Burasari Phuket Resort & Spa — a colourful boutique resort in a tropical garden minutes from Patong Beach
If you want somewhere you can walk to Patong Beach in a couple of minutes without sleeping in yet another identikit tower, Burasari Phuket Resort & Spa is a name reviewers keep coming back to — a vividly colourful tropical boutique resort, with lotus-carved orange-and-green headboards, tucked into a leafy garden on a quiet lane in south Patong, about 50 m from the sand, an easy 2-3 minute stroll away. It opened in 2002 and has kept refreshing its rooms since, with around 184 rooms, multiple swimming pools, the award-winning Spa Burasari and Thai restaurant Kantok. Rates start from about ฿2,900/night in low season, and it scores 8.8 from 2,300+ reviews on Booking.com and 4.5/5 on Tripadvisor (ranked #10 of 444 hotels in Patong).
What sets Burasari apart from most Patong hotels is that it's a garden boutique resort, not a roadside tower. Step through the gate and the traffic and neon of Patong fade behind you, replaced by tropical planting, winding stone paths, ponds and low, brightly painted buildings arranged around the pools. The design leans into bold contemporary-Thai colour — many rooms have headboards carved with orange lotus motifs set against green fabrics, mixed with local craft touches, so everything feels lively and very photogenic. For anyone tired of chain hotels that look the same across Asia, this place has a clear personality from the first step, which is why so many reviews describe it as feeling like 'a hidden garden' despite being only a few steps from the bustle of Patong.
The roughly 184 rooms step up through several categories to suit different budgets and moods. It starts with the Premier Room (28 sqm), the standard with a French balcony over the garden or town. Next come Premier Pool View / Premier Pool Access, which look onto the pool or open straight down to it. The Elite category (40 sqm) is noticeably roomier, in both pool-view and pool-access versions with private steps into the water. Higher up sits the Honeymoon Room (53 sqm), with an extra-long king bed and an outdoor bathtub in a private garden — a clear couples' pick. At the top are the Mood Collection and Glam Splash (around 60 sqm), spacious rooms with wrap-around balconies, open-air Jacuzzis, and in some cases a separate dressing room and pool-bar access. Most reviews praise the comfy beds and clean rooms, and note that the refreshed rooms (the 2024-renovated wing) look markedly fresher than the older ones.
"The staff remembered our names from day one and greeted us every time we walked past. Our room opened straight onto the pool, so we could swim before anyone else was up. And the beach is only a couple of minutes' walk — it's such a well-judged location for Patong."
The heart of the resort is its string of pools threaded through the garden. There's a large main pool with a swim-up pool bar you can order drinks from without leaving the water, plus quieter secondary pools for those who just want to soak. Plenty of guests say the poolside is what makes them want to stay in all day rather than rush out. Another highlight is Spa Burasari, a garden spa that has won spa awards; its Thai and oil massages draw praise for skilled therapists and a genuinely calm setting. On the food side, Kantok serves Thai and Phuket regional dishes in a tropical room, and breakfast is a buffet-plus-à-la-carte affair from 6:30–10:30 am, well liked for fresh produce and cooked-to-order eggs. In the evening, Misty Bar and the pool bar are pleasant spots for a drink before heading out.
It helps to picture the location correctly. Burasari sits on Ruamjai Road in south Patong, a calmer, tidier zone than the top of Bangla Road. From the resort it's about 50 m — a 2-3 minute walk — to Patong Beach; cross the beachfront road and you're on the sand. Walk about 10 minutes north and you reach Jungceylon mall and Banzaan Market, and 12-15 minutes gets you to Bangla Road, the nightlife hub. Simon Cabaret is roughly a 5-minute drive, while Phuket Airport (HKT) is about 45 minutes away. The upside of this spot is that you get the convenience of being close to the beach and the food while stepping back from the full-on chaos of Bangla — ideal if you want to enjoy Patong but not sleep to a thumping bassline at 2 am.
There are honest downsides to flag. First — the most-mentioned issue in reviews is smoking in the public areas. Many guests note that smoking is permitted in several spots, including some verandas and bar areas, which can make it hard for smoke-sensitive travellers to avoid at times — if this matters, ask for a non-smoking, upper-floor room when you book. Second — the resort is over twenty years old, and some older rooms are starting to show their age, particularly a few un-renovated bathrooms, in contrast to the fresher newer wing. Third — this is Patong, so street-facing rooms can pick up outside noise at night; garden- and pool-facing rooms are quieter. Fourth — a few guests find the breakfast menu a little repetitive over a multi-night stay, even if the produce is good.
On value, Burasari does well for Patong. For a spot this close to the beach, a Premier Room starting in the high-฿2,000s in low season is easy to justify, and what you get isn't just a bedroom but a garden-resort atmosphere, several pools and the service that reviews rate as its number-one strength. In high season (Nov–Feb) rates climb to ฿4,000–10,000 depending on room type and holiday dates, so that's the time to compare platforms and book ahead. Overall, travellers looking for 'a boutique resort near the beach at a still-sensible price' tend to conclude it's good value — unlike the beachfront luxury resorts, where prices jump to another level.
So who is Burasari for? Most clearly, couples and honeymooners who want a room with an outdoor tub or pool access in a romantic setting while still being able to walk into Patong. It also suits couples and groups of friends who want to be near the beach and nightlife but come back to somewhere quiet and pretty, and relaxation-focused travellers who value design, pools and spa over a high-rise sea view. Those who should look elsewhere: anyone who wants to open their door onto an ocean view (see Amari Phuket or Four Points by Sheraton in this same round-up), families needing lots of connecting rooms, and travellers who are especially sensitive to cigarette smoke.
Booking tips distilled from real reviews: if you're celebrating, choose a Honeymoon Room or Mood Collection with an outdoor tub or Jacuzzi — worth it for the atmosphere. Request a room in the newer wing on the garden or pool side to avoid the older rooms and street noise. If you're smoke-sensitive, ask for a non-smoking upper-floor room at the time of booking. Book low season (May–Oct) for clearly lower rates in exchange for occasional rain, and always compare all three platforms (Agoda / Booking / Trip.com) before you commit, since their promotional windows rarely line up.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Warm staff who remember guests' names — the most-praised aspect in reviews
- ✓ A 2-3 minute walk to Patong Beach, close to Jungceylon and Bangla
- ✓ Garden-resort atmosphere with several pools; very photogenic
- ✓ Clean rooms and comfy beds, especially in the renovated wing
- ! Smoking allowed in several public areas; hard to avoid if you're sensitive
- ! Some older rooms and bathrooms are showing their age
- ! Street-facing rooms can pick up Patong's night-time noise
- ✓ Bold, characterful design unlike the usual Patong hotels
- ✓ Pool-access and Honeymoon rooms with outdoor tubs are great value
- ✓ Spa Burasari and the pools are praised for their atmosphere
- ✓ Good value for how close it is to the beach
- ! Breakfast menu feels a bit repetitive over a multi-night stay
- ! Patong is busy; taxis and parking get tight in high season
- ! High-season and long-weekend rates climb quickly
- 💡If you're very sensitive to cigarette smoke — smoking is allowed in several public areas here → request a non-smoking, upper-floor, garden-side room at booking, or consider a hotel with a stricter smoking policy.
- 💡If you want to open your door onto a sea view — Burasari is a garden resort about 50 m from the sand, not a beachfront room → look at Amari Phuket or Four Points by Sheraton, which are on/overlooking the beach in this same round-up.
- 💡If you're booking high season or a long weekend — rates climb fast and the best rooms go first → compare all three platforms, pick a free-cancellation rate to lock the price, and confirm once your plans are firm.