Last updated: January 07, 2025
It’s rare to arrive at a hotel and feel an immediate sense of calm wash over you, but that’s what you can expect from the moment you walk into Meliá Phuket Mai Khao’s plush open plan lobby.
With many hotels to choose from in Phuket, if you’re looking for a relax and reset away from the busier main tourist areas of Thailand, then this is the ultimate stay.
Located only a 15 minute taxi ride from Phuket Airport, Meliá Phuket Mai Khao is also very convenient to get to, yet it feels a world away with its serene aesthetics and commitment to wellness, sustainability and luxury.
You’ll find stunning architecture and beautiful tranquil gardens around every corner, with beautiful spacious villas and suites dotted around the complex, all which feel completely private.
Our one bedroom pool villa suite was a romantic bolthole – its spacious enclosed open air terrace patio and azure private plunge pool shimmering in the sun as we entered.
Sliding back the gigantic glass doors, we were greeted with more calming aesthetics. A huge bed provided the main focus with a minimalist feel to the furnishings and a blend of rich woods, a blue and grey colour palate and soothing ambient lighting.
The spacious bathroom was a further treat – natural and rustic with lighting from outside flooding in via the floor-to-ceiling glass shower, we loved the design of this room and the ability to shower inside or outside. You can access the shower both from the bedroom or the terrace and the big outdoor bath tub looked so inviting for the (slightly) cooler evenings.
The focus on wellness at the resort is paramount and I think this could be one of the most comfortable rooms I’ve stayed in. Yes, all luxury hotels have tea and coffee facilities, TV, free bathroom toiletries, but at Meliá Phuket Mai Khao, everything is premium. The plunge pool feels that bit bigger. The products are a touch more nourishing. The TV has all the satellite channels. And the bed.. well you can’t beat a super high quality mattress and pillows for a night of pure blissful sleep can you?
If outdoor pools are your thing, you will absolutely love the one at Meliá Phuket Mai Khao. It feels like an Olympic sized swimming pool and stretches vertically from the restaurant right down to the beach. There’s plenty of room for swimming, relaxing, stretching, sleeping, and grazing lounger-side.
Beyond the pool, you’ll find one of Thailand’s most beautiful beaches (and that is a challenge!) When you’re staying at Meliá Phuket Mai Khao, you get exclusive access to the Mai Khao Beach – one of Phuket’s longest beaches with 11kms of unspoiled beauty. As part of the Sririnat National Park, turtles are also allowed to nest here although we didn’t see any during our stay.
Serving food all day at Meliá Phuket Mai Khao, is the indoor SASA restaurant with a focus on more traditional Thai offerings. Breakfast is also served here with a massive banquet buffet breakfast and everything you could possibly imagine to eat,or you can scan the QR code for more refined / specific dishes like the chia seed bowl I devoured every morning.
Beyond the SASA restaurant is the Mediterranean inspired GAIA beach club restaurant for relaxed al fresco dining and a cool bar area. The happy hour cocktails are most definitely worth taking advantage of! We sat outside each evening devouring margaritas and plates of freshly prepared shrimp tacos, while looking out at the beach views beyond the pool area – such a magical time thinking back.
While you’re staying at Meliá Phuket Mai Khao, you absolutely must visit the YHI Spa. With a commitment to wellness which felt elevated in comparison to other spas, it’s definitely a more superior experience than I’ve encountered elsewhere. The spa itself is beautiful and they stock incredible products. With ritualistic treatments inspired by Thai tradition, cutting edge treatments, hydro, eco, the YHI Spa actually won an award in 2024 from the Luxury Spa Awards. This calming sanctuary has beautiful rooms which look out onto the lush gardens, but no-one can see in, ensuring a feeling of natural calm throughout your massage.
With a commitment to sustainability, Meliá Phuket Mai Khao has put a number of initiatives in place such as solar panels, an organic vegetable patch, wellness retreat programmes inviting guests to interact with nature, the use of natural detergents and a ban on single-use plastic.
The Meliá brand has always been one of my favourites and each hotel takes on its theme and fully embodies it. A few days at Meliá Phuket Mai Khao is without doubt good for the heart and soul and we left the resort feeling just a little bit lighter! A beautiful Thai property which marries modern architecture with ancient practice and the tradition of wellness, you can book your stay here.
