A little off the beaten track, this hotel was quiet and had nice views of the water. However, the fact that it was off the beaten track made it hard to leave the property for activities and dining (we did splurge for our anniversary dinner, with the help of the guest services manager who arranged a car for us, but it was a bit pricey).

We were disappointed that the hotel had only one restaurant open for dinner (2 for lunch) with very few options within walking distance. The room itself was a bit shabby, but still large and comfortable. It was fairly quiet. The public areas were a bit better kept; we loved eating breakfast on the outdoor terrace with a view over the bay.

In October 2011 my husband and I decided to do a return to The Royal Phuket Yacht Club. We had last been there 11 years ago. We reserved the ocean front deluxe suite over the Internet and it was a smooth booking process. We had forgotten about the levels that this hotel is situated on and were given a room on the 9th floor that is not serviced by the elevator. We did not mind that at all but it should be kept in mind for the elderly and perhaps less mobile.

The suite was satisfactory in size but it was noticeable that this grand old dame is beginning to show her age. Furniture was stained, the silk on the walls beginning to come away, and our sheets were frayed and the worse for wear. I must mention here that we had a 10-day reservation and in those 10 days our bedding was not changed at all! No action was taken when this was mentioned to room service either. Luckily wood looks good with a few nicks and chips as the décor is stressed to be antique so it fit right in.

Our view was sublime and the cleanliness of the room and hotel in general was excellent. It disappointed me though that the orchids in a bouquet in our room began dying after just two days so obviously it was an old arrangement for previous visitors and it was never replaced after it was thrown away.

We ate in most nights at The Quarterdeck as the Regatta was closed. The Promenade only serves specific daytime hours. The Thai menu was good but the more European oriented side of the menu was expensive and generally I found the meals uninspired. I am a chef by trade and was hugely disappointed in the food but especially the Friday night seafood platter that was completely overcooked and quite frankly boring. I cannot understand why they could not vary the menu more on a daily basis and indeed it seemed a better alternative to order room service as the room service menu is more varied but probably only because it combines items from the Promenade and the Quarterdeck menus.

Breakfasts were great, the buffet is extensive and varied and items are changed daily. Not all service is good but we found particularly good and helpful staff at poolside, a brilliant gentleman reserving our favorite spot for us every day without us even asking. I requested a bottle of bubbly for my husband’s birthday and it was provided ice cold in a bucket with canapés and a flourish. A delightful young lady served us whenever we ate at the Quarterdeck who anticipated our needs brilliantly. Seeing the head chef out in the breakfast dining area one morning during breakfast, smoking a cigarette was a big disappointment for me, I do not want to see any staff that may handle my food smoking thank you! In fact this hotel has no separated smoking and none smoking sections in the restaurants and that was most unpleasant. I cannot see any pleasure in anticipating a meal by the delicious smells wafting from it to have it spoilt by someone lighting up next to me.

Room service was brilliant and fast to deliver, deliver correctly as well as collect dishes when finished. They delivered our midnight cookies and milk with huge smiles and flair on a few occasions and these cookies were in my opinion the chef’s redemption for such uninspired dishes in the restaurants. The chocolate chips all warm from the oven in tiny crispy little bites made me very happy indeed.

The beach staff was hopeless. The hotel has a few lines of reclining chairs out on the so called private beach where the very outdated hotel information booklet tells you, you will not be solicited to by goods. Well we were solicited from the time we sat down and oh that by the way was 30 minutes in the doing because firstly access to the beach is really not safe and extremely difficult. It was basically an alarmingly flexible short plank of wood placed halfway over a bed of rocks that are slippery from water. When we got to some chairs that we fancied there was no one around to help us put up the umbrellas, I spotted staff staring at us from the Promenade area where they were handing out towels for the beach use and when I waved they all just turned away to be busy elsewhere. It was a very helpful lady from the kiosks behind the chairs that came to help us eventually and she also gave the staff a stare and a headshake.

In general we loved the view from our room and enjoyed a very relaxing stay but truly this hotel is in some serious need of updating. There is not much information or warning for rooms that are perhaps not accessible to everyone. The staff in general was relatively good but there are some areas seriously needing attention. I do not feel as in love as I was 11 years ago with this hotel and I do not think it is just me that has changed. This is a gorgeous location on the quieter side of Phuket and it is a place that could do so much better with a bit more tweaking and efficient management.

We wanted to get away from the craziness of Phuket and stayed 3 nights at the Royal Phuket Yacht Club. They hotel was great. It was clean, the staff was friendly and the view was breathtaking ( I think we had room 509). The area was ehhhh, but I'm sure it's much better than other places in Phuket. It was expensive by Thailand standards but a steal by New York standards.
I got two treatments at the spa. Both were good, but I 'm sure I could have gotten a just as good of a service down the street for much less money. On our last night they had an all you can eat seafood dinner that was pretty amazing! But our best meals were just down the street at Nai Harm Seafood and Sunset Nai Harm! Both were AWESOME!
The beach was small but pretty. We don't recommend Phuket, but if you really want to go, stay here.

Upon entry into the lobby, you will see a 5 star hotel ratings plaque from the intl hotel standards board or whoever hands those out. It was from 1997 and there were 5 bits of glue where the stars were previously placed.

Pretty much sums up the hotel.

Unfortunately we found out AFTER staying that the hotel was previously owned by some pretty prestigious chains but is now independently run. It seems like whoever purchased the property is milking the facility for what profit it can without doing any capital improvements.

If you stay at this hotel and pay 3 star prices, I believe you will be satisfied. I paid 5 star prices booking directly over the internet and found out the hard way.

I complained that I had paid more than this quality of hotel dictated and they were helpful and upgraded my family to their nicest suite.

This suite was in much better condition than the regular rooms and what I would expected for the prices they were charging.

Food is good and staff is helpful.

A small percentage of wait staff at the restaurant and none at the pool are trained in how to actually wait on guests.

Our first room had a large rainfall shower head that was broken and pouring water from one side. I could see it had already been epoxied and was able to stuff it back together so it worked.

Towels are all in terrible shape, rough and threadbare.

Pool has algae growing in almost all the grout between the tiles.

Beach umbrellas are rusty and falling apart.

Like I said, if you pay 3 star prices it would be an ok hotel. If you want a 5 star experience and are willing to pay for it, DO NOT stay here.