Novotel Phuket Avista Resort & Spa

Catalin Stefan

We had an overall very good stay at Novotel Kata Avista. There was one unpleasant incident during our stay which I prefer not to detail here, as it was handled professionally and elegantly by the reception team. I appreciated the way the situation was managed. Food quality was good, but in my view overpriced. If I were to return, I would choose breakfast only rather than half board. The breakfast selection was solid, but lunch and dinner did not justify the additional cost for us. Service at lunch and dinner was also very slow — meals consistently took minimum 1.5 hours from ordering to finishing, which means you lose a significant part of your afternoon or evening dining in the hotel. Out of four 4- and 5-star hotels we stayed at in Thailand, this was the one our 5-year-old daughter enjoyed the most, for two main reasons: 1. Kata Beach is truly beautiful and a major advantage of the location. 2. the aquatic and underwater scooters in the pool are a fantastic concept and extremely fun for children. The only disappointment (from our daughter’s perspective) was that the scooter program was quite limited and often unavailable when we checked. Overall, a strong family-friendly hotel with a great location and memorable activities, but with room for improvement in pricing, service speed, and activity availability.

Shivani H

Whilst we had a comfortable stay, I would not be rating this hotel 5 stars. I feel bad saying this, because we did get an amazing upgrade to the family suite, but the toilet barely flushed and the shower head would switch off if you wanted a hot shower. We had an issue with our Accor membership and the front desk staff sorted it out after a few hours - so that was excellent. The staff are lovely and accomodating but I found we really needed to search for staff at times. The pool is nice, but quite small and not enough sun loungers to go around. So many are reserved early on and at times you never see anyone actually sit on them. The spa was nice and clean. Bee and Pam gave our kid junior massages and they were both content. Thai massages for the adults were ok but nothing amazing. The gym consists of 1 exercise bike, 2 treadmills, an elliptical, a bench and some god awful weights that are difficult to hold. Lucky there are a few gym options nearby for those who need it. It's located on a hill and i enjoyed the walks up and down as it was unintentional exercise! Overall, if you want to be at Kata Beach - this is a great spot.

Monil Mody

We spent 4 nights at Novotel Phuket Kata and had a great family experience. The resort offers plenty of activities and facilities for kids, and the beach is just a short walk away with shuttle service available. The front desk staff were exceptionally kind and accommodating with all our requests. The real star, however, was the restaurant. The chef and team prepared outstanding customized vegetarian meals, and their Indian food was exceptional - some of the best we've had outside India. Some rooms are outdated, though we learned renovations are planned soon. Despite this, the combination of family-friendly amenities, beautiful beach location, and incredible food made our stay memorable. Highly recommended for families. The kid friendly amenities, exceptional service and culinary experience more than compensate for the aging rooms.

Steven

The only way to describe my overall stay at Novotel is average. Upon arrival after a very long journey, the check-in took some time and the person covered a huge amount of unnecessary detail which was difficult to take in. The hotel is quite strangely laid out, requiring two lifts and some stairs to get to our room. It is also situated up a very steep road which is difficult in the Thai heat. There is a shuttle bus but you need to be there at the right time. The location otherwise is good, being very close to Kata beach and lots of shops/night market. The room is large and had a great sea view with some nice sunsets. The bed was comfy. However, the sound proofing is awful. There was a lot of noise coming from both the lobby and the pool area. The rooms really need a refurb. A lot of the furniture is cheap, hollow and outdated. Things are awkwardly placed as well e.g. to open the curtains you need to undo the curtain tie which is right below the ceiling lamp and I banged my head on it. We also only had one towel returned to us and one day they took the bath mat and we had to ask for it back! The breakfast was quite poor. There is no air con in the breakfast area or the lobby. So there are flies and the food just didn't seem very fresh. The eggs were overcooked, the coffee was not hot and I never got the pancake I ordered. It also doesn't seem to change much each day. The pool is quite small and didn't seem very inviting. When relaxing by the pool I noticed a QR code with an ordering system and thought great, I can order a drink to my seat. 30 minutes went by and nothing. I went to the bar and they said it doesn't work and they'll bring it over. Another 30 minutes went by and we had to go get the drink ourselves! If it doesn't work, then just remove it. Unfortunately this was a common theme. We noticed a pool table in the lobby and I was excited to have a few games. The pool cues are broken, the table is awful and all the balls just end up at the sides. We gave up after a few shots. It just felt like the hotel really needs some love and care put into it and a complete refurbishment. Sadly I will not be returning.

Selwyn Brown

We want to say Thank you to all the staff: at reception desk, the restaurant and bar staff, waiters and waitresses, the room maids all of whom expressed genuine attentiveness, friendliness, courtesy, always asking if we had a good day and always helpful. Plus a special thank you to chef Adam Reez who prepared a special meal for us on our last night which was delicious! And he took the time to ensure we were totally happy with our dining experience, couldn’t have asked for more. Also special thank you to waitress Pla and waiter Aon who never failed to make sure we were happy with our dinner and drinks choices and went out of their way to ensure we were totally comfortable, so attentive, helpful and genuinely friendly, can’t thank you enough. Also a special thank you to head chef Nazeem who always had a smile and friendly word at breakfast time, not to mention his perfect omelettes! Overall we had a wonderful experience at Novotel Phuket Kata Avista Resort and Spa, thank you and we’ll be recommending you to any of our friends and family visiting Phuket Island in the future. Best wishes always Selwyn and Millicent Brown.