I am pinching myself. Wait, I’m in Phuket with my two toddlers, yet I’m by the pool bar with my husband. Just the two of us, with cocktails in hand and sanity in place. How.is.this.possible?
Kids clubs are the saving grace for parents with young children on holiday. Yes, as enjoyable and fun holidays can be with toddlers, it’s always nice to have someone else entertain them for a bit while you have a sweet cocktail and an adult conversation. Just one of the many perks of this great family resort in Phuket.
The most wonderful welcome
We arrived at the Holiday Inn Resort Phuket Mai Khao (see prices here) earlier than the standard check-in time, due to our flight timing. The front desk lady allowed us to check in almost two hours earlier and joyfully spoke about the many kids activities in the Kids Club, the restaurants where kids eat for free, movie night and more.
They gave each of my kids a fun little booklet with some colouring pages, stickers and activities which they loved and used when we waited for our food order.
The Holiday Inn Mai Khao is conveniently located, only a 20 minutes drive from Phuket Airport. How great is that!
A couple of minutes walk from your room (grab a beach mat from the resort en route) takes you to the tranquil Mai Khao beach, one of the quieter Phuket beaches. A beach hut (not resort related) sits just by the beach, where adults can enjoy a massage for a fee.
Games & activities
Tonnes of it every day and night. Just outside our room, were huge Lego-like blocks on the lawn, a dart board and a life-size chess board and pieces. Just a short walk from our room was a trampoline in the garden! Not to mention the lovely pool on the hotel grounds and of course the kids’ club.
Ask the staff about movie night. That’s when they play a kids movie on the huge lawn, with free chocolate laced popcorn for the kids to nibble on. We caught the charming Peter Rabbit movie. Don’t forget the mozzie repellant, as movie night starts at 7pm.
Tip: If you’re a small family like us, head to the souvenir shop where you can also enjoy movie night on a smaller scale with just your family in an air-conditioned space. Good to enjoy after dinner.
Rooms at Holiday Inn Resort Phuket Mai Khao
We stayed in a Deluxe Room which was fairly spacious and opened straight out nearby to the pool area. They have various rooms which will make for great family stay, which include the Family Suite Pool Access – kids have their own special-themed room to themselves, bean bags, a PS4 and 24-hour access to the pool just off the patio.
Photo credit: Holiday Inn Mai Khao
Food at Holiday Inn Mai Khao
The breakfast buffet at the resort was up to standard and it’s the first time I’ve seen a breakfast buffet counter just for kids. My kids enjoyed seeing a buffet line (at their eye-level!) filled with sandwiches, mini muffins, bite-sized waffles and pancakes, Nutella spread, cereal and more!
For lunch we opted to eat in the resort. There are two restaurants and the food was reasonable, though somewhat pricey.
For dinner, walk out from the hotel, turn left and you will see a cluster of open-air eateries. The place is airy, high chairs are widely available and spice levels can be modified. What to eat? Order the prawn fried rice, grilled squid and a bowl of spicy tom yam soup (if you can handle it!) and you will be in Thai food heaven.
For a break from the beach
There is a shuttle service for a fee, which runs to Central Festival Mall Phuket. The journey takes about an hour to and fro. It’s a typical mall setting with an indoor play area for kids.
Tip: head to the food court, so clean and the food so delicious. We had not one but TWO plates of the decadent mango sticky rice dessert here.
We’re off to the beach one more time and as we walk past the pool bar my husband and I hold hands gratefully. We had some great time together amidst the beautiful chaos we call our children.
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This resort is for you if you like the quiet and peaceful side of Phuket. It is removed from most major attractions. I would say it’s suitable for families with young kids looking for a kid-friendly Phuket hotel. There is also a Holiday Inn Resort Phuket located in the heart of (bustling) Patong.
You may also want to check out our post about Khao Lak, a quieter resort town an easy drive from Phuket.
