Family hotels in Phuket: how to choose

How do you choose a hotel in Phuket for a holiday with kids?

Almost every family that contacts me about a photo shoot before their trip asks this question.

I’ve been living and working in Phuket since 2015, I photograph families with children almost every week, and in that time I’ve been on the grounds of dozens of hotels all over the island — from big resorts with water parks to small villas with their own pool.

So I see hotels not as a tourist does for a couple of weeks, but from the inside: where kids are genuinely comfortable, where parents spend the whole holiday carrying a stroller up and down stairs, and where you have to cross a busy road to reach the sea.

In this article I’ve put together my practical experience: which area of Phuket to choose for a family, what to look for in the hotel itself and how to plan for the season.

Choose the area first, then the hotel

The main mistake I see families make is choosing a hotel from nice photos without looking at the map.

Phuket is big. Driving from the north to the south of the island can take an hour and a half, and with a small child that’s a very different story than for a couple.

So decide on the area first. Everything else depends on it: the beach, the drive from the airport, nearby restaurants, excursions and even where we’ll do your family photo shoot.

The best areas of Phuket for a holiday with kids

Mai Khao — peace and space

Mai Khao is the very north of the island, 15–20 minutes from the airport. For families with little ones this is a huge plus: after a long flight you don’t have to spend another hour and a half on winding roads.

The beach is very long and calm, there are few people, and along the shore stand big resort hotels with spacious grounds, pools and kids’ clubs. For example, JW Marriott Phuket, Anantara Mai Khao, Holiday Inn Resort Mai Khao Beach with family rooms, and Splash Beach Resort with its own water park.

There’s one downside — there’s hardly any infrastructure around. You’ll spend almost all your time on the hotel grounds. For a holiday with small children, that’s often exactly what you need.

For a photographer, Mai Khao is a great location: a long empty beach, soft evening light and lots of space where kids can run around and I can capture natural, unposed moments.

Bang Tao and Laguna — my number one choice for families

If friends with kids asked me where to go for the first time, I’d almost certainly say Bang Tao.

This is where Laguna Phuket is: several hotels on one huge green estate with lagoons, pools, kids’ clubs and free shuttles and boats between the hotels. Angsana Laguna, Outrigger Laguna, Cassia, Banyan Tree — each has its own level, but all of them cater to families too.

Everything you need is nearby: supermarkets, cafés, the Blue Tree park with a lagoon and slides, beach restaurants.

Bang Tao is also one of my favourite beaches for photo shoots. I wrote more about it in the article “Photo shoot in Phuket: which beach to choose”.

Karon — the happy medium in the south

Karon is a big beach on the south-west of the island. It’s calmer than Patong but still has plenty of cafés, shops and pharmacies.

There are hotels with water slides and kids’ areas here, such as Centara Grand Beach Resort with its own water park, or Mövenpick Karon Beach.

Worth knowing: Karon’s hotels are mostly separated from the beach by a road. You’ll need to cross it, which is worth considering with small children.

On the other hand, in the evening Karon is one of the best locations in the south for a family sunset photo shoot.

Kata and Kata Noi — beautiful and cosy

Kata is a cosy area with a gentle entry into the sea, and neighbouring Kata Noi is a small, very beautiful beach with noticeably fewer people.

Right on Kata Noi is Katathani Phuket Beach Resort — a large beachfront hotel that families often choose.

But keep in mind: Kata and Kata Noi are surrounded by hills. Many hotels and villas sit on slopes with steep climbs and stairs, which can be very inconvenient with a stroller.

For photo shoots I especially love Kata Noi in the morning: soft light, turquoise water and an almost empty beach.

Nai Harn — for those who want atmosphere

Nai Harn is one of the most beautiful beaches in Phuket, with a lake nearby that’s great for walks with a stroller and kids on scooters.

There are few hotels on the beach itself, so many families rent villas or apartments nearby.

Kamala — a quiet alternative

Kamala lies between Patong and Surin. It’s a quiet area with a decent choice of family hotels and villas, and closer to the north than Karon and Kata.

Where I wouldn’t go with small children

• Patong — noisy, crowded, lots of nightlife and a busy beach. Fine with teenagers, but I wouldn’t go there with little ones.
• Rawai and Chalong — good areas to live in, but the beaches aren’t for swimming: shallow water, low tides and boats.
• Panwa — beautiful hotels, but the beaches are mostly not great for swimming with kids.

