Hotels

Three of the clear selling points, and customer benefits, with Pullman Phuket Arcadia resort on Naithon Beach are: the resort’s proximity to Phuket’s international airport, its privacy surrounded by a natural park, and its comprehensive, contemporary on-site choices for its guests.

Getting there is a smooth operation; simply grab a – these days regulated, though “island-metred” – taxi outside the airport (or book a Grab Taxi in advance) and travel along winding roads through a verdant, green landscape – with the last part driving over a rainforest hill before coming down to Naithon beach. This trip will take no longer than 15 minutes!

Along lush hillside: Pullman Phuket Arcadia resort 

Once arriving there, the Pullman resort takes centre stage; well placed on a steep hill, giving the benefit of unobstructed panorama sea views from most units. And if you are booked in any accommodation placed further up the hill resort vehicles take you to and from the room. Getting to and from the gym (placed high up on the hill) to do some workout, also means doing a bit of steep walking, which is always good to balance all the indulgence you’ll enjoy in the form of drinking and dining. The gym is also adjacent to a second pool, surrounded by lush greenery.

This resort has been rebranded into a Pullman hotel, so, especially if being a brand follower, one comes with certain expectations of a modern and quite often fashion and design-driven vibe. Pullman Phuket Arcadia Naithon Beach is a flagship property in terms of the brand entering into the resort market, aside its many city-based hotels.

Given this scenario it is satisfying to be able to conclude that this property, with its design, stylish outlets and appealing room interiors, fits the Pullman brand well! Overall it has the looks of a typical Thai resort while room interiors come with modern touches.

The main building is also raised, actually on the second floor, so that the lobby zone overlooks the curved main infinity pool below, and of course the Andaman Sea. Inside the portal from the street one goes up the hill to the lobby building and walks upstairs to get to the check-in area. Here the setting really turns into a superb scenery at sunset, and onwards, when overlooking the dark oean from this illuminated vintage point, or from in the pool – or by the pool bar for that matter!

The lobby is directly connected with ‘C Bar’, the hotel’s Lobby lounge, which is the place, aside the Pool bar and Business lounge (if seeking the coolness of air-con), where to linger and enjoy the vista over coffee and tea, or certainly during the daily Happy Hour for pre-dinner drinks. Especially the three sunken round lounges with sofas and tables in the infinity pond are draws. Pullman’s Vinoteca guarantees quality wine by the glass, and, of course, you have a selection of coffee, tea, juices and cocktails. For a bite to eat enjoy tapas or a choice of Asia favourites. And the happy hour at the pool bar begins prior to the one at the Lobby lounge, so it can be an extended happy hour affair taking you into the night… Needless to say plenty of people are hanging around here for book- and magazine reading, sunset sessions and pre-dinner cocktails etc.

The lobby area and lobby lounge are decorated with many nice design details such as traditional travel trunks, birdcage shelves, cabana-style day beds, and floor lamps holding 16 lit yellow candles each. The overall architecture is the one of traditional wooden Thai ‘sala’ style.

Natural touches, wow feeling at Pullman Phuket Arcadia resort 

Continuing to the accommodation, the rooms are either in the buildings connecting to the lobby or in the villas and buildings spread out along the verdant hill.

The Ocean Grand is indeed spacious (55 sq.m.) and comes with views over the Andaman Sea from the enclosed private balcony, offering relative shade during parts of the day; on the third floor in fact very good views of the bay and the ocean. The first surprise is that when you open the room door you step into an outdoor vestibule! There you can sit down to take off or put on your shoes (handy not to make the actual room sandy when coming back from the beach in those slippers…). On the side you can see a frosted window, which gives daylight to the bathroom, with a rain shower placed behind the glass.

Opening the second door a walk-in-closet is on the opposite side of the bathroom, which also features a bathtub. The sandy faux food floor tiling (a strong hotel interior trend these days) really looks authentic and in harmony with the rest of the bright wooden features.

Harmony is the word actually – influenced by the natural touches – and with glimpses of the sunset and the lamps lit the Ocean Grand turns really cosy. And relaxing with drinks and music on the private terrace’s garden furniture you get that real holiday wow feeling!

Glancing around the room you have: a bedside beige sofa with coffee table, sandy cocoon-like lampshades with warm light, creamy and brown wood panels with built-in furniture (including a work desk) in blonde food; a headboard of wood that is decidedly more green than grey and features a geometrical pattern; and a white sink on a granite counter facing a window with window-blind. All the natural-looking wood conveys a feeling of assembled driftwood that has came to good use.

The room is also equipped with a bluetooth sound bar (amplified speaker), which is excellent to be able to connect the music for instance from your MacBook or any Bluetooth device; an Nespresso coffee machine to make your in-room fresh brew; plus premium bathroom amenities and complimentary soft drinks in the minibar as additional amenities.

The slightly smaller choice (46 sq.m.) is the Ocean room, still allowing views of the Andaman Sea. Other than these there is the equivalent Grand Deluxe and Deluxe room types (no Nespresso machine), as well as Family rooms (68 sq.m.) that are elevated at the top of the resort and nearby the Kids club. Those offer a separate kids room complete with bunk beds and a play station.

