The Phu Beach Hotel - SHA Plus

The hotel's signature feature is its direct pool access from every room, allowing guests to step straight into the water from their private balconies, creating a unique and memorable experience. Guests frequently highlight the spacious rooms, friendly staff, and overall good value for money, making it a popular choice. This makes the hotel an excellent fit for families seeking fun and convenience with children, couples looking for a relaxing and romantic getaway, and avid swimmers who appreciate immediate access to a large, inviting pool. While the location is a bit removed from the main beach area, the hotel provides a convenient shuttle service to bridge this gap. To maximize your stay, consider requesting a ground-floor room for the most direct pool access and be sure to plan your outings around the complimentary shuttle schedule for easy transportation.

Facilities & Amenities
The hotel boasts an impressive and large swimming pool that is easily accessible from every room, with some ground-floor rooms even featuring built-in seating within the pool itself. This unique design is consistently praised by guests as a major highlight. A fitness room is available for those wishing to maintain their workout routine. For guest convenience, a buggy service is provided to assist with luggage and transfers to rooms, especially useful given the lack of an elevator for upper floors. While the hotel offers reasonably priced snacks in the lobby, many guests reported significant issues with the Wi-Fi connectivity, describing it as low, unreliable, and often disconnecting when devices were locked, which can be a notable inconvenience for staying connected.

Cleanliness & Room Comfort
Guests generally find the rooms to be spacious and comfortable, with many praising the large beds that ensure a restful night's sleep. While many reviews commend the overall cleanliness of the rooms, some guests have noted areas needing improvement, such as dirty walls, mold in bathrooms, and a general sense of the property being dated or in need of refurbishment. Feedback on the bathroom experience is mixed, with some reporting issues like a bad smell, cold showers, or low water pressure, alongside observations of old towels. A recurring concern is the noise levels within the hotel, with guests frequently reporting being able to hear conversations, snoring from adjacent rooms, and loud activities from other guests, particularly during evening parties.

Dining & Food Quality
The hotel's breakfast receives varied feedback. Many guests appreciate the variety of options available, describing it as good, delicious, and even lavish, with a popular live egg station. However, a notable number of reviews express concerns regarding the food quality and hygiene, citing instances of cold buffet items, limited choices, and issues with cleanliness, such as flies and ants near food. While an adjoining restaurant is present, some guests reported that it was not consistently open for meals beyond breakfast, and room service was also noted as being unavailable at times. Despite these points, the general consensus for other food items, including cocktails from the poolside bar, leans positive, with guests finding them tasty and reasonably priced.

Location & Accessibility
The hotel's location is situated approximately three kilometers from the main Ao Nang beach area, making it a bit removed from the central tourist hub. This distance is a frequent point of discussion among guests. To mitigate this, the hotel provides a highly valued free shuttle service to and from the beach, operating several times throughout the day, which many guests find to be a convenient and essential amenity. However, some wish for more frequent or later shuttle times. Guests also note the challenge of securing public transport like Grab or taxis in the vicinity, often experiencing long wait times due to limited availability. For those traveling with their own vehicles, parking is readily available and convenient.

Staff & Service
The staff at the hotel consistently receive high praise for their friendliness, helpfulness, and attentiveness, with many guests highlighting their willingness to assist and their pleasant demeanor. The check-in process is generally described as fast and efficient, with clear information provided upon arrival. However, feedback on other aspects of service is mixed; some guests reported unexpected deposits at check-in or a lack of staff assistance with luggage during check-out. While housekeeping is often commended for thoroughness, some reviews mention strict service windows or even a perceived lack of daily room cleaning. A few guests also expressed significant dissatisfaction with specific interactions, citing rude behavior from certain reception staff or a lack of consideration from management regarding guest concerns.

Additional Information
Guests should be aware of certain policies and experiences that may impact their stay. A significant point of contention for some guests is the hotel's practice of requesting a substantial deposit upon arrival, which was reportedly not disclosed during the booking process, leading to feelings of unfairness. Another recurring issue is the noise generated by large groups or staff parties, which some guests found disruptive, with loud music and activities extending late into the night. The hotel's smoking policy, which permits smoking on balconies, has also been noted to negatively affect the experience of non-smoking guests using the pool area. Despite these concerns, many guests consistently highlight the hotel's overall good value for the amenities and experience provided.