Patong villas in Phuket, Thailand

We thought Baan Paradise would be a great villa for groups and couples looking to stay close to lively Patong. Families, especially those with older children keen to indulge in the action of Patong, will also appreciate its private location and its facilities (pool table, massive TV with DVD player, Playstation II etc). However, since there is no garden, the villa might be a constraint for younger children with plenty of energy and, whilst the shallow end of the pool is fine for a paddle, the infinity edge might call for some parental supervision. The entertainment room downstairs is ideally placed beside the twin/triple room. Since the second (more Asian-style) kitchen and staff quarters open onto the entertainment room the villa staff tend to congregate here; whilst an advantage of this is that they can keep an eye on the kids, the downside is that we often felt like we were intruding on the staff if we wanted to come down and watch the TV. The ground floor bedrooms could do with a low table or luggage rack for suitcases but, in compensation, all come with a delicious selection of toiletries! The larger bedrooms on the top floor were the most private, but the ground floor bedrooms open right onto the swimming pool and might suit some people better. Groups of adults might want to consider using only the four ground and first floor bedrooms since the twin in the basement is better suited for children, and not so private. The cook prepares simple meals according to a menu (predominantly Thai food except for a couple of sandwich options) and can also prepare international meals and BBQs on request. We thought that the complimentary case of Heineken (and soft drinks) given to us on arrival was a nice touch. While the villa staff only speak basic English, the manager is happy to assist with everything from travel arrangements (complimentary airport transfers) to restaurant reservations.

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TBA

Bedrooms 5

Sleeps 11

L'Orchidee Residences - Villa Aranda X2

We really enjoyed the beautifully presented Villa Aranda with excellent facilities. The views over Patong are stunning and the location is excellent for restaurants, shopping etc. Being close to Patong is not everyone’s choice but once in the villa you are well away from it. The huge open-plan living area is excellent, with a great terrace offering super views. The staff are good - from the security guards to the maids. This villa is excellent for large families, groups or two families travelling together. A family travelling with parents may appreciate the separate Annex.

We revisited this villa recently, three years after our initial stay, and were impressed to find the villa in immaculate condition, and it offers even better views than before with a new extension added to the first-floor terrace.

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TBA

Our
Rating 7.6 Guest Rating 7.8

Sleeps 8

L'Orchidee Residences - Villa Cattleya C10

This graceful sea-view retreat set up in the hills overlooking Patong is one of the few villas in Phuket that can truly claim to offer the best of both worlds. Within minutes we could reach the busy beach resort town of Patong and delve into its myriad nightlife, dining and shopping choices – easily escaping back up into Villa Cattleya’s peaceful surrounds when we wanted to. Our worries disappeared as we sunk in and stretched out in style. The level of comfort is superb throughout the villa, from the plush living room furnishings to the fully shaded pool terrace with heaps of space for lounging or dining, to the private bedrooms. We could see a real sense of care throughout with high-quality craftsmanship in all the details including the wooden furnishings and the fresco-adorned wall along the pool.

Though a chef and in-villa service staff can be provided on request, we opted to be left to our own devices and ordered our food from the estate’s à la carte menu. Meals were brought quickly and were superb; mainly Thai with some innovative flourishes. Though the indoor dining table was lovely, we usually dined out on the terrace to best enjoy the sea view and the fan-cooled fresh air.

Overall, there’s something to satisfy everyone at Villa Cattleya C10: space, calm, a family-friendly environment, a terrific range of services and facilities for entertaining in style, and easy access to a wealth of attractions for those seeking more adventure – be it a challenging round of golf or a night out on the town. Kids will delight in having the choice of playing in the villa’s private pool or hanging out with other children in the estate’s communal pool and shallow children’s pool at the clubhouse, just a few minutes’ walk away.

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TBA

Bedrooms 2

Sleeps 4-8*

Our
Rating 7.7

L'Orchidee Residences - Villa Cattleya C5a

Villa Cattleya C5a is among the few villas where the phrase, ‘having it all’, is not an overstatement. We could retreat completely into its tranquil and luxurious surrounds yet if the mood struck we could venture out to some of Phuket’s liveliest and most interesting dining and entertainment spots within minutes.

The vaulted roof and teak detailing make the villa look exceptionally majestic yet we felt very comfortable right away. We made full use of the terrace and pool areas and, although the pool was not huge, the lovely stone wall and elephant statues make it a nice oasis for soaking up the sea view while splashing around.

