Kalima Resort & Spa — Hotel in Patong

We arrived on Dec 3rd 2024 and checked out on Dec 10th. We booked this resort a year in advance. The positive reviews and location are what drew us in.

It's a gorgeous resort with a great view of the Andaman Sea. It's located far enough from the nightlife at Patong. But close enough to enjoy it.

We stayed in the romance suite with ocean view. The room was spacious and clean. They have a huge infinity pool that is also very clean. The 2 restaurants are good. The free breakfast buffet at Malika has a large variety of breakfast and lunch options. And the staff was very friendly and helpful throughout the resort.

If you have bad knees, I wouldn't suggest this resort. This resort is situated on a hill and there are a TON of stairs all around the resort. Elevators go to certain floors. Then you need to hike it up stairs. Then hop in another elevator. It's definitely a good workout! But not fun after dinner and a few drinks! 😂

Now on to the negatives:

We arrived early, due to our early morning flight. We knew our room wouldn't be ready. The receptionist said she would contact us via WhatsApp when the room becomes available. That gave my wife and I an opportunity to walk around and check out the resort. A few hours go by and we watched others check in and get escorted up to their rooms. I gave it time and was being patient, waiting for a message on WhatsApp, but nothing. A few hours later I decided to ask at the desk. The receptionist says, "Oh sorry, your room is ready." And then laughed. She completely forgot! We just traveled close to 23 hours and just wanted to get in our room to shower and change!

One day we decided to nap and passed on housekeeping. The next day we went out all day, came back to our room late, only to walk in to no housekeeping again! There is a panel on the inside of the room by the door, with 2 indicator lights to set, that also show on the outside panel (Red for Do not Disturb. Green for Make up Room). We chose the green light before we left for the day. When we came back late, the light on the outside of the door was off, which indicated to us that the room was made up. But when we walked in, it clearly wasn't. Not sure what happened! We spoke to a manager to see about cleaning the room and/or getting fresh towels and he said that housekeeping stops working at 5:30pm. It was already after 7pm.

We spent a day at the pool. The swim up bar service was extremely slow and it was early in the day. 3 bartenders and only 1 was making drinks. Their was also an issue with not having a full inventory of bottles as listed. Not that big of a deal. But it was just adding to the frustration.

My wife made reservations on Sept 5th 2024, for a romantic dinner package at Malika, on Dec 6th 2024. The table was supposed to be dressed with a tablecloth, flowers and be situated at a location with the best view of the sunset. We were seated at a regular table, and handed menus. When we questioned our reservations, the waitress seemed confused. A manager came over. We told her about our reservations. She asked, "you want to order the romantic dinner?" My wife said, "no, we already have reservations and want to be seated at the designated location" (proceeded to point at the table that we should have had). The manager said, "that table is already reserved." I spoke up and said, "we also have reservations that were made in Sept!" She told us, "we can continue to sit at the table we're currently seated at, or over there." (pointed at a table further back from a sunset view). At that point, we both stood up and decided to walk out. We were both looking forward to a nice dinner for our 20th wedding anniversary and were very disappointed by this issue!

The next day I was contacted via WhatsApp and was offered a complimentary bottle of sparking wine for the inconvenience. I kindly declined and just expected a little more effort than that. But that's just me!

Overall, it's not a bad resort. I would give it 3 out of 5. It could of...

Firstly, the resort is way better looking in person than on photos. When we arrived, the check in counters were slow. And one of the guys was courteous whilst the other was rude and abrupt. They did upgrade us though, and the room view was spectacular. We needed a buggy to get around as it's only stairs and not access friendly at all. Except 2 people who were good( one of the people at the front desk and one at breakfast), most of the staff are cold and unhelpful.

We asked the concierge for matches or a cigarette lighter, and the guy said 'no have go to 7-11' and cut the call. I then called the front desk and they promptly sent one up. Why does one of the staff say no and one says OK?

