Marriott Hotels in Phuket

We booked a room with direct pool access, bringing our child along. The room was quite small, with limited space for luggage. This is an all-inclusive resort with Italian, Thai, and Japanese restaurants. We checked in around 5-6 PM and wanted to have dinner at the Japanese restaurant, only to be told it required a reservation. So, we made a reservation for dinner the next day. The following day, we reserved the Thai restaurant for lunch. These two dining experiences significantly lowered my expectations for Marriott's food. The Japanese restaurant's sashimi and beef choices were very poor. The Thai menu was very simple, and their classic dishes weren't as good as what you'd find outside. We ended up ordering pizza to go from the Italian restaurant next door, which took about twenty minutes to prepare. In short, the restaurants were very disappointing. The dinner buffet restaurant is the same as the breakfast restaurant. The only positive thing I can mention is that on our first night, while eating at the buffet, I wanted to get some plain congee for my baby. The buffet didn't have any, as they mainly offered Mexican and Thai food. However, the chef understood my request and went to the back kitchen to prepare a bowl for me. The advantage of being all-inclusive is that you can order drinks anywhere, and we drank plenty of coconuts. But even the coconuts weren't as good as the ones I buy for 9.9 at Hema (a supermarket) near my home; they were just passable. The hotel has a unique private beach, but collecting seashells or anything from the beach is strictly prohibited – not even a single stone can be moved, let alone taken away, which takes away a lot of the fun. The hotel offers many activities, but spots are limited and require reservations. So, guests should book immediately after checking in. The ice cream shop doesn't open until 11 AM, not a minute sooner. My daughter tried to get ice cream five minutes early, and they refused, saying it wasn't open yet. This was quite unfriendly.

This hotel is great for a layover between early morning and late night flights. The sea view is beautiful, and the interconnected pools are a unique feature. The staff are very enthusiastic and provide excellent service.