Though there are no live-in kitchen or cleaning staff (except by request, at extra charge), service here is very flexible and efficient. The meals we ordered in from the estate’s central kitchen were excellent, prepared in authentic Thai style with a few innovative touches, such as the laarb gai (minced chicken) patties that could be dipped in a spicy sauce. A daily maid service takes care of housekeeping and the estate manager readily dealt with our every request. The management team can also help organise larger events, and we were impressed by preparations for a team building event taking place around the shared pool area one evening during our visit.

With such a nice balance of shared space, privacy and great access to the beach and island attractions, we could find little reason why small families or couples with a wide range of interests would not have an excellent stay at Villa Cattleya C5a.

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TBA

Bedrooms 2

Sleeps 4

L'Orchidee Residences - Villa Cattleya C5b

Villa Cattleya C5b is among the few villas where the phrase, ‘having it all’, is not an overstatement. We could retreat completely into its tranquil and luxurious surrounds yet if the mood struck we could venture out to some of Phuket’s liveliest and most interesting dining and entertainment spots within minutes.

The vaulted roof and teak detailing make the villa look exceptionally majestic yet we felt very comfortable right away. We made full use of the terrace and pool areas and, although the pool was not huge, the lovely stone wall and elephant statues make it a cooling oasis for soaking up the sea views.

Though there are no live-in kitchen or cleaning staff (except by request, at extra charge), service here is very flexible and efficient. The meals we ordered in from the estate’s central kitchen were excellent, prepared in authentic Thai style with a few innovative touches, such as the laarb gai, (minced chicken) patties that could be dipped in a spicy sauce. A daily maid service takes care of housekeeping and the estate manager readily took care of our every request. The management team also help organise larger events, and we were impressed by preparations for a team building event taking place around the shared pool area one evening during our visit.

With such a nice balance of shared space, privacy and great access to the beach and island attractions, we could find little reason why small families or couples with a wide range of interests would not have an excellent stay at Villa Cattleya C5b.

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TBA

Bedrooms 2

Sleeps 4

L'Orchidee Residences - Villa Disa B3

This graceful sea-view retreat set up in the hills overlooking Patong is one of the few villas in Phuket that can truly claim to offer the best of both worlds. Within minutes of we could reach the busy beach resort town of Patong and delve into its myriad nightlife, dining and shopping choices – then easily escape back up into Villa Disa’s peaceful elegance. We sunk in and stretched out in style, and our worries disappeared amid the superb level of comfort offered throughout, from the plush living room furnishings to the fully shaded pool terrace with heaps of space for lounging or dining, to the ultra-private bedrooms. Peaked ceilings give the villa an added touch of grandeur and spaciousness, and it was obvious to us that great care had gone into its design and decoration, with high-quality craftsmanship in all the details including the wooden furnishings and the fresco-adorned wall along the pool.

Though a chef and in-villa staff can be provided on request, we opted to be left to our own devices and ordered our food from the estate’s à la carte menu. Meals were brought quickly and were superb – mainly Thai with some innovative flourishes. Though the indoor dining table was lovely, we usually dined out on the terrace to best enjoy the sea view and the fan-cooled fresh air. On one evening of our stay, the owner of a nearby villa hosted a team-building event at the shared pool area. From our position next door, we could see that the staff spent hours in preparation and the results were stunning, with a temporary gazebo, lovely floral arrangements, a sound system for the live band, and lighting around the pool’.

Overall, there’s something to satisfy everyone at Villa Disa B3: space, calm, a family-friendly environment, a terrific range of services and facilities for entertaining in style, and easy access to a wealth of attractions for those seeking more adventure – be it a challenging round of golf or a night out on the town.

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TBA

Our
Rating 7.8 Guest Rating 8.6

Sleeps 6-8*

L'Orchidee Residences - Villa La Cigale C11

With its stunning sea-view location in a luxury enclave and close access to many island attractions, we truly enjoyed the best of both worlds at Villa La Cigale. We relished the choice of spending our days in pampered elegance relaxing by the pool then going for a stroll along Patong's sands; or enjoying a night out on the town in the knowledge that it was only a short taxi ride back to our peaceful villa.

Though a chef and in-villa staff can be provided on request (extra charge), we were happy enough with the daily maid service and with the innovative Thai dishes we had delivered from the estate’s central kitchen. A virtual army of staff (45 in all) are employed to keep the estate in tip-top condition, and it really shows.

