Food and services a bit expensive, standard for a Hilton
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
Flying into Phuket after three bustling days in the crowded and confined space of a Bangkok hotel, the first thing that surprised me and my family was the size of the Hilton Arcadia complex.
The transfer from the airport to the hotel was made by a pre-arranged mini-van that took us to the Hilton front-door, where an electric kart took us up to the main lobby.
Facilities wise it has two main swimming pools, one in the court yard, as well as one that is located on an elevation across the beach. The hotel has been renovated after the Tsunami, clearing away all the rubble.
Ping pong and gym facilities are free of charge, although the spa packages (in special spa huts) is very pricey (similar to UK prices). I recommend to walk down the beach towards the south, where you can find a nice restaurant with Thai and Western food alike (Pineapple rice and Singha beer are my favourite).
The room I stayed in had a double bed, TV with on-demand channels, very nice bathroom with a wooden part that opens up to one side, so you can see out of the balcony.
I can remember that the Salmon sandwich from the room service menu was very good, around 200 baht.
Every day, the room service cleans the room immaculately, also leaving some orchids on the bed table and complementary mineral water.
What I also liked was that the shop close to the court yard swimming pool stocked a variety of imported English books at a reasonable price.
The only problem I can think of is getting into other places on Phuket, as well as the fact that ripping off foreigners is still wide spread throughout Thailand. Tuk Tuks from Karon beach to Patong are quite expensive, so haggle.
Compared to similar resorts in Sanya, Hainan, China, this Hilton actually offers peace of mind and not that much mass market tourism.
Price wise, I think a garden view deluxe room is quite sufficient, since you will likely be spending a lot of time at the swimming pool or near the beach anyway.
Phuket also offers quite a few good massage places, although you have to get used to the pressure they use. In the hotel, it's a bit too expensive.
