A huge complex which is a little isolated from shops, restaurants, etc but perfect for those who want to lay around the pool, walk around huge gardens, read and do nothing.
Breakfast in Sails Restaurant was average. We tried one dinner in Sails and it was mediocre so did not return. Catering is not up to the standard of other Hiltons and needs a lot of work. However, most waiting staff were friendly and efficient.
The closet main shopping area is Patong - about 10-15 minutes by taxi.Unlike in Bangkok, there appears to be a cartel operating in Phuket for both taxis and tuk-tuks. Prices were all fixed and non-negotiable so you don't have much choice. A one way trip by taxi from the Hilton to Patong is THB400. Patong has the main shopping centre, bars, spas and saunas, restaurants, etc. A one way trip to Phuket Town is THB550 (not much here so if you have limited time, don't go there).
Our car from Phuket airport to the Hilton was THB750. However, the return trip cost THB1,000 and this was non-negotiable.
Hotel reception was friendly and efficient. Our main frustration was the overboard security. There are 2 "receptions". One enters the main gate and the vehicle gets the "once over" by security (but I doubt its efficiency - it looked more like going over a process to "tick the box" that it had been done). About 50 metres up the road, you are dropped off at a "Welcome Lobby" and both you and the suitcases get unloaded. This is as far as public transport is allowed. You then have to get on a Hilton vehicle and are driven to the main reception about 3 minutes up the road. Again you have to unload your baggage. When you arrive late at night after a long plane trip, this is the last thing you need.

Overall, a very enjoyable stay at the Hilton Arcadia. Biggest plus -- the staff was exceptionally nice and most importantly to me, very good to my son. Room was very nice (we even got a small upgrade) and the view of the Andaman sea was well worth the price of admission.

Deductions? Most of them have been mentioned in other places. The breakfast rooms are a madhouse and standing in lines for food was common. The beach is across the street and quite dirty (which, of course, is public and Hilton is not responsible for). The buffet selections were hit and miss. Some great, some mediocre. Which is fine, except the prices are super expensive. How expensive? Figure about $100 for two people and one young child. Yeah, that's probably why most people didn't partake in them. Internet was 650 baht (about $25 bucks) for 24 hours. My wife and I are heavy internet users and it lasted us the whole trip (5 days, 4 nights). You just log out when you aren't using it.

The Caffe Cino was a bright spot. I often have difficulty getting a decent cup of coffee at resorts like this. It's no Starbucks (shut up, hipsters) but it is good enough and they have gelato, too. Nice.

Oh, and be sure to stop by the lobby bar and say hi to the Vision Band. Really sweet young ladies and great singers, to boot.

Overall, very pleased and would stay there, again. The staff is human. They make mistakes. But, when they do, they try to fix it and more often than not have a smile on their faces while doing it. That's more than you often get at resorts like this. It's not cheap. But, very nice.

I stayed at the Hilton Phuket Resort in August 2012 and I loved it! The hotel is about one hour from the airport. The Hotel is lovely; it is very very big and has lovely grounds which are well maintained. I am a Hilton Honours member so I was checked in at a separate desk which is reserved for Hilton Honors guests, that was a nice touch. I was given a welcome drink and towel. Since the hotel is very big you get shuttled around to different areas if you do not wish to walk. The hotel is clean and the staff members were nice, friendly, welcoming and efficient. Housekeeping did a great job each day.

I stayed in a Deluxe Plus room in the Andaman B tower, those rooms were apparently renovated in 2011 and my room was great. The bathroom was excellent, it had a both a tub and a stand alone shower. I had a large corner room with a balcony facing the sea which was nice. The balcony had a cosy day bed for relaxing. I was travelling solo and felt very safe at all times. The room was clean and has international plugs for those who will need them. The hotel has several swimming pools which was good for variety. There were plenty of sun loungers since it was low season and the weather was good 80% of the time, it only rained a few times.

As previous reviews have stated, Hilton Phuket has been around for years so it’s not exactly new. I concluded that that they maintained it really well for an ‘old’ hotel, I absolutely loved it. I ate room service once and it was delicious. Karon Beach is across the road from Hilton and there is a guard who assists with crossing. The road wasn’t even busy since it was low season. The beach is nice and clean and was not crowded at all. The beach is not exclusive to the Hotel, it’s a public beach.

I’d heard about the Thailand taxi mafia before I arrived. I used the taxis which are located right outside the hotel on your way to the beach and the drivers were actually very nice and polite, it’s safe to say I did not witness their so-called confrontational/violent tendencies. I was charged 350 baht to go to Patong after negotiating it down from 400 baht, it’s about a 10-15 minute ride.

I had done my research before I arrived and knew that there were restaurants and shops within walking distance to Hilton (you can Google-map it with street view!). If you are facing the beach area by the main road, turn right and walk for about 3 to 5 minutes and you will come across the Old Phuket precent which has several restaurants which sell reasonably priced delicious food. There are also some shops, spas, money exchange, a mini mart for groceries and tailor shops. If you keep walking further down the main road you will come across a large flea market which has so many stalls selling clothes, bags, artwork, jewellery etc.

The one downfall I have to say is that the hotel did not have free wireless internet in the lobby like most nowadays hotels do; I personally think that should be standard with all hotels seriously. Apart from that I loved staying at the hotel, it was great, I highly recommend it. Do not hesitate to book there; you will enjoy your stay.