Central Karon Village Phuket

you need to have good climbing legs - there are LOADS of stairs between pool, villas, restaurant and beach. Having said that, was v impressed by value for money in this beautiful hotel. Rooms are lovely, nice fresh design, a refreshing change from chain hotel blandness. This place had a feel of restrained luxury, not bad for 3 stars!

Tip for you - the beach restaurant about 100metres down the beach from the bottom of the stairs is incredible - so cheap but SO good! Best food we ate in Thailand during a 2 week touring holiday.

Travelling around Phuket a bit, Central Karon Village was a real treasure - stylish, good value for money, great views. Away from the throng of Patong, Karon and Kata but near enough to get to the action by tuk tuk or cab.

We just spent five nights at the Central Karon Village in Karon Beach (just south of Patong) and were extremely pleased with the accomodations. What a find amongst all the glitz of Patong and lower end stuff in Karon.

Our ocean view villa (#406) was situated for privacy and easy access to the pool, spa, and water. Sunset views were possible each night. A great alternative to being stuck in a hotel room. Beautiful and lush grounds surround all the villas.

I would highly recommend this place for it's seemingly unique location and well appointed rooms. Is it the Ritz? No. But considering the cost of the area boutique hotels, I'd say you get a good value.

Excellent and friendly staff. Very quick response time for any request. They will pick you up in a golf cart any time of day or night and bring you to the lobby. We did not have breakfast included and it worked out fine with in room coffee service (we bought fruit and juice in town for the a.m.)

Can't say I'd recommend the Cliff restaurant (expensive compared to Patong/Karon establishments) but you might consider a happy hour drink (1/2 price) b/t 6 and 7 p.m. Try Kai's seafood for a beachfront dining experience. Just take the beach access walk (10 minutes from the hotel) and it's the first establishment you hit. (Good food, great location, and cheap!)

The beach at Karon is quite nice compared to Patong and beach chairs will cost 100 baht for 2 and an umbrella. It is possible to get a massage for 300 baht on the beach as well. Walking into Karon town is about 15 minutes along the beach if you need to go shopping or use internet.

We've recently returned from Phuket where we stayed at Central Karon Village and decided to put in a few words about this place.

If you're looking for a resort that's away from the hustle and bustle, then this is the place to go. The hotel is located on a hillside, low density (abt 70 rooms) and the staff are quite courteous and helpful. The rooms are acceptable but not all are facing the sea despite what the website says. This is due to the trees that are in abundance in the resort and pretty much covers your view of the sea.

The one great thing about this place is the view from the restaurant at the lobby. The sunsets are fantastic. Distance from the action at Patong beach is about 15 minutes drive (by cab or tuk-tuk) and will cost anywhere from 150THB to 200THB.

We didn't spend much time savoring the food at the hotel but it was relatively standard fare.

Bad things were some of the funishings in the villas were old and broken but we weren't in the room all that much so didn't bother us much. Located on a hillside, walking from the rooms to the lobby is for the physically fit but there are minicars that you can take to go up to the lobby.

We found the staff there very pleasant and they do go out of their way to make your stay memorable.

We stayed in CKV in early Jul. Our triple rm was spacious and had a nice four-poster bed and a foldaway single bed, a window fr where we could see a sliver of the sea through the thick foliage, and a big bathroom. We also had a narrow balcony w/ deck chairs that we never used bc the area was not very clean and it was too overshaded by trees for any sunbathing.

The hotel is not conveniently located and you'll need to catch a tuk-tuk (often not easy) or ask the hotel to arrange a cab for you to get to Patong or anywhere really. Nothing is w/in walking distance. There are only 3 shuttle services daily to Patong/Karon.

Even getting out of yr room/villa to any other part of the hotel might require transport arrangement if you're not feeling particularly fit or don't want a sweaty climb, but that's easy enough - just ring for the buggy.

Do not stay at this hotel if you're looking to hop out of yr room every morning and land on a stretch of pristine sand. We followed the (unlcear) signs to the public footpath that was supposed to lead us to Karon beach and an uncomfortable 15-minute walk later, we found ourselves on a beach, but one w/ lots of driftwood and dilapidated shacks so we hiked back, got a cab and went to find some nice beaches (Nai Harn, Surin, Kata).

Lastly, the breakfast is truly quite awful but the Cliff restaurant is quite good and romantic at night. Oh, and the papaya juice at the bar is heavenly. The pool area has a nice view of the sea and is quite pretty.

Excellent hotel with friendly staff!!!

If you like something different, the concept of individual villas spread around a hillside is for you! Although not sumptuous, the air-conditioned villas are to a good standard with all you'd need (all of them look the same from the outside and ours had no bath, no major issue for us as we would shower anyway). The walk up the hill to the top restaurant/reception and down the hill to the pool/lower restaurant/massage will certainly give you some good exercise (unless, like us, you phone for the minicar whenever you want to go anywhere)!

Service round the top pool is nearly none existant (we never got round to using the lower pool) and, if you want food or drink round the pool, you need to go to the bar to order it! The food, though, is well worth the effort (as are the drinks, particularly the cocktails and fruit blends).

Don't go between May and October expecting to be able to walk down to the beach and swim in the sea as there are strong undercurrents that make swimming very dangerous - the beach is well marked with red flags and signs to this effect. It's only a £3.00 taxi ride to Patong or Kara beaches where the swimming is safe all year round.

