I will be staying in Phuket from 1/13/08 - 1/18/08 and I am trying to book a hotel. Anyone have any favorites that they can share? We are looking for something in the range of $130 - $200 (max). I have found a few places but I am not sure on the best location (beach) to stay around. We are a couple in our late 20's and we would like to be in a central location for beautifull beaches, the city and nightlife....BUT don't want to be in the middle of a "party" area.

Any advice would be appreciated

Check Kata Beach. Good restaurants, nice bars, and close to the centre of the nightlife and shoping (20 minutes to Patong, 30 minutes to Phuket Town).

Check out the Amari Coral on the edge of Patong. My friends stayed there and we visited them. Excellent hotel, lovely quality rooms with awesome view over the beach and patong.

Holiday Inn is another choice to consider.

Good luck

Have stayed here and it is lovely. Fantastic service, as all Amari hotels. Far enough out to not be botherered by the mania that is patong. Fab breakfasts.
I think that you would enjoy.

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Kiss
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South Karon / North Kata? Around Mom Tri..

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Kata, has a nice beach, but it is also crowded, certainly in January. Last year around that period, it was "too much".

For the price you are spending, I guess you maybe want a nice hotel on the beach..... Now it all depends if you want to be a bit more remoted or not, with still some facilities.

Around "Laguna beach", there a nice hotels. Problem is that they will charge top for this period. Now some agency's have "package deals" and in Belgium, you can have this maybe just matching your price!

In that case check "Dusit Laguna". On the beach, with some small intimate, cheap eateries outside the hotel on the beach.

There is also, a bit further fromeverything "White sands" But I don't know what they charge. Very good reviews and also on the beach.

If you like "crowds", then Kata is still possible, but I don't see any hotel, that is worth spending more, if it is not on the beach. Kata Beach hotel is an option, but small premices, maybe not bad and right on the beach, but certainly not the same quality of these mentioned above. Also there were building a new hotel next to it (but after the small beach road), so I think the place will be packed!

If beach is NOT an issue, there are confortable places, all depending on your liking.

Check "sawasdee village", very nice but small rooms, Cannacia, up on a hill with their own "beach shuttle" is nice, but the room last time were getting a bit older, some have a nice sea-view (ASK for them).

I stay myself at the full moon. That is a place that offers very big bungalows, with a big terrace,with fridge, Sat tve and dvd player in a nice garden In the center of Kata. Although the bungalows are very nice, there is even a swimming-pool, the place is casual, not a real hotel. No fancy service, just straight forward, owned by Italians, so if you need to get "pamered" then this place is not for you. Rooms are cleaned well every day, so are the sheets replaced!

It is easy though as you are on the road when you come out, full of restaurants and internet cafés. For the beach, you can walk, but count between 10-15 minutes to get there, as there is no shuttle!
I have bike, so no problem. Price is only 50 $, depending on the time of year, and the time staying there.