Centara Karon Resort in Phuket Hotel Review: A Vibrant Beach Getaway

Centara Karon Resort in Phuket is a modern and stylish hotel on the southwest coast of the island, steps away from the beach. Read on for my full hotel review of the Centara Karon Resort Phuket in Thailand!

Phuket is located in southern Thailand and is one of the most well-known beach destinations in the country. With so many hotel options around the island, it can be a headache trying to decide where to stay in Phuket.

The good news is, I’ve taken the research and legwork out of the equation for you! Let me show you a fantastic hotel in southwest Phuket that offers not 1…not 2…but 3 full-sized pools that all guests can enjoy.

Read on to discover the Centara Karon Resort in Phuket and why we loved our stay!

The Rooms at Centara Karon Resort Phuket

Centara Karon Resort is one of a handful of Centara (a homegrown luxury Thailand hotel group) properties in Phuket. It underwent a massive renovation that was completed in December 2024, which means that the entire property looks brand new with modern, vibrant and stylish furnishings and design.

The hotel is split into 3 areas – The Terrace (main tower with rooms perfect for solo travelers and couples), The Lagoon (rooms next to the water slides and splash zone, best suited for families) and Tropicale (the larger suites perfect for couples and families).

The majority of rooms offer either a balcony or outdoor terrace/patio, with room sizes ranging from the most compact Superior City View room at 32-square-metres and the Premium Deluxe Pool View room at 45-square-metres to the Two Bedroom Premium Suite Pool View at a spacious 123-square-metres. The rooms across all categories in general feature a very modern and beachy room design.

We stayed in the first floor Premium Deluxe Pool View Room and felt right at home. The spacious light-filled suite featured a king-sized bed with a comfortable firm mattress, desk, lounge sofa, wall-hung smart TV that connects to Netflix and wardrobe/storage area.

The bathroom was huge featuring not only a shower, but also a bathtub as well. We loved the polished white terrazzo floors with navy sea glass flakes, as well as touches of cobalt navy (the colour scheme varies slightly across the different wings) and blonde wood throughout.

The best part? Direct access from our floor-to-ceiling sliding doors straight out into the private patio and lush gardens, just steps away from the Tropicale pool and pool bar.

Tip: I mostly use Booking.com to book hotels when I travel, however I recommend booking directly with Centara Hotels as they offer some unbeatable direct booking perks including a 15% booking discount, 15% off food and drinks (including alcoholic drinks) and 15% off spa services. Early check-in or late check-out is also offered, subject to availability.

Beginning December 2025, new 1/2/3 bedroom villas (most of which offer a private pool) will be open for booking with a separate exclusive villa reception/check-in area and communal pool.

I was offered an early sneak peek and was able to tour these new villas at Centara Karon Resort in Phuket – I loved the bright and airy palette as well as modern and minimalistic design. These would be perfect for couples or families traveling to Phuket who are looking for more privacy and space.

As of July 2025 the majority of the structural work has already been completed so we did not experience any noise disturbances.

Ready to book your Phuket getaway at Centara Karon Resort? Booking direct will get you the best deal and perks – however, if you prefer booking via Booking.com you can check rates and availability here.

The Facilities at Centara Karon Resort Phuket

One of the biggest highlights at Centara Karon Resort in Phuket is the three full-sized swimming pools, all of which have their very own swim-up pool bar!

It is a common misconception that you only have access to the pool within your wing, but in reality all the guests can go to any one of the pools. Which is exactly why we visited the pools on rotation!

One morning we would head to the family pool at The Lagoon wing (complete with 2 water slides and a splash zone), and in the afternoon we would catch happy hour 2-for-1 cocktails at dreamy The Tropicale pool before heading to the nearby Escape Pool Bar for dinner.

The next day, we’d mosey over to the oval-shaped and sun-drenched Terrace pool (with a small baby pool attached) for a change in our lazy, breezy holiday itinerary.

While some properties opt to designate certain pools as adult-only, children can visit any of the 3 pools at Centara Karon Resort Phuket – that being said, it is obvious why the majority of children end up choosing to spend the whole day at the fun Lagoon pool with slides and waterpark!

In addition to the pools there is also a well-equipped fitness center with attached fitness studio area for group and private fitness classes.

We visited the Cenvaree Spa for a couple’s massage and was taken on a peaceful, rejuvenating journey by our experienced therapists. The couple’s therapy room was tranquil and offered a shower and bathroom area during and after your relaxing treatment. Guests can also access the sauna and jacuzzi afterwards.

Ready to book your Phuket getaway at Centara Karon Resort? Booking direct will get you the best deal and perks – however, if you prefer booking via Booking.com you can check rates and availability here.

Centara Karon Resort Phuket With Kids

Aside from the Lagoon Pool which offers the water slides and splash area, families traveling with kids to Phuket will ADORE the wholesome kids club which was fully-staffed with a fun, engaging team (“Entertainers”, as they club calls them) who hosted so many activities throughout the day.

Though we visited during Phuket’s “green” season in July, the Chang Dee Kids Club schedule was packed to the brim with a range of activities on offer – I’m told that during the peak Phuket travel season they offer even more classes, workshops and activities!

In addition to the indoor space which has a small slide, ball pit, toy areas and children’s desks, there is also an outdoor playground complete with a bouncy castle, swing set and climbing gym. If I absolutely had to nitpick I would say that a shade cloth would come in handy as most the time it was either too rainy or too sunny and hot to fully utilize this outdoor playground – it wasn’t a major issue for us as we simply headed to the pools!

For older children and teens there is the “E-zone” which is equipped with the usual suspects – ping pong table, foosball table and air hockey. However, there are also Playstation 5s, Nintendo Switches and Oculus VR headsets available for rent for a small nominal fee.

There were two things that truly impressed me about the kids club at Centara Karon Resort in Phuket: the first was the diversity of activities on offer which included scavenger hunts, pizza making workshops, STEM experiments and even pre-bedtime pajama parties where kids eat and play together before getting picked up at 8:30 PM for bed. The vast majority of activities are free, with a few workshops costing a small fee.

The second thing that we loved about the Chang Dee Kids Club at Centara Phuket was the staff to children ratio – there were always a minimum of 2-3 staff at the kids club engaging with the kids and hosting activities. The vibe was always playful and even though my kid usually prefers high energy, physical activities, he was always engaged and thoroughly interested in the classes and workshops at Chang Dee.

The kids menu at the restaurants in Centara Karon Phuket was also fairly extensive, with plenty of options beyond the obvious pizza, chicken nugget and spaghetti bolognese.

Ready to book your family or couple’s Phuket getaway at Centara Karon Resort? Booking direct will get you the best deal and perks – however, if you prefer booking via Booking.com you can check rates and availability here.

The Dining Options at Centara Karon Resort in Phuket

There are two main restaurants at Centara Karon Resort Phuket (Escape Pool Club and Bistro), along with the pool bars where you can order from an a-la-carte menu as well as the more casual Pink Social coffee and cocktails lounge.

We loved the breakfast spread at Bistro, where a variety of Asian and Western options were offered in the morning. Over our four-night stay, the dishes changed ever so slightly so we were never bored. I especially enjoyed the noodle station and the spicy Thai omelette from the eggs station.

The tuk tuk in the kids corner was also a hit with our kid, and all the items were thoughtfully placed at a lower eye-level so that children could pick their own breakfast food and serve themselves.

Escape at Centara Karon Resort Phuket was a highlight – this is the poolside restaurant next to the Lagoon pool, where lunch and dinner are served.

The menu has both Western and Thai options, I tried both and everything was fantastic, including green curry, watermelon and feta salad, lemongrass prