Centara Grand Beach Resort Phuket

Best services from K.Por and Rosa recommended for vacation here. Everything is excellent

This resort has so much potential to be a luxurious 5-star experience but unfortunately it completely misses the mark. We are well travelled (my husband travels all over the world for work) so we have a lot of experience to compare to and this resort is 3-star at best. We chose to stay here for a few reasons;

• The unique Sino-Portuguese architecture.
• The lazy river, pool slides and rock jump sounded fun for the kids.
• It was on the beach.
• The good reviews.

I think our expectation was that in line with the Sino-Portuguese architecture, the vibe of this resort would be a cross between old-world luxury and festive Latin carnival. Sadly this resort lacks the vibrant, festive atmosphere that we hoped for and have experienced at other comparable resort. Before I go on with the rest of my review, I will note that the architecture is beautiful and unique, the gardens absolutely gorgeous (commendations to the excellent gardening team!) and the pool area is great fun for kids. There are LOTS of stairs! This didn’t bother us but for the elderly or those with ambulatory issues it may pose a problem.

Arrival:

• We were disappointed from the moment we arrived. The entrance is very underwhelming. There was no bellhop to take our luggage so we had to carry our bags into the lobby. The lobby is small and basic with outdated, gaudy, tired looking furniture and decor.

Check-in

• There is only one small check-in desk so I imagine in high season it would be incredibly busy. As it was, it still took almost an hour to be shown to our room despite arriving after the 3pm check-in time during low season.
• The App that you are asked to download seems to be a new standard in many resorts these days however we found it very impersonal and not ideal if you are trying to have a “break” and switch off from technology whilst on holiday.

The room:

• The room was spacious with two double beds. Having the option of a room that accommodates a family of four was ideal. - We had a stunning ocean view from our room and large balcony.
• The beds and pillows were very comfortable.
• The furniture and decor are basic.
• Unfortunately the shower leaked badly with a flood under the door every time we showered. Our daughter actually slipped over and hurt her elbow due to the wet floor. Thankfully she didn’t injure herself badly and a small graze and bruise was the extent of her injury.
• We also had an issue with ants in the coffee making area of our room.

Housekeeping:

• I feel like the housekeeping tried their best but were severely understaffed.
• Most days our room wasn’t cleaned until mid afternoon and we had to specifically ask for extra towels as we were only given 2 towels for 4 people.
• The special touches that you would expect from a 4-5 star tropical resort were just not there. There was no complimentary fruit, no turn-down service with a flower and personalised note on the pillow, no towel animal on the bed to surprise us when we came back to the room. These personal touches and attention to detail are what separates a true 4-5 star resort.

The pool:

• The pool was wonderful. The lazy river was fun and surrounded by gorgeous tropical gardens. The kids enjoyed the slides and the rock jump was exciting.
• It was a novelty to see a large water monitor lizard swimming in the pool!
• I think the pool service was understaffed as there were sometimes empty dishes, glasses and trash scattered amongst the pool chairs.
• For some reason all of our swim suits/ board shorts were stained with yellow stains after using the pools.

Location:

• It is a ten minute walk down a dirty uneven path to get to any shops or restaurants but you can get a short taxi/ tuk-tuk ride.
• The hotel does offer a shuttle service for a charge and you have to book in advance. When we have stayed at other resorts the shuttle has always been free and running at regular intervals throughout the day.

Restaurant:

• We ate breakfast at The Cove and tried it once for dinner. There was a decent variety but the food was average quality.
• The best part was the great selection of tropical fruit, the custard donuts, deep fried dough and roti.
• We had to make our own coffees from a coffee machine.
• The furniture and decor is very gaudy and outdated.
• Dinner was expensive and average in flavour and quality so we mostly ate lunch and dinner outside the resort.

The gym:

• Excellent gym and staff. One of the most well appointed resort gyms we have experienced. It had everything you need in a gym.

The kids club:

• We didn’t end up trying the kids club. We were surprised that there were extra costs for using the gaming facilities as they have always been free at other resorts.

Checkout:

• We had an 11pm flight and appreciated that we could have a 6pm checkout for an additional fee of $130 AUD.
• We had arranged for our bags to be collected from the room at a particular time however no one came. Eventually after 3 phone calls to reception, our bags were collected 25 minutes later.

Overall we had a good stay but it wasn’t amazing. We felt the staff were friendly and trying their best but it was clear that they were understaffed and not trained to deliver a 4-5 star standard. The hotel owners/management seriously need to pick up their game. The grand buildings, beautiful pool and gardens simply don’t make up for everything else this resort lacks. We had dinner at a stunning resort down the road that is similarly priced and it was a completely different experience. We were “wowed” from the moment we arrived and the service we received was exceptional and very attentive. Our advice is; this resort is fun for families with young kids for a short stay but if you are after a luxury resort experience, stay elsewhere. There are many other beautiful resorts in Phuket for a comparable price and better service.