Novotel Phuket City Phokeethra — Hotel in Ratsada

Novotel Phuket City Phokeethra, Phuket. The high season starts from the end of October until the end of April every year. The prices during the high season are a bit expensive, but I got a room for one night at 2,9xx Baht for the basic room. However... the hotel generously upgraded me to a much higher room category! A couple of days before check-in, I received an email welcoming me and asking if I needed anything special. I just replied to the email, but personally, I didn’t request anything As a Platinum member, I booked a Deluxe King Bed Room but got upgraded to an Executive Suite on the 16th floor. They probably forgot the welcome set because the hotel was busy, but that’s okay because the upgrade to the Executive Suite far exceeded my expectations. The hotel still looks new, well-maintained, and very clean. The room has a bright white tone, looks spacious, airy, and comfortable with a lot of windows and good natural light. I got to enjoy the 180-degree view of the city of Phuket. The housekeeping did an excellent job cleaning the room, and everything in the room was in great working condition. The hotel is in a fantastic location, perfect for strolling around the Old Town and hunting for delicious food. We had time to visit the Chao Fah market, which opens from around 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM. At the market, there are incredibly delicious fresh spring rolls for just 20 Baht each, along with delicious pork bone soup, and refreshing watermelon with "Oew Oew" (a Thai dessert). There are many other must-try shops in the market. I’ll definitely go back. There’s stir-fried noodles, lo ba, and many more sweets! I highly recommend the Chao Fah market because it's a place where locals eat, not tourist-oriented restaurants (I've posted some pictures inside). As for the swimming pool, it’s small but very busy with guests. It's on the 3rd floor of the hotel, and there’s also a small but well-equipped fitness center. During the high season, the atmosphere in Phuket or at the hotels is especially lively, but it comes with a hefty price for the hotel. The Welcome Drinks card can be used via the app for 2 people, and you can redeem drinks at the 17th floor ETRELA Rooftop Bar or the Lobby. The service here was excellent, and in the evening, you can enjoy drinks while taking in the view of Phuket city, which is fantastic! For Accor Plus members, you can use the card for a 50% discount on food at the hotel’s restaurants (for 2 people). I asked F&B and found out the chefs here specialize in Thai food, so if you want to use points, I recommend trying the Thai food. For Platinum members and above, since there’s no lounge, the benefits are standard, including Early Check-In / Late Check-Out / Upgrade (if rooms are available). Breakfast is from 06:30 AM to 10:30 AM. The buffet offers a good selection of food, not too many but enough to be satisfying, and the quality is good. There’s also a daily rotating menu. No Refreshment Lounge, but there’s a Happy Hour from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM at the ETRELA Rooftop Bar with a "buy 1, get 1 free" offer. I highly recommend it as the view is amazing! No turndown service. The staff across all departments—Reception, Bell, F&B—are friendly, cheerful, and have great attitudes. They greet you with a smile, ask if you need anything, and offer help whenever necessary. The housekeeping staff is also excellent, keeping the room clean and explaining details clearly. The water pressure in the bathroom is great, and the view is fantastic. You can adjust the hot and cold water to your preference, and the water pressure remains consistent. Overall, if you're planning to visit Phuket during the high season, the room rates might be a bit high, but you'll get an energetic atmosphere. If you're not going to stay by the beach and prefer the city vibe in Phuket, spending 1-2 nights in the city before heading to the beach is a great option. For those looking for good benefits during their stay, this hotel would be a great choice. I hope this review helps as another option...

We stayed for 4 nights.

Pros: Clean Room. Clean Bathroom. Cleaning lady and staff are professional and courteous. 4.5 ft deep pool. 12.5 meters long. Gym with sufficient basic equipment for a vacation.

Cons: Stains on Sofa and Chairs. Shower gel wasn’t provided upon arrival. Reception did not pick up our calls for refill. When we went to the lobby and asked for it, they refilled it. Reception did not pick up any calls from the room. THEFT: We rented a motorbike during our stay and parked it in the Novotel Parking overnight. Someone stole the bike’s rearview mirror and mobile phone holder. We informed the hotel manager and security first thing in the morning and extended our bike rental for 24 more hours hoping they’d find the culprit. We were informed 24 hours later after multiple visits to the lobby that the security cameras couldn’t find the thief but they were able to confirm the bike had them when it came into the parking. We were refunded the 400 THB which we paid to the bike rental company for the mirror and phone holder. We were told by the manager that Novotel is not responsible for the safety of vehicles in their hotel parking lot but they’d reimburse us out of good will. Thanks I suppose. Would have been nice to know about this when booking the room. ROOM: We booked a Superior King. During checkin we were ‘upgraded’ to an Executive room. Which ended up being two twins put together. We checked in close to midnight and assumed the room had city view like we paid for. We were greeted by an abandoned building in the morning. Another pleasant surprise. DUST MITES: One of us is sensitive to dustmites and the furniture was not usable. Bed was tolerable. FOOD: All the food served in the hotel is Halal. Even vegetarian food in the breakfast buffet. When asked why even vegan and vegetarian food had to be Halal considering not everyone likes Halal standards being forced on them let alone for vegetarian food, we were told vegetarian food is not prepared in Halal way but just had Halal sticker on it. NOISE: There’s a speaker that blares every morning between 7:00AM and 11:00 AM. Don’t know if it continues after, we were usually out of the hotel after that. We woke up to the noise every day of our stay. LOCATION: Close to Old Town, but is in a dingy abandoned area. Many abandoned buildings nearby. We saw what looked like bullet holes in the glass windows of building next door. Did not feel safe to walk around at night. Marriott is in a better location for comparison.

Overall, for the tag of a 5 star hotel and for the price, this particular Novotel doesn’t stand up to its brand name. If you find it on a huge discount and don’t plan on staying in the hotel for more than a brief period, might still be ok. Be sure to not park overnight in the hotel parking and be ok with eating...

ORIGINAL REVIEW: We were really looking forward to our stay here but I’m very displeased with my stay at Novotel Phuket City Phoekethra. I don’t know how they got Google to label them as a 5 star hotel but they certainly are not.

We stayed there from 1/25-1/28. The building overall looks pretty outdated. The pool was pretty small and was in a weird spot that didn’t really get any sun.the fitness center was also very small.

During our stay we saw 2 cockroaches (pictured) (one in the shower and the other in the bedroom, close to the bed). The walls also had these brown stains on them from some weird substance (pictured). There was also a very unpleasant smell coming from the sink. The thermostat wasn’t working properly so the room was constantly too cold. The only way to regulate the room was to turn it off then back on when needed - we couldn’t keep one temp. We didn’t notice these things all at once. We noticed them individually as our stay went on so we didn’t think it was worth bringing up to the front desk as we had already settled in and were only there for a few days

Unrelated to the room, not one person greeted us or opened the door for us when we left or entered. Not a huge deal but something you would expect from a 5 star hotel. I’ve stayed at other 5 star and even 4 star hotels where they greet you as you walk in and open the lobby doors for you as you return. Staff was normal to deal with when interacted with

The Novotel’s redeeming quality is its location. It is close to a good number of night markets and Phuket’s Old town. the area immediately outside is a little rough around the edges but walk a little further and you’ll see some normal bars and restaurants.

If you do stay here lower your expectations or just choose a nicer hotel somewhere nearby.

UPDATE: The hotel general manager contacted me to understand more of my complaints. he ensured me they were working to fix the issues I had stated. His responses were quick which I appreciated. We were able to work out a compensation plan that I was satisfied with. For this reason, I bumped up the initial service rating...