Holiday Inn Resort Phuket — open the curtains to Patong Beach, a six-pool family resort in the middle of town
If you want a base in Patong where you cross the road to the sand and walk a little further to Jungceylon and Bangla Road, yet still get pools, green gardens and room for the kids to run like a real resort — Holiday Inn Resort Phuket is a name families book again and again. This 4-star IHG resort sits on Thaweewong Road, directly across from Patong Beach, with more than 400 rooms split between a family Main Wing and the quieter Busakorn Premium Wing for adults 18 and over. The draw is six pools, a kids' pool with waterslides, a Kids' Club and a Kids Stay & Eat Free program. Rates start from about ฿3,400/night in low season (peak season climbs noticeably). Rated 8.7 from 2,729 reviews on Booking.com and 4.5 of 5 on Tripadvisor.
The first thing to understand about Holiday Inn Resort Phuket is that this is a large family resort that deliberately plants itself in the middle of Patong's buzz — not a quiet boutique hideaway at the end of a beach. It sits on Thaweewong Road, the strip that runs along Patong Beach, with more than 400 rooms spread across buildings and villas set among tropical gardens that are leafier than you'd guess from the street. That is exactly its appeal: you get both worlds in one place. Thirty seconds and you're in the sea; a ten-minute walk and you're at Jungceylon mall and Bangla Road; step back inside the gates and you find pools, greenery and the reassuring predictability of a chain resort. First-timers to Patong who want to be in the middle of everything keep landing here for that reason.
Location is the heart of it, and it's the category guests score highest (location 9.3 on Booking.com). The hotel is directly across from Patong Beach, one road — Thaweewong — and about a minute from the sand. From the resort gate it's roughly a 10-minute walk to Jungceylon mall and 10–12 minutes to Bangla Road, Patong's nightlife strip. Night markets, massage shops, restaurants and convenience stores all sit within walking distance. One honest caveat: Thaweewong Road is busy with cars and motorbikes, especially in the evening, so crossing to the beach with small children calls for care and a pedestrian crossing. But overall, if you value being able to walk to everything without hailing a ride, this location is hard to beat in Patong.
The rooms fall into two distinct worlds. The Main Wing is the family side: rooms of roughly 32–40 sqm decorated in warm resort tones, with both king and twin-bed layouts for parents travelling with kids, many refreshed by ongoing renovations so they feel current. The other side is the Busakorn Premium Wing, an adults-only zone (18+) designed to be quieter and more private, with its own lagoon pool and swim-up bar and Premium Villa Pool Access rooms where you step straight from your door into the water. Having an adults' wing folded inside a family resort is a real plus — it lets couples and families choose the same address. Most reviews praise cleanliness and bed comfort (both scoring around 8.8), though a few note that some Main Wing rooms are starting to show their age, so it's worth requesting a higher floor to dodge noise.
"Brought two kids, opened the curtains to the sea right in front of us, and they wouldn't get out of the kids' pool all day. Breakfast had so much choice — Thai, Japanese, Indian — and the staff were lovely and remembered the children. It really earns the 'family resort' label."
What brings families back is the pools and kids' facilities. The resort has six swimming pools, from the big free-form Main Wing pool to a kids' pool with waterslides and fountains and the Busakorn lagoon. The underwater-themed Kids' Club has been freshly renovated and split into TV, PS4, arts-and-crafts and games zones, with staff running activities for children aged 5–10. Parents especially like the Kids Stay & Eat Free program, which lets children stay and dine free under its terms — a genuine saving when the whole family travels. One thing to know: because this is a big resort with lots of children, the main Main Wing pool gets very busy at peak times and midday, so get in early if you want a lounger by the water. The Busakorn pool is reserved for guests of that wing only, which some reviewers feel divides the resort a little too sharply.
The food is strong for a resort at this level. There are several in-house venues — Charm Thai for Thai, Terrazzo Ristorante for Italian, Sam's Steaks & Grill for steaks and grills (a name here for years), and Sea Breeze Café for the breakfast buffet. Breakfast is the most-praised meal: a wide spread covering Thai, Japanese, Indian and continental, with many items cooked fresh. Two things to check before you book: some rates do not include breakfast (it's a per-person add-on of a few hundred baht), and at peak times the breakfast room fills up and you may wait for a table. Some vegetarians find the choice thinner than they'd hoped. Beyond the gates, Patong's own restaurants and street food give you plenty of options for other meals within a short walk.
The honest downsides worth knowing before you book. First — this is a big, busy resort; in high season the lobby, pools and restaurants are lively, and anyone chasing the calm of a private resort may find it too much (the Busakorn zone helps, but it's still the same property). Second — noise: rooms facing Thaweewong Road or the Bangla side can catch traffic and late-night music, so light sleepers should ask for a higher floor on the garden side. Third — a share of reviews mention occasional room maintenance issues such as air-conditioning or drains, though the property reads as clean overall. Fourth — crossing the road to the beach means watching the traffic, particularly with small children. None of these are dealbreakers; they're the normal trade-offs of a central Patong location, but knowing them helps you pick the right room and season.
So who is Holiday Inn Resort Phuket for? Most clearly, families bringing children to Patong for the first time who want a walk-to-the-beach-and-mall location with complete kids' facilities in one place. Next, travellers who want to be in the middle of Patong but still keep a resort's pools and gardens as a refuge. Couples wanting privacy in the middle of town can choose the Busakorn Premium Wing to sidestep the family bustle. Those who should look elsewhere are travellers after the calm and privacy of an end-of-beach pool villa (see Phuket Marriott Merlin Beach or Amari at the southern end of the beach in this same series), and anyone who can't stand the energy of a large resort. Booking tips: choose low season (May–October) for lower rates and thinner crowds; request a higher garden-side floor if you're noise-sensitive; check whether your rate includes breakfast; and hit the pool early on busy days.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Across from Patong Beach, walkable to Jungceylon and Bangla (location 9.3)
- ✓ Serious family resort — 6 pools, a kids' pool with waterslides, a Kids' Club
- ✓ Wide, multi-cuisine breakfast buffet, frequently praised
- ✓ Warm, attentive staff who remember guests (service 9.0)
- ! Big, busy resort — main pool and restaurants crowd at peak times
- ! Road-facing rooms can catch traffic and late-night music
- ! Some rates don't include breakfast — a per-person add-on
- ✓ Central Patong — walk to the beach, shopping and nightlife
- ✓ Leafy gardens and plenty of pools; a resort feel in town
- ✓ The adults-only Busakorn zone is quieter and more private
- ✓ Good value for families once the kids-stay-free deal is factored in
- ! Crossing the road to the beach means watching traffic, especially with young kids
- ! The Busakorn pool is reserved for that wing; Main Wing guests can't use it
- ! Some Main Wing rooms show their age — request a higher or renovated room
- 💡If you're after the calm and privacy of an end-of-beach pool villa — this is a large family resort in the middle of town that's lively at peak → look at Phuket Marriott Merlin Beach or Amari at the southern end of the beach in this same series.
- 💡If you're a light sleeper — rooms facing Thaweewong Road or near Bangla can catch traffic and late-night music → request a higher garden-side floor, or choose the quieter Busakorn zone.
- 💡If you're travelling with small children and worry about crossing to the beach — Thaweewong Road is busy in the evening → use the pedestrian crossing, hold hands the whole way, and lean on the resort's kids' pools when it's not convenient.