Most exclusive are the One or Two Bedroom Ocean Pool Villas – in total seven of those. Each comes with a long, freeform private pool that has purple-blue tiles. The pool villas overlook the sea in-between the vegetation, where the shore is rocky. Inside the pool villas one can step right out from the bedroom and into the private mosaic-patterned plunge pool, so that is really a perfect spot for romance…

Interiors are a mix of sandy hues and so called Peranakan (paying homage to Phuket’s Chinese mining history).

In their interiors the villas have even more blonde built-in furniture and walk-in wardrobes.

Guests staying in room category Grand Deluxe and up also have their own club lounge on the premises.

If and when one prefers to enjoy the most of one’s accommodation the 24 hours in-room dining service comes in handy. Certain dishes are available from 10 pm until noon the following day, including: Tom khai gai (the sweet-and sour spicy chicken soup classic, Fried rice, or the other Thai favourite Phad thai gai/goong (chicken or shrimp). Food can also be selected by elements, such as organic; including Caesar’s salad or Pumpkin risotto; Grill element; or Tuna Thai element.

Top-class Italian Trattoria

However, at least a few visits to Vero, Pullman Phuket Arcadia Naithon Beach’s Italian flagship restaurant on the island should be obligatory on any visit (open for dinner). This Italian Trattoria and Wine Bar offers an array of speciality dishes providing a unique culinary journey through various provinces of Italy. You get to choose from sumptuous pastas and oven-baked pizzas as well as traditional Italian salads and main course choices.

Vero has a well-placed red Vespa by its entrance door and inside the floor-to-ceiling glass walled dining room décor consists in ironwork chandeliers, tropical wooden flooring, furniture made of wood and black iron – where a long table takes centre stage.

But if weather allows, opt for a table on Vero’s alfresco platform – it’s a truly stunning scenery, usually with a nice breeze from the ocean and of course often awarding you with magically inky skies… Add to that Italian cuisine at its best and you have a top-notch dining experience! This is the setting made to impress you and your company! Romantically inclined dining? You bet! Italian dining with good friends? Oh, yes indeed.

An infinity water pond that is curved around trees rising high from below, frames the dining sets on the outdoor platform – as we sit down to try the ‘Italian Summer’ menu.

This special menu includes: Smoked Marlin with Green Apple, Celery salad, Walnut powder and pickle green pepper; Home-made potato gnocchi, truffle butter, baby carrot, spring green pea and edible flower; Herbed sous-vide duck breast, cauliflower puree, sautéed radicchio and orange-infused garlic confit; or the Pizza estate mozzarella with fresh stracchino (cow’s milk) cheese, rocket and San Daniele ham (only in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region, in the hilly area around the town of San Daniele in the province of Udine).

The pizza comes out thick and with very fresh rocket salad sitting on top. Another main course from the main menu is Seared king prawns with chickpeas puree and rosemary, where three shrimps stand erected as if being small rocky islands among the sea of sauce!

Some other antipasti choices on the menu are: Italian burrata cheese with cherry tomato, basil and olive oil, Rocket salad with goat cheese and caramelized walnuts and lemon dressing, or Roast tomato soup with creamy mozzarella and roasted bread.

For main course choose from, among others, Risotto with crispy speck and burrata cheese, Seared cod fish with braised onion, fennel, raisin and marsala reduction, or Poached sea bass in tomato sauce with caper and olive.

And no Italian dinner is complete without the dessert, paired of course with another glass of wine or aperitif! How about some Chocolate pudding with Amaretti and caramel? Or Peaches tart with rum-raisin ice cream? Or Licorice and peppermint ice cream…

Healthy choice corner

Other outlets at the hotel are Deli and Elements, where the latter is the must-have all day dining (where also the breakfast is served), showcasing a ‘fine fusion of traditional Thai and Western cuisine and delicacies’. For Lunch, the restaurant offers an extensive a la carte menu filled with variety for all palates.

The buffet breakfast includes a healthy choice corner, including Beetroot salad. Among the other noteworthy buffet choices are tortilla, freshly baked Danish pastry with blueberry jam, and the Thai “snake fruit”, or sala.

Not to be overlooked, the resort also offers the Deli, serving indulgent chocolate, fresh baked croissants, imported cheeses, old and new world wines – indeed an ideal selection of delicious bring-to-room items to enjoy on your balcony (open until 10 pm).

The resort is really the destination here, though of course excursions on the island can take you to adventures and places, even as far as Phuket town as a day trip for exploring culture and shopping.

In terms of Discover & Adventure excursions choose from Phang-Nga Bay Tour, Walking the rainforest, Snorkeling Tour, or Sunset by Long-tail Boat, to mention some.

Remaining on the resort Float is the centre of family pleasure during daytime, serving kids favourites in the family resort area that has been created with the children and their parents in mind.

And under the tagline: ‘Our Resort. Your Playground.’ there is something for everybody. Browsing through the ‘Green Season Adult Activities Program’ one can find a selection of some free and many fee-based activities including: Yoga for beginners, Abdominal exercise, Muay Thai, Hatha Yoga 400, Arke training, Thai language training, Pilates workout, Full body stretching, Balance exercise, Personal trainer, and Elastic exercise. On the cultural side you have Thai cooking class.

And under ‘Creative Kids’ choose from: Kids aerobic, Kids stretching, Kids yoga, Umbrella painting, Batik painting, Card making, and T-shirt painting – plenty of activities to keep the kids busy so you can get some rest on a daybed by the pool. It’s vacation-time after all…