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Let me begin by saying that we really, really, really enjoyed our stay at Holiday Inn Mai Khao.
It was quiet, peaceful and beautiful but you never run out of things to do there. We felt like we were in paradise and dreaded the day when we had to leave. The resort was not very big and after a while, everywhere we went, the staff seemed to be able to recognize us and always greeted us like old friends. It certainly felt like a home away from home - So comfortable and at ease.
We were picked up by a friendly driver in an MPV provided by Holiday Inn Mai Khao and it was a short 10-minute ride to the hotel. The hotel lobby is tastefully done up in soft blue and white hues, as if to remind the guests that the resort is situated right in front of the beautiful Mai Khao beach. It exudes a very relaxed feel, and makes anyone feel at home right away. We can’t wait to check out our rooms!
At Holiday Inn Mai Khao, we were provided with a Family Suite for our two nights’ stay, and the suite consists of a room for the husband and I, and a connecting room just for the kids. It’s literally a kid’s heaven in there, all beautifully furnished to make any kid feel like a prince or princess. Quite frankly, I felt a little jealous when I saw their room. You’ll see why.
Our room was spacious and brightly-lit, with a large king sized bed, round couch, writing desk and a balcony with sofa seats. I love how bright and clean the room looks with ample space to move around. Oh yes, whenever we travel to Thailand, the towel animals on the beds always intrigue us. :)
The bathroom comes with a huge standing rain-shower area but no bath tub. Interestingly, the toilet is located in a separate area adjacent to the bathroom, which is a great idea in my opinion.
Coffee and tea are provided complimentary in the room, as usual.
And now, let’s take a look at the kids’ room just next door (Their room does not have any exit)! Their single beds are decked out in cartoon bed covers and the room even comes with their own flat screen TV, Xbox and bean bag chairs! They also have a balcony outside that is similar to mine. Such luxury!
As if that’s not enough, the kid’s room also comes with an ensuite bathroom with the biggest bath tub I’ve ever seen!
Well, strictly speaking, it was not exactly a bath tub because you can’t fill up the whole tub with water as there is a drainage in the centre of the tub, but the kids had endless fun bathing in this tub! There was even enough space for them to dance around, much to their delight.
The bathroom also comes with a kid sized basin, stool for the shorter kids to stand on, and of course, a toilet bowl. Even the toiletries are specialized prepared for them! How cute is that?!
It is not exaggerated to say that kids are indeed treated like VIPs here at Holiday Inn Mai Khao. The kids were so thrilled and entertained in their room that we had a hard time dragging them out of the room! But we had to, because we were scheduled to go for a resort tour with one of the staff. I was looking forward to that because I can’t wait to see what the hotel offers to its guests.
We met up with our friendly host at the lobby and the first place she brought us to was the poolside rooms to take a look. The suites with pool access are good for families with 2 adults and a child. They are not big enough for my family, but if they have bigger options, I’d opt for that anytime! Pool access is always a good idea – Swim all day, or just hang around at the balcony area all day!
Nice, isn’t it??
Next, we headed off to check out another room option for families apart from the Family Suite that we were staying in. To begin with, the rooms are called Kids’ Suites, and that obviously tell you that the rooms are designed with kids in mind.
What greets you the moment you enter the Kids’ Suite is the kids’ sleeping area on the side – Splash of colors and promises of endless fun! Caution though – The kids might not want to sleep – They’ll play all night long!
Here, the kids sleep in bunk beds with a flat screen TV & Playstation in their section of the room. The Kids’ Suite, unlike the Family Suite, is not a two-room suite. Instead, the kids’ area is a corner of a large room shared with their parents. There’s still privacy and personal space for the adults and kids, so it’s also a great option for families, in my opinion.
The adults’ sleeping area comes with a sofa as well – Parents can chill here watching TV at night after the kids have gone to bed (if they do). How nice. :)
Our resort tour brought us to the outdoor garden and swimming pool area. Great weather and beautiful landscapes. Anyone would feel great here! These sunbeds are great for sun tanning during the day, and transformed into comfortable beds for catching an outdoor movie together with your family on nights when they do screenings. I’m sure you can imagine how good the ambience would be.
The swimming pool here is divided into different sections and the best part is that the beach’s just right in front. It’s picturesque and very relaxing to hang around the poolside.
