ll be surprised to arrive at the new Le Meridien Mai Khao Beach Resort within a short 15-minute journey north and it’s a welcome oasis on the stunning Mai Khao beach, overlooking the Andaman Sea.
The rooms
This five-star luxury hotel goes all the way. Guests can choose from 244 stunning rooms (15 unique rooms and suite types), each with expansive balconies or terraces offering ground floor stunning pools, luscious garden, coastal or pool views. Space is not an issue here as each room offers between 41 and 110sqm in size which is more than enough room for a family to just hang!
We stayed in a two-bedroom suite with a gorgeous garden view overlooking the pool area. Bedroom one comprised a gigantic king bed, bathroom with a huge shower and separate toilet – while the kids’ adjoining room comfortably comprised two single beds and their own bathroom complete with shower and free-standing bath. The rooms are all soft coloured pine, light with modern contemporary furnishings and styling, while the family rooms offer colourful kids bunk beds and super cool play areas. All exceptionally well-equipped with an amazing array of amenities, mini fridge/bar with tea and coffee machine.
Other standouts include crisp white robes, slippers and Malin+Goetz body and shower products (yes ma’am) which I relished using during my own special in-house spa treatment. But seriously folks, a hotel that delivers me a separate toilet that allows me to shut the door from screaming kids, with a heated toilet seat and warm flushing, is my friend!
The food
Nothing is more important than good chow and the food range and quality on offer at Le Meridien is sublime. J’s restaurant provides an incredible daily breakfast buffet experience, offering an impressive array of western and thai and savoury dishes plus egg, coffee, fruit and pastry stations – in fact pretty much anything you can think of. The Mediterranean Ocean Kitchen restaurant, overlooking the glorious Andaman sea, offers lunch and dinner serving freshly prepared western and Thai dishes, pizzas and plenty of pasta dishes, grilled meats and seafood and a number of tasty vegetarian dishes. Desserts are aplenty plus the Le Scoop ice cream cart keeps sugar levels topped up. Don’t overlook The Nook, a cosy air conditioned offshoot, dishing out freshly barista’s coffee, pastries, snacks and an array of elegant thai dishes daily. There’s even a little convenience shop selling sweets and holiday trinkets and clothes should mama need a new frock.
The kids
If parents need some chill time without the guilt, then the onsite Family Kids Club is the perfect anecdote. Open 9am to 9pm daily, it’s a super fun, safe, colourful kids’ wonderland brimming with cool things to do – there’s fun activities planned out daily! Think slides, a huge ball pit, wooden explore play games, and even a quiet reading area. There’s also an outdoor pirate ship playground (soft surface) just for the little ones.
For outdoor activities, guests can enjoy kayaking, stand up paddleboarding (or SUP’ing), archery, volleyball, even muay thai classes for those that want to try their hand. My husband hired a couple of mountain bikes from the Kids Club and explored a nearby lake with my son one afternoon. They returned happy and sweaty, excited to share they saw monks, a snake and a huge monitor lizard crossing the road! While the sprawling pool network keeps all ages happy and kids have a number of outdoor play options including two slides, drenching buckets and even a sandpit and climbing frame close-by so parents can keep an eye on little ones from the comfort of their deck chairs and cabanas. A giant outdoor chess is also there for the taking for anyone willing to make the first move.
The Wellness
The Explore Spa offers exceptional beauty and massage treatments in air conditioned comfort with trained professionals plus a nearby gym/fitness room for those needing to burn and buff – while yoga and stretching can be achieved on the manicured grass just outside. I thoroughly enjoyed a traditional 60 minute Thai massage, with relaxing scented oils, which did just the trick in dissolving all my nasty neck tension and generally made me a much nicer person to be around for the rest of the holiday! For those wanting a more localised treatment experience but can’t bear to leave the hotel perimeter, there’s a conveniently located open-air massage hut located just a stone’s throw from the beach – perfect for kids wanting to have their hair braided while on holiday.
How to get there
Phew, Phuket, we’re glad you are a short two hours flight from Singers – you can leave the office on a Friday and be by the beach for sundowners within a few hours. Its close proximity also proves a huge plus when it comes to a stress-free getaway with small people: there’s barely time for a single tantrum because the journey is so quick! Flights depart daily, all through the day, from Changi and there’s an airline for every budget: woo hoo! Now that Phuket airport is open 24 hours a day, there’s just no excuse.
No excuse!
The vibe
We’re calling it, Le Meridien Mai Khao is one of those rare hotels that nourishes, calms and allows us parents with kids the very rare opportunity to relax, chill, laugh and spend good quality time with our families in the best possible surroundings. If you are looking for a holiday this year to hang poolside and replenish, there really is nothing better than sipping on a glass of something cool, gaze at the Mai Khao beach and simply divine sunset as you savour the calm and serenity in the loving arms of Le Meridien, Mai Khao.
Le Méridien Phuket Mai Khao Beach Resort, 81 Moo.3 T.Maikhao A.Thalang, Mai Khao, Phuket, 83110
Rates start from S$178 per night