What to look for in the hotel itself

Once you’ve chosen the area, you can choose the hotel. Here’s my checklist, put together from conversations with hundreds of families:

• Beachfront without a road. Ideally you can walk straight from the hotel grounds onto the beach.
• A kids’ pool with shallow water and, if possible, shade from the sun.
• A kids’ club. Check from what age children are accepted and whether parents need to stay.
• Family or connecting rooms. With two kids, a standard room feels cramped by day three.
• A cot, a high chair in the restaurant, a kids’ menu — better to check in advance.
• The terrain. Hillside hotels are beautiful, but with a stroller that means stairs and climbs.
• Distance to a pharmacy, shop and hospital. Just in case.
• Beautiful grounds. And not only for relaxing: if you’re planning a photo shoot, the garden, pool and beach next to the hotel are a ready-made location.

Kids’ club rules and family room options change, so always check the hotel’s own website before booking.

Phuket hotels with good facilities for kids

Below are the hotels that families with children choose and praise most often. I know many of them from the inside — I’ve done family photo shoots there. I’ve grouped the list by area so it’s easier to match with the tips above.

North: Mai Khao, Nai Yang, Nai Thon

• Splash Beach Resort (Mai Khao) — its own water park with slides, a wave pool and a lazy river, a kids’ club and two-bedroom apartments.
• JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa (Mai Khao) — a large beachfront resort with a kids’ club, a kids’ pool and connecting rooms.
• Avani+ Mai Khao — the Avani Kids club and one- and two-bedroom suites.
• Holiday Inn Resort Phuket Mai Khao Beach — family rooms and a kids’ club, with the Splash Jungle water park next door.
• Renaissance Phuket Resort & Spa (Mai Khao) — a kids’ club with a play area and a kids’ pool.
• The Slate (Nai Yang) — a design hotel with a kids’ club, a shallow pool for little ones and family rooms.
• Naithonburi Beach Resort (Nai Thon) — large pools with a sandy area where kids play as if on a beach, and a playground. Quiet Nai Thon Beach is just across the road.

Bang Tao and Laguna

• Sunwing Bangtao Beach — one of the most kid-friendly hotels on the island: a club for little ones, a separate teen zone, pools with slides, shallow pools for the youngest and family studios.
• SAii Laguna Phuket — a kids’ club, a pool with a slide and connecting rooms, all inside the Laguna complex.
• Angsana Laguna Phuket — one of the longest pools in Phuket, a kids’ club, family rooms and apartments.
• Outrigger Laguna Phuket Beach Resort — family rooms, a kids’ club and direct access to Bang Tao Beach.
• Banyan Tree Phuket — pool villas and a kids’ club. An option for those who want luxury.

Kamala

• Sunwing Kamala Beach — lots of family pools with gentle entry, slides, clubs for little ones and teens, and a playground.
• Radisson Resort & Suites Phuket — a kids’ pool with a slide, a kids’ club and two-bedroom suites.
• Hyatt Regency Phuket Resort — the Camp Hyatt kids’ club, a kids’ pool and family rooms. The hotel is on a hill, with a shuttle to the beach.
• InterContinental Phuket Resort — the Planet Trekkers kids’ club, right on Kamala Beach.

Karon

• Pullman Phuket Karon Beach Resort — several pools, including a shallow kids’ pool with a slide, a playground and connecting rooms. Right by Karon Beach.
• Centara Grand Beach Resort Phuket — its own water park with slides and a lazy river, the Camp Safari kids’ club and a teen zone. Don’t confuse it with the neighbouring Centara Karon Resort.
• Mövenpick Resort & Spa Karon Beach — large pools, a kids’ club and family rooms.
• Thavorn Palm Beach Resort — a water zone with slides, a kids’ room and connecting rooms.
• Le Méridien Phuket Beach Resort — a hotel on its own beach between Patong and Karon, with a kids’ club, a teens’ club and a shaded kids’ pool.
• Holiday Inn Resort Phuket Karon Beach — a kids’ club, slides and family suites.
• Destination Resorts Phuket Karon Beach — a kids’ pool with slides and a kids’ club.

Kata and Kata Noi

• Katathani Phuket Beach Resort (Kata Noi) — the Chang Noi kids’ club, several pools with slides, connecting rooms, right on the beach.
• Club Med Phuket (Kata) — all-inclusive, kids’ clubs by age and family rooms. Convenient if you don’t want to organise anything yourself.
• Chanalai Garden Resort and Chanalai Flora Resort (Kata) — affordable hotels with a kids’ playroom; Flora also offers babysitting.