Another day, we tried asking a few people for suggestions on places to see and where to go jet skiing, the staff didn't want to help and just kept saying go to a beach and figure. How is this a five star hotel?

Another day, we asked for a buggy, and they said go down now it's there. We went, and the guy left in front of us. We went up to call the buggy again, and 15 minutes later the buggy comes with another guest. The reception staff says that there's only 1 buggy and someone needed it for check in. Firstly, if your resort isn't access friendly, keep more buggys. I have had a knee surgery recently and need the buggy. And how is it an excuse to cater to a new guests when the existing ones are waiting? We had asked for the buggy first and he was there.

To 'compensate' the director or manager offered us spa coupons, which was a nice gesture. The spa was fantastic. However, at check out they tried to put the spa on the bill, which was apparently complimentary with the vouchers. Then they said OK we ll take it off. Not even apologetic about the mistake.

Another day, at the poolside we asked for towels and they happily gave us 2. The next day another guy said 'you should have towels bring them from your room'. What kind of attitude is this?! They gave us towels the previous day so we didn't know we had to get our own from the room. And even if we did, it's a 5 star hotel, the least they can do is smile and get us 2 towels. One of the bartenders was super nice though.

Also, other guests were blasting their own music in the pool, and the staff did nothing even though most other guests were super u comfortable.

Finally, there were many many bugs and Ants, which isn't in the staffs control but they could have put some repellent or done something about it.

Also, we asked for the room to be cleaned at 12 and when we came back at 5 it still wasn't. The lady said she will do it in an hour. I mean 5 hours after we go out and requested a room cleaning, we expected better.

There were MANY many small incidents at this hotel which made us feel unwelcome and was a 2 or at best 3 star experience. I've only mentioned a few.

Finally, the breakfast and food was very good. Decent hotel, let down by terrible service and some atrocious behavior from staff. 2 star experience for a...

Highly Recommend: Pool-Access Rooms

Sea View & Swimming: Privacy and Fun Combined - Perched on high ground, the hotel offers unobstructed sea views that greet you the moment you look out. Step out of your room, and you can soak in your private jacuzzi at will or reach the shared curved swimming pool in no time. Head downstairs, and there’s an infinity pool with a bar – the friendly bartender is always ready to mix a tropical specialty for you. It’s just a 10-minute drive from Patong Beach, making it a quiet, private spot away from the hustle and bustle.

Dining: A Delicious Feast from Sunrise to Late Night - The standard hotel buffet breakfast is a given. They also serve popular floating afternoon tea – perfect for taking photos (100% photo-worthy!). At dusk, go up to the rooftop, lounge on the sofa, and watch the golden sunset while enjoying tangy-sweet seafood appetizers and two specialty drinks. There’s even a late-night surprise back in your room: free drinks like vodka, whiskey, and gin, helping you drift off to sleep with a gentle buzz.

Service: Thoughtful Touches in Every Detail - Bellboys offer to help with your luggage warmly and never ask for tips. The hotel app provides one-stop services (only the response is a bit slow). The laundry service usually lets you drop off clothes in the morning and get them back the same night. Every day when you return to your room, a small plate of “sweet home”desserts waits to warm you up. The massage area is spacious and quiet, doubling your sense of relaxation.

Rooms & Facilities: Highlights with Minor Shortcomings - The rooms are bright and spacious, but the hygiene in small details still needs improvement to match its price range. The gym is roomy, yet it lacks free weights for exercises like free squats, bench presses, or deadlifts – and the Smith machine is still under repair.

Transportation: Convenient with a Small Catch - You may need to walk up some steps to get from the lobby back to your room, and it’s easy to get lost the first time. If you don’t want to walk, you can take a shuttle. The hotel also runs daily shuttles to and from Patong Shopping Mall, so getting around is no problem.

Conclusion：This hotel makes the most of Phuket’s greatest strengths – sunshine and the ocean. It’s a healing spot where you can fully unwind and definitely worth visiting again. While it’s not cheap, every penny goes toward an “ultimate experience” – overall, it’s...