Mandarava Resort & Spa — Hotel in Karon

Update: Today we leave the Mandarava. I went down after breakfast this morning to chat with the manager on duty and to share a bit about our experiences. I had the opportunity to chat to Peary, and she was very open to feedback. We agreed that there were some gaps in communication, and I guess these things happen, so im going to focus on the things that they did well over the last few days. I have to mention the breakfast manager who kindly came to speak to me at breakfast the very next day after my review and explained the situation with a smile. I also want to mention the gentlemen at the Thurs night buffet who was so funny and full of smiles as he took us to have a look at the very good buffet options. We really enjoyed this authentic Thai experience. To the in-room dining team and the kind gentlemen who dropped off our food for us last night, thank you for bringing a smile to our faces - you were great! The food at the bar and the in-room dining were really tasty and good portion sizes.

I truly appreciate that Peary made the time to chat to me this morning, and I'm glad I did before we left.

Initial Review We are currently staying at the Mandarava. Prior to this hotel we stayed in two other hotels which are managed by the Marriot group and unfortunately I think my expectations of the Mandarava hotel was just too high, especially after staying at Marriot hotels. The hotel is situated on a hill so getting down to the beaches or back up to your room can be a challenge. There is a shuttle which runs between Karon and the hotel, however it operates only at specific times, so you would most-likely end up booking a transfer or cab to get to where you want to be. At our previous hotel there was a shuttle available so you could just call at any time and they would collect or drop you off. There are no 7/11s or restaurants around the hotel, so you would need to be prepared to take a cab to where you want to be and if you are hungry and looking for something other than hotel food, you won't find anything in the vicinity. We are staying in a pool access room which is nice given it has direct access to the pool, but if you looking for privacy you won't find it in this room as it directly faces the pool seating area where everybody comes to sit during the day. There are some other rooms which seem to have more privacy but unfortunately we got allocated this one. The rooms is a decent size though, so very comfortably fits 2 adults and a child (with an extra bed). We ordered some drinks and food from the Coconut Bar, we were served by Mod who unfortunately doesn't understand much English, so when I asked him about my 10% discount (part of my package) he became noticeably frustrated while trying to explain but mind you I couldn't understand a thing and just let it be. He is also the only person serving guests at the bar so had to wait a while to order anything (he was mia) because it seemed like he needed to go and fetch some previously ordered food. The internet isn't great in our room but luckily we have True Sims, so we manage. The breakfast is ok however the staff at breakfast seemed overwhelmed and just shoved us to a dirty table and rushed around to get it cleaned. The breakfast offering is ok, however there is quite a delay in refilling the empty items. The team at breakfast seems rushed and nobody was smiling as everybody looks so angry and overwhelmed. The power has gone off thrice in our room. Not sure what that's about but nobody even bothered to reach out or apologise. All-in-all i am disappointed and underwhelmed as I expected more from this hotel especially given it's rating and price. If you looking for a quiet hotel stay and want to lounge around the pool all day then this hotel is perfect for you. If you want to explore (on foot) and be close to restaurants (other than the hotel) and do some site seeing/shopping, then I would not recommend this hotel.

Unfortunately we are here till Monday, so hopefully things improve, but assuming no improvement, we...

This was my third stay in Mandarava. As on previous occasions, everything was great. I love the lush greenery of the hotel surroundings and the sound of cicadas in the morning. The hotel rooms are located in individual villas on a hill, which makes the experience more private. Each villa has up to 2 apartments on the ground floor and two on the top floor, but some villas have only one apartment on each floor. The views from the top floor are beautiful and encompass the greenery which is surrounding the hotel as well as sea view, depending on what room you get. The decor of the rooms is beautiful. Everything is well designed and very well maintained. Staying here gave me a feeling of total relaxation. Everything was hassle free. Service is great. From the first minute, you feel very welcome in the hotel. The receptionist will assist you immediately at the check in, and during your stay every single staff you meet on your way will always greet you in a friendly way. The swimming pools are beautiful and you can choose from several different ones. Some villas have direct access to the pool as well. The breakfast is very good. Nice view from the restaurant. Good food selection for breakfast and decent choices for lunch and dinner. Sadly the second restaurant located higher up on the hill is still closed probably due to limited number of tourists but hopefully it will reopen soon as the views from there are beautiful.

COVID related: The place is very clean. Masks are required in the restaurant area and every guest receives a plastic glove which needs to be worn when selecting the food from the buffet. Masks are also provided by the hotel in the restaurant during the breakfast. The fact that the hotel grounds are huge and you stay in individual villas means that most often you don't even see other guests, so you can stay away from other people if you like. Sunbeds by the main pool got quite busy during my stay but there were other pools which were less busy. So it is easy to keep distance.