Patong and Tri Trang

I don’t recommend Patong for little ones, but if you’ve already chosen this area, here are hotels that have thought about kids:

• Phuket Marriott Resort & Spa, Merlin Beach (Tri Trang, just past Patong) — a kids’ club, the Splash Zone mini water park and a coral reef for snorkelling right off the beach. It’s much quieter here than in Patong itself.
• Holiday Inn Resort Phuket — a kids’ club, family pools for little ones and Kids Suites.
• Courtyard by Marriott Phuket, Patong Beach Resort — a kids’ club and a pool with slides.
• Patong Merlin Hotel — two shallow kids’ pools, a kids’ club and family rooms.

Kids’ clubs sometimes run reduced hours in the low season, and the minimum age varies from hotel to hotel. Check this on the hotel’s website or contact them directly before booking.

And if you’ve already chosen one of these hotels, message me. Chances are I’ve shot there before and can tell you where on the grounds and on the nearest beach the best family photos will come out.

Hotel or villa?

A hotel is convenient if you want everything close at hand: breakfast, a pool, entertainment, a kids’ club and housekeeping.

A villa suits you if you’re travelling as a big family or with grandparents. Your own pool, your own kitchen, peace and quiet and no schedule.

By the way, a villa with a pool is one of my favourite locations for a family photo shoot. Kids feel at home, aren’t shy, splash around in the pool, and I capture real emotions. Message me and we’ll plan a villa shoot together.

Plan for the season

From November to April Phuket has its dry season: a calm sea, sunshine and good conditions for swimming.

From May to October the west coast often has high waves and strong currents. Red flags go up on the beaches, and on those days you can’t swim in the sea with children.

So if you’re travelling in summer or autumn, choose your hotel by its pool first, not its beach. A good kids’ pool matters more than a beachfront location at that time of year.

For a photo shoot, the rainy season isn’t a deal-breaker, by the way. Showers are usually short, and the sky after rain can be incredibly beautiful. I simply adjust the shooting time to the forecast.

Things to do with kids in Phuket

• the Andamanda water park and the Blue Tree park;
• an ethical elephant sanctuary — no riding, only watching and feeding;
• a sea trip to the islands by speedboat or yacht;
• a desert island near Rawai — white sand and almost nobody around;
• walks around Phuket Old Town with its colourful houses.

Many of these places can be combined with a photo shoot. For example, an elephant shoot and a desert island shoot are separate packages on my price list.

Family photo shoot in Phuket: how I work with kids

A holiday with kids flies by. And phone photos are usually missing one person — the one taking the pictures.

That’s why many families book a family photo shoot in Phuket with me — so that everyone is in the frame, not just the kids and mum.

Here’s how I usually plan a shoot with children:

• I shoot near your hotel. The hotel grounds, the pool and the nearest beach — no need to travel anywhere with the kids.
• I adapt to the child’s routine. Morning from 7 to 9 or evening an hour and a half to two hours before sunset: soft light, not too hot, kids full of energy.
• No “stand still and smile”. Kids play, run through the water, build sandcastles, and I catch the real moments.
• Short formats. With little ones an hour is usually more than enough — after that they get tired.
• I’ll help you choose what to wear. I’ve collected outfit tips in the article “Preparing for a photo shoot in Phuket”.

The most popular format for families is the Standard package: an hour of shooting on your hotel grounds and the nearest beach, 15–20 retouched photos plus all the original shots. Current prices and all packages are on the price page.

My main advice

Don’t look for “the best hotel in Phuket”. Look for the best hotel for your family.

With little ones — the quiet north, spacious grounds, a pool and a short drive from the airport. With older kids you can choose the south, where there’s more to do. With a big family — a villa.

And be sure to set aside at least one morning or evening for a family photo shoot. In a few years, these are the photos you’ll look through most often.

Frequently asked questions

Family photographer in Phuket

If you’re still choosing a hotel, message me which area you’re looking at. I’ll tell you where it’s easiest to shoot nearby and suggest a time that suits your kids’ ages.

And if your hotel is already booked, all the more reason to get in touch. I know the grounds of many Phuket hotels and will suggest the best spots for your family photo shoot in advance.