Pullman Phuket Karon Beach Resort

We stayed 17 nights as a family in Room 1192, Lotus Wing D. A long stay tells you things a weekend never will, so this is a detailed one.

THE ROOM

Room 1192 is a big, comfortable room and the view is the reason to book this wing. You look up the coast towards Karon Beach town, out across the sand and the Andaman Sea, and around towards the forested ridges of Khao Nak Kerd National Reserved Forest.

Storage is genuinely generous, which matters enormously on a long stay - clothes and suitcases all had somewhere to live. There is an in-room safe, a mini-bar fridge, and tea and coffee making facilities. Two small notes: a lot of the counter space is taken up by minibar snacks, and I'd suggest asking for them to be removed on day one if you're staying a while. The tea selection is also pretty average, which was consistent across the Accor properties we used on this trip.

The room was extremely peaceful and we slept brilliantly for two and a half weeks, which is no small achievement in a resort this size. There's a large sofa that works well for a child, and the staff did an excellent job of converting it into a proper bed with pillows and blankets at short notice late one evening.

There are complimentary bathrobes and thongs for the pool. The large flat screen TV streams from your phone, though it was laggy at times. The one real hardware gap is power: a few more power points and USB ports around the room would make a big difference to a family.

The balcony is a good size and becomes the most useful space in the room on a beach holiday, though there isn't much hanging space. Housekeeping worked around this by putting our wet things on plastic hangers to help them dry, which was a thoughtful touch.

THE BATHROOM

A decent size with a large shower and a bath. It's dated but pleasant. The honest problem is plumbing: water pressure in the rain shower was patchy enough that we used the hose shower most of the time, and hot water was intermittent. Over 17 nights that becomes the thing you'd most want fixed. Towels were lovely and were replaced promptly, along with the toilet paper, without needing to ask.

THE POOLS

Our favourite was the lower Garden Pool. It's partially sheltered from the afternoon sun, which makes it far nicer to actually swim in during the hottest part of the day, and it's consistently quieter than the alternatives. The upper Garden Pool is busier and more exposed. The slide connecting the two was closed for maintenance during our stay, which was a shame.

The Sea Farer pool is the busiest and the most fun for children - there's a slide the kids loved and a cave section you can float through, which loops you around into the Tranquility pool. Our children did that circuit endlessly.

THE GYM

The fitness centre genuinely surprised me. Some of the best equipment I've seen in a hotel in years, and a detail I appreciated: phone charging pads built into the exercise bikes, so you finish your session with a charged device.

THE KIDS' CLUB

The Peacock Playhouse is brilliant, and a serious reason to choose this resort if you have children. There's a large indoor soft-play climbing area, plenty of toys, a Lego room and activities running on the hour. You can leave children there for a half or full day and they'll be supervised, fed and entertained.

We used it differently, picking one activity every day or two for the kids to join. The Muay Thai boxing session was the highlight, with monster cookie making and fish feeding close behind.

FOOD

Sails was still being upgraded during our stay, so Malaengpor handled breakfast and dinner. Breakfast there was excellent, with plenty of good options daily - the omelette and egg station, freshly cooked waffles, and fresh vegetarian spring rolls we kept going back for. Two small requests: more mango, and fewer of the sausages with cheese. Towards the end of our trip a second breakfast location opened near Cafe Karon by the Garden Pool, which eased the pressure nicely.

Thai Thai had its reopening launch just before we left, which was a lovely way to finish the holiday. Antica Beach House, the new Italian restaurant, was still being built and should be open next time.

THE STAFF

The best thing about this resort. From the welcome lounge on arrival through to daily contact with housekeeping and the restaurant teams, everyone made our family feel genuinely welcome. After two and a half weeks that stops being service and becomes something closer to being looked after.

PANORAMA LOUNGE

We had access for the last few days. Between 5pm and 7pm you can have drinks and snacks while the sun sets over Karon Beach and paragliders drift along the coast. A very civilised way to start an evening.

WORTH KNOWING BEFORE YOU BOOK

The resort is running a phased upgrade through 2026, and Andaman Wing B was undergoing serious renovation while we were there. Check what's open before you travel. All the facilities remained accessible and the disruption never affected our stay, but the restaurant line-up shifts month to month.

One Accor-level frustration rather than a hotel one: you can't adjust an existing booking in the app or on the website. You have to phone or email the hotel, who often tell you to do it in the app. It's easier to cancel a booking than to change one.

WOULD WE RETURN

Yes - particularly once Antica Beach House is open, the Garden Pool slide is running again, and the Lotus bathrooms get the same attention Andaman Wing B is receiving.

I had the pleasure of visiting the spa, and I must say that Bee, the therapist, was absolutely wonderful. The atmosphere was incredibly relaxing, and I am very much looking forward to returning! The overall experience were truly the best I've experienced in Phuket.