Karon is deceptively large and, to see it, you need to travel away from the beach area. The nightlife is much better in Patong and I would definitely advise going there instead. Beware of the Ladyboys in Bangla Road (Patong) as they will pose for a photo with you then demand cash for the privilege!

The restaurant at the hotel is very good with a spectacular view. If you want to eat out, it's worth going to see the sunset at Promthep Cape and eating in the restaurant there (although I dread to think how busy it will be in the high season). On The Rock in Karon is excellent with views back along the beach towards Central Karon Village (it's worth booking a table by the sea as these are spectacular!). One of the other reviews recommended Mon Tri's restaurant, this appears to be a chain of three or four restaurants in Phuket and, after eating at one, my only words would be to steer clear of it - very mediocre food for (by Thail standards) very high prices! There are some nice restaurants in Patong but, unfortunately, I can't remember any names apart from Thai Thai which is a fast food restaurant, nice Thai food for very cheap prices!

If you want to see round the island, talk to the taxi's who are stationed just outside the hotel - with it being low season when we were there, we got a five hour tour round the bottom part of the island for 600bht (about £8.50)

- there is a four hour tour advertised at the taxi rank by the hotel for 800bht!

Don't forget to barter - we found that, if we bartered and walked away if we couldn't get a good price, we were paying just over half the asking price!

If you're looking for a large hotel with loads of facilities in one large building, stay at the Hilton at Karon beach (very good hotel but no character), if not, stay at the Central Karon Village!

My boyfriend and I stayed at the Central Karon Village and loved every minute. The resort has an extremely private feel with individual villas set in beautiful lush surrounds. We had an excellent room close to the pool which suited us and the views across the ocean are to die for. Would definately recommend partaking in a spa treatment. We had a massage and facial underneath beautiful huts with the sounds of the ocean crashing below. The staff were extremely courteous and polite and the buffet breakfast was fantastic. The only negative aspect for some may be the numerous stairs up and down from the pool area to the main lobby area. Whilst we are both quite fit and enjoyed the walks others may find them tiring. Its in a very convienent location positioned between Patong and Karon, either area is a cheap ride by tuk tuk. All in all its a great place and very reasonably priced.

Central Karon Village is a pretty unique hotel concept. Spacious villa rooms are dotted down a steep hillside overlooking Karon Beach. Rooms are simple but effective - no five star frills but on a beach/pool holiday are these really neccessary?

Each has its down terrace with two loungers. Some rooms have real privacy, other great views. I normally opt for five star hotels, but there's something about this hotel that has me going back again and again.

Service around the pool can be very hit or miss - although food is generally well worth the wait when it comes.

Great secluded location giving a back to nature feel. Great view of the sunset over the Andaman sea from the Cliff bar at the top of the resort. For the price you pay you are unlikely to find a better buy on the island.

My husband & I went to Phuket in early May 2004. Central Karon is a nice hotel if you love nature (as in plants not beach). The hotel is located away from Karon Beach & their shopping areas. The massage was very good, ambience was very relaxing. As we both lied down in a open area where we could hear the calming sound of the sea. It was also very windy too.

During the night, you can hear almost millions of crickets .....because the hotel is surrounded by plants! Thei breakfast are lousy & service extremely slow. Rooms are comfortable but still can improve further.

I will not go back there again. One time is enough, not that fantastic.

I visited Central Karon in July 2004, and chose it because I was looking for a smaller boutique-style hotel rather than a 20 storey white high rise with screaming kids everywhere.

Central Karon Village is set in lush forest on a hill looking towards the sea. It is gorgeous! The accomodation is all villas with air conditioning. There are two pools on kind of terraced levels, and they have a massage spa service down below the pool with the sounds of the waves breaking on the rocks below. This hotel would perfectly suit couples who want a bit more privacy rather than a huge complex resort.

Notes of advice: To get up to top restaurant for breakfast you can call up a tuk-tuk to pick you up, or walk up. If you are lazy, definitely get the tuk-tuk or this hotel will drive you nuts. If you are a fit freak you will probably love the walking. There are shortcuts, so note the map.

The service by the pool is hopeless, or at least it was at that time of year, which is mad because they could have stationed a staff member on it and made more money doing drinks than they do in accomodation. The staff's English at the lower restaurants is pretty poor on the whole (unlike at the top reception) so basically if you want to order food do so 30 mins before you want it and point to a dish on the menu and say "I want this". Food not too bad in terms of prices, although cheaper out of hotel of course, and they do European food like pizzas and burgers and sandwiches, as well as some Thai food. Quality of food is suprisingly good, so go ahead and order. It's not 5 star restaurant food, but cleanly made and pretty damn good.

Karon Beach is an 8 min walk down a track from the hotel, or pay 150 baht (around $3) or less to get a taxi. Karon is a long beach, further down is Kata where you can lie on deck chairs topless and is small and busier. Mon Trihs along the end is a great restaurant (and part of a nice hotel). The nightlife is mainly in Bangala Road in Patong, where lady-boys and beer gardens are everywhere. If you are prudish, avoid it but it is part of the culture and worth the experience even if it isn't your usual scene. Taxi to Patong around 200 baht (approx $4). Basically Central Karon Village is a 5 minute drive from most places cheaply, and a lovely refuge to come back to.

We got the staff to booking restaurants which we wanted to go to (there's a really good one at the Impiana Phuket Cabana in Patong, and Mon Trihs in Kata Beach is also great.) They did well at this, which saved us battling with language barriers not to mention added stress, and would get them to call us taxis at particular times etc. They were great, spoke good English and were very accomodating.