Originally named Phuket Arcadia, this one of the very first hotels on Karon Beach was rebranded to Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa under Hilton International’s management in 2004.
After the rebranding, the whole area was much renovated and additional structures were built on the 195-rai property. This is the biggest hotel on Phuket Island, notably offering the accommodation of 685 rooms and full event and meeting facilities. In addition, as it covers such a vast area, the hotel significantly offers almost everything you can possibly need, from beautiful natural surroundings to various hotel facilities. You just don’t have to go anywhere else. Still, on the same beach, Hilton Phuket Arcadia is neighbored by several hotels and other attractions which are easily accessible by foot.
The layout of the hotel’s three guestroom wings is really unique. Each wing is in partial circle and located near each other, forming a compound of curved buildings. Moreover, all guestrooms open off the single corridors, giving guests much clearer views of either Phuket Sea or landscaped tropical gardens, or both.
Another characteristic of this resort-style hotel is its three pools located around the area: Lost Horizon Pool (featuring springboard and small pool, nearest to the beach), Garden Pool and Seafarer Pool (each featuring split level swimming areas with whirlpool waterfall and slides). Besides the meander-shaped pools, guests will even more feel surrounded by water with fresh-water lagoons around the hotel and the sea nearby.
Hilton Phuket Arcadia gives its guests the close touch to natural surroundings as well. Here, you can take a walk around the area through beautifully landscaped gardens and on the red wooden walkways across the lagoons.
This hotel offers several types of guestrooms. However, we’d like to present Deluxe Plus Room in particular. This type of accommodation is quite spacious. Each is mainly decorated with dark-colored wood. Besides, each Deluxe has a terrace facing the sea. Nevertheless, some rooms might have pool or garden views instead of seaview, because of those blocking trees, seemingly preserved by the hotel. One of the distinguish feature of each room is that it is equipped with a painted wooden sliding door, set between the bed area and bathroom. If this door is opened; a guest can, from a tub inside the bathroom, look through the bed area to the scenery outside the glass window. Moreover, each Deluxe Room features in-room multipurpose table. Impressingly, this oval wooden table can be rotated to create more space as desired.
Considered the biggest hotel in Phuket, Hilton Phuket Arcadia features various on-site restaurants, especially those ethnic ones. Let’s start with “Bangles”. The outlet is direct to Beach Road. Its interior looks contemporary with a mix of Indian and Western styles. Its decorations and lighting are mainly orange red-colored. “Bangles” offers savory Northern and Southern Indian dishes.
However, Northern Indian food is more hightlighted due to its more popularity. Master Chef Md.Latif, supervising all the cooking at “Bangles”, kindly told us that fresh coriander, ginger,
ginger garlic paste and various Indian spices are needed as the main ingredients in every Northern Indian dish. Anyway, our first recommened dish is “Dum Ki Chap”. Lamb chops will be marinated with Indian herbs before being cooked in steam pot for a long time for tenderer and less stinky meat. Then, another dish from lamb is “Ronack E Seek”. This is a lamb-minced kebab made of lamb mince mixed up with Indian aromatic spices, such as peppers, before being skewered and roasted. For fish lovers, “Sarso Maki Tika” is another interesting choice. It is a Salmon Tika, salmon marinated in spices and yoghurt before getting skewered and roasted as well. After done with meat dishes, try “Aam Ki Lassi”, popular sweet beverage from Southern India. It is like mango smoothie blending with Indian yoghurt, a cold drink good for quenching thirst. Here, guests can dine inside or out on the open-air terrace overlooking to a fresh-water lagoon, and have a seaview at the same time.
If you want to try fresh seafood, “Neptune’s” is available all day long. This outlet features a wide selection of seafood with much Chinese influence in cooking style. Guests can also dine on the open terrace overlooking to one of the hotel’s fresh-water lagoon. In addition, the interior design of “Neptune’s” impressively gives a feel of underwater world, making you feel like sitting in a wreck somewhere under the sea.
The next one is “Thai Thai”, open in the evening. The restaurant offers the ambience of luxury and elegance in its interior and cuisine. “Thai Thai” does not wholly represent traditional Thai food, interestingly giving a mix of Thai and Western characteristics. What’s more interesting is that, here, the food is not served altogether at the same time like in general Thai restuarants. Each dish, elaborately decorated, is served one by one as a course according to Western serving etiquettes. For example, Tom Yum Gung (famous Thai sour and spicy shrimp soup) is served seperately as a soup.
And don’t miss “Sails”, where you can enjoy all-day dining. Both buffet and a la carte menus are served. You can have buffet lunch at Baht 550++ and buffet dinner at Baht 700++. Moreover, special Sunday Brunch is offered every Sunday with a variety of food and wine.