Things to note:

Proximity to the beach: the hotel is around 15 mins walk away from the beach. While for me it was not a problem, for others it may be a decisive factor. It is not a beach resort. It is more of a jungle retreat resort with sea views. But the location is absolutely beautiful. There is a shuttle from the hotel to the beach but it only runs twice a day which is not enough.

I love Karon beach because it is totally empty and very long (3km) so you can walk down and up the beach listening to the sea waves. It is very calm and quiet area. But it is not a party area. If you are looking for party beach with many clubs, bars and restaurants, this area is not for you.

Insects: the hotel is surrounded by a lot of vegetation so insects are natural part of it. From bees via hornets to beetles and mosquitos - you need to be comfortable with this.

Wifi: the wifi and mobile signal in my room was not great but I didn't care. But if it's a must for you, it's important to ask for a villa with good signal.

The hotel is on the hill - so there is quite a lot of walking to be done up and down the hill. The hotel provides transport within the grounds and if you don't want to walk you can always ring them and ask for assistance. They will also take your luggage from the reception to the room and back at check-in/check-out.

It is a very secluded place - not many restaurants and bards in the immediate vicinity, so it's much better for couples retreat or if you want to have a very relaxing holiday surrounded by a lot of greenery. It's not very suitable for people who are looking to be in the middle of the action in Phuket.

Things to improve: Fruit shakes were not as nice as in other hotels and restaurants I tried. Pillows could be a little bit more comfortable.

As you see, not much to complain about.

I love this place and will...

Firstly service excellent from all well attired, always polite and smiling staff, a real credit to the management and owners. The resort is kept to a high standard everywhere even the fallen leaves are swept up daily. The accommodation was fabulous (we had room 3103)and we appreciated changed bedding daily. Shower was disappointingly only a trickle, but loss of power was likely due to being high up on resort. We used both restaurants but found the Chom Talay more to our liking. This restaurant is also used for the breakfasts, absolutely exceptional choice. We dined here too...we enjoyed the buffet thai meal on the two Thursdays we were there. Although the first Thursday had a better soup choice (Tom Yum) only small criticism was that the dessert both evenings was fresh fruit or cake etc. This would have been perfect if they had served one of the 3 main desserts either mango sticky rice, bananas in coconut milk or deep fried banana fritters with honey. The grounds were lush and well planted and offered good photo opportunities. The pools were lovely, however, the lounger pads were a little tatty. Again a small criticism but this area could so easily have been a showstopper by management using better parasol colours (Mandarava turquoise blue) to really make the pool area more stunning. The parasols looked pretty worn so hopefully if they read this post future guests may benefit if they take my suggestion as valid. The location was fabulous a short stroll into town (about 15 mins) although I wouldn't have wanted to walk it in the daytime heat, we waited for the cool of sunset. Shops and supermarket nearby. Turn left out of the resort and they are about a 3-5 minute walk. There is also a tailor's a good restaurant called Friendly a well priced Spa and a motorbike rental. About another ten minute walk beyond and you will come to the main shops, night market and various street foot vendors. Incidentally the lovely lady who has the souvenir and thai elephant pant shop near the resort, is selling her clothes for 100 baht which were 350 in the night market. Use this lovely local lady she deserves your custom. she sells both one size and larger sizes and all 90-100 baht All in all a thoroughly enjoyable stay, can highly recommend. Lastly and quite importantly, the resort is fairly hilly with many steps, be warned. Not suitable for old or those with walking issues. That said they do provide a free shuttle around the resort and back to your room if needed. They also supply a free shuttle to and back from Karon beach/shopping area several times a day 6.10 being the last one back. Nearby attraction worthy of a mention is Carnival Magic. We arranged the Viator but the resort can also supply tickets. We were picked up from the resort by shared transport at 5.10pm the journey was about 45 mins. The show consisted of buffet meal in a stunning restaurant called Birds of Paradise, seats 3000 people, with a decent varied buffet of Thai, Indian, Muslim and Western dishes. Pastries, cake and other pretty desserts were plentiful. Alcohol was extra as was ice cream. Only criticism the food, whilst tasty, was warm not hot which was a shame. Whatever you do, visit the restrooms whilst here. They are stunning. Even the toilets are worthy of a video! A carnival follows, then the show (the only bit you are not allowed to film or take photos) and finally a walk through light display. A fantastic evening which took about 6 hours total and cost about £70 all inclusive of food and transport there and back. It's on year round but only about 3 nights a if you can try to fit this in, it's...