The signage board changes everyday depending on the program of the day. Popcorn Movie Night certainly sounds like a great idea. :)
Our resort tour next brought us to the place that the kids LOVE and spent alot of time at the next two days – The Kids’ Club. That was probably the part that they were waiting for since we started the resort tour! The excitement on their faces say it all.
Apart from the facilities within a Kids’ Club, I personally feel that the staff taking care and interacting with the kids are the most important. All thanks to the wonderful staff at Holiday Inn Mai Khao’s Kids’ Club, the kids made many wonderful memories here. Every single day, they would be asking to go to the Kids’ Club – I can hardly blame them, can’t I? There were different activities planned for them everyday from painting to mask-making, dancing, pool games etc. Any kid would love it here.
The cutest thing we discovered was that there are different doors for adults and kids! They should probably make all doors kid-sized because this is after all a kids’ haven! =P
We left the kids in the care of the staff at Kids’ Club and proceeded on to tour the other facilities in the resort, meant more for the adults.
For those of you who enjoy a good spa and massage, Holiday Inn hotels’ in-house spa – Tea Tree Spa - would satisfy all your needs. After all, if you are in Phuket, you should never miss out on such enjoyment, isn’t it? People from all over the world come to Phuket just for their signature Thai massages!
There are so many different packages to choose from – and you can even opt for outdoor massage for that extra zen feel. We didn’t stop for a massage session as ours was scheduled on another day. The whole spa smelled so good and relaxing that I almost couldn’t pull myself away.
Right next to the Tea Tree Spa is the gym. It’s clean, bright and very well-equipped. One of the mornings, I woke up earlier and went for a run here, with the lovely greeneries right before my eyes. Exercise classes such as pilates and yoga are also scheduled from time to time and you can attend them at a small cost.
It was near evening time and we thought it would be a good idea to visit the beach. It was a great idea – The beach was literally glowing in orange and the sea waters were glittering in the sun rays. It was so peaceful and calming – Precisely what a beach holiday should be like.
A small hut stood on the beach, and here, you can get your canoes and standing paddles for some water adventure.
Enjoying life on the beach the best way possible.
We can seriously stay here all day long. The beach was clean with really soft sand, and rather quiet. I asked our host if this was a private beach. She laughed softly and said, “No, not private. But we are the only ones here.” and gave me a cheeky wink. I think I know what she meant. =P
I guess that’s the draw of Holiday Inn Mai Khao. It’s unlike other parts of Phuket where it’s mostly rowdy and crowded. Here at Mai Khao, you can get the peace and quiet you are seeking for in a beach holiday. You can feel rejuvenated and recharged and leave a happier person. That’s a perfect vacation, in my opinion.
We thanked our host for showing us around and headed back to our rooms for a quick freshening up. Dinner would be soon at the beachfront restaurant – Pesto. We were rather famished, and looked forward to what was on the menu. By now, the sunset was happening at full-speed and all four of us admired the glorious sunset without a word. Our first sunset in Phuket, and it was memorable.
That image of the orange sun slowly descending into the seas would be etched in our minds for a long time.
And then all of a sudden, the skies turned into a pretty pink and purple – The wonders of nature.
Our first dinner at Holiday Inn Mai Khao was lovely – The sea breeze was in our faces, and we stuffed our faces with delicious food. Perhaps we were really famished, but the whole ambience made the whole dinner a really perfect one. We had a feast of pastas, fried calamari, french fries, steak, salmon and mussels over chatters and laughs.
After dinner, the kids headed back to the Kids’ Club for more fun while the husband and I stayed by the poolside with our wines. I love it that I can smell the sea in the air, and there’s soothing slow ballads performed by a singer and her guitarist performing near us. Such a perfect Day 1 spent in Phuket – I am loving every minute here at Holiday Inn Mai Khao, and very thankful. :)
More on our adventures with Holiday Inn Mai Khao coming up. I will be running a giveaway at the end of the series, so make sure you follow me on this travelogue as we discover the two resorts in Phuket that are perfect for beach vacations in Phuket. You can be the lucky winner of a family vacation there yourself - Stay tuned!
P/S: This is Part 1 of a 4-part series that I am doing in collaboration with Holiday Inn Mai Khao & Holiday Inn Patong. :) The J Babies was hosted by Holiday Inn for a 5D4N stay in two resorts in Phuket. Every experience described in the series is kindly sponsored by Holiday Inn for review purposes, but all photographs and comments are my own. No other financial compensation is received.