But if you want to have some light meals, snacks and a cup of fine coffee or tasty juice, go to “Caffe Cino”. This outlet offers an array of pastries including various cakes and sandwiches. “CafeCino” is equipped with internet cafe as well.
Last but not least, have a drink at “Andaman Lounge”, open bar located near the lobby. While taking a sip from your selected drinks, you can be entertained by live Thai traditional music or live band performance from the stage nearby.
As its name, “Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa”, don’t forget to get the hotel’s spa experience. The spa here is a Thai-style featuring several grand spa villas. Set amongst landscaped gardens, this spa makes you feel surrounded by lush greenery. In front of each villa is noticeably located little pool. The interior of each spa villa is mainly made from dark-colored wood, and the lighting inside is intentionally subdued in order to really rest the customers’ eyes.
Believe it or not, you will easily fall asleep even during the massage. After taking the spa menus (including body scrubs, body wraps, body massage, and facials) inside each villa, customers can have a breath of fresh-air and experience natural surroundings while bathing outdoors.
The hotel is direct to “Beach Road”, connecting Patong, Karon and Kata beaches together. Although it is set apart from the hotel, Karon Beach is just a few steps across the road. Karon is one of the most famous beaches in Phuket and another charm of Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa. Guests can enjoy various beach activities including surfing (even though Karon’s surfs are quite small and not much good for this kind of sports). Moreover, this beach is another good place in Phuket for the popular kite-surfing.
Don’t be worried about crowded, noisy beach as Karon has been zoned after the 2004 tidal waves incident. The beach seems more spacious and less crowded. Beach chairs are arranged in order, with umbrellas of the same color, looking clean and tidy.
Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa Address: 333 Patak Road, Karon Beach, Muang, Phuket 83100
Phone: (66)76- 396 433-41 Fax: (66)76- 396 136
E-mail: prphuket@hilton.com
URL: www.hilton.com
Type & Style of hotel:
Resort Style
Type of guests: International
Types&no. of rooms:
4 Types of rooms are offered: Guestroom, Deluxe Room, Deluxe Plus Room, and Suite
(2 types of views are presented: Seaview and Garden view)
1. 351 Guestrooms
2. 212 Deluxe Rooms
3. 107 Deluxe Plus Rooms
4. Suites: 5 Karon Suites, 1 Royal Suite, 5 Andaman Suites
(685 rooms altogether)
Rate range per night:
3,000- 27,000 Baht/room
High&Peak seasons: October-April
Facilities:
Business Center
Carpark
Sauna, Steam Room
Car Rental
Fitness Center (06.00-21.00)
Doctor on Call, etc.
Executive floor:
The private area for the Hilton member's guests and the guests staying at Deluxe Plus rooms
Spa:
The Spa @ Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa
It is a Thai-style spa featuring 15 palatial spa villas all connected with a meandering wooden walkway to the heart of the spa, its reception area. The Program includes Spa body Therapies, therapeutic facials, entrancing spa packages as well as healthy juices.
Pool (description):
3 pools are provided outdoors around the hotel’s area:
Lost Horizon Pool, Garden Pool and Seafarer Pool.
Meeting banquets (description):
Creative themed dinner events can be arranged inside any of the hotel’s indoor rooms, outdoors, or under a marquee suitable for 350-400 people.The Grand Ballroom can accommodate up to 1,200 people. Its design incorporates broadband internet technology, state-of-the-art LCD equipment, plasma screens, and a large variety of lighting features. The other four conference (Arcadia Hall/ Similan Room/ Lagoon Hall/ Coconut Grove) spaces feature wireless high-speed internet access and dynamic audio-visual infrastructures.
Activities:
3 tennis courts, 2 squash courts, Golf Putting Green, Games room, Kidz Paradise, etc. The Kidz Paradise is designed to entertain children from ages 4 to 12 in which are offered activities such as water games, Fit ball and Aerobic Sessions, Treasure Hunts, Computer games and the latest Playstation excitement on a complimentary basis.
Lost Horizon, Garden Pool and Seafarer Pool Bars
(dialy/ 9 am to 7 pm)
24-hour In-Room Dining Service
Most distinguish character of hotel:
The Hilton Phuket Arcadia is the biggest hotel on Phuket Island with the area of 195-Rai property
and full event and meeting facilities. It features five versatile meeting spaces and eight flexible breakout rooms.
Brief history of the hotel:
It is opened on September, 1987 under P.P.C. Enterprise Co.,Ltd. Since October 1, 2003 Hilton International has managed the property, which was officially rebranded to Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa on October 22, 2004.
Important Guests:
H.R.H. Princess Bajrakitiyabha (on January 17, 2007)
Nearby places:
Karon Beach, Karon Shopping Center (5 min. walking) Distance from an airport:
45 min. from Phuket International Airport
30 min. from the city of Phuket
Getting there:
by local bus from Phuket town, or taxi from Airport
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