We did not bring our children along for this visit, but we think they would have had great fun swimming at the villa's pool, watching the big cable TV (with a cartoon channel) and venturing out to the shared children's pool nearby. Though there's plenty to keep everyone busy in nearby Patong, the management team can arrange yacht trips, rounds of golf and other excursions, as well as in-villa massages which, much to our dismay, we ran out of time to try.

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TBA

Bedrooms 3

Sleeps 6

L'Orchidee Residences - Villa Laelia W8

Villa Laelia is among the few villas where the phrase, ‘having it all’, is not an overstatement. We could retreat completely into its tranquil and luxurious surrounds yet, if the mood struck, we could venture out to some of Phuket’s liveliest and most interesting dining and entertainment offerings within minutes.

The vaulted roof and teak detailing make the villa look exceptionally majestic yet we felt very comfortable right away. We made much use of the terrace and pool areas and, although the pool is not huge, the lovely stone wall and elephant statues make it an oasis for soaking up the sea view.

Though there are no live-in kitchen or cleaning staff (except by request, at extra charge), service here is very flexible and efficient. The meals we ordered in from the estate’s central kitchen were excellent, prepared in authentic Thai style with a few innovative touches, such as the laarb gai (spicy minced chicken) patties that could be dipped in a spicy sauce. A daily maid takes care of housekeeping and the estate manager seemed ready and willing to provide for every scenario we threw at him. They also help organise larger events, and we were impressed by preparations for a team building event taking place around the shared pool area one evening during our visit.

With such a nice balance of shared space, privacy and great access to the beach and island attractions, we could find little reason why families or groups with a wide range of interests would not have an excellent stay at Villa Laelia.

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TBA

Sleeps 8

L'Orchidee Residences - Villa Phala A3

From its gorgeous sea-view setting in Patong’s hills, we found Villa Phala to be the perfect place to enjoy opulent surrounds and some good old-fashioned pampering, yet not be completely withdrawn from the world. ‘Carefree’ best describes the experience here, with a mind-boggling range of facilities, services and attractions easily available and close at hand.

Every day was different. One day we retreated completely and lounged by the pool, ordering our meals from the estate’s à la carte menu and catching up on some reading while stretched out on the wooden deck chairs. The next day we wandered downhill into central Patong and plunged into its busy hawker-lined streets and shopping arcades, and when the heat and crowds got to be too much, we beat a hasty retreat to the villa.

We were very impressed with the level of care taken in both the villa’s design and upkeep. L’Orchidée clearly runs a tight ship, with a large team of staff and contractors providing service for 25 villas, keeping the villa and the entire estate neat, tidy, and looking brand new even though it was built in 2006. Service is efficient and professional; all of our requests were understood and taken care of.

In all, we found Villa Phala to be an ideal holiday home, offering ample opportunity for both exploration and utter relaxation for people of all ages. Kids especially will delight in having a choice to play in the villa’s private pool or hang out with other children in the shared pool and shallow children’s pool at the club house, just a few minutes’ walk away.

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TBA

Sleeps 8-9*

Our
Rating 7.9

L'Orchidee Residences - Villa Phala A5

From its gorgeous sea-view setting in Patong’s hills, we found Villa Phala A5 to be the perfect place to enjoy opulent surrounds and some good old-fashioned pampering, yet not completely escape from the world. ‘Carefree’ best describes the experience here, with a mind-boggling range of facilities, services and attractions close at hand. Every day was different. One day we retreated completely and lounged by the pool, ordering our meals in and catching up on some reading while stretched out on the wooden deck chairs, the next we wandered down into central Patong and plunged into its busy hawker-lined streets and shopping arcades. When the heat and crowds got to be too much, we beat a hasty retreat to the villa.

We were very impressed with the level of care taken in both the villa’s design and upkeep. L’Orchidée clearly runs a tight ship, with a large contingent of staff and contractors providing service for 25 villas - keeping the villa and the entire estate neat, tidy, and looking brand new even though it was built in 2006. Service is efficient and professional; all of our requests were understood and taken care of.

In all, we found Villa Phala to be an ideal holiday home, offering ample opportunity for both exploration and utter relaxation for people of all ages. Kids especially will delight in having a choice to play in the villa’s private pool or hang out with other children in the shared pool and shallow children’s pool at the club house, just a few minutes’ walk away.

more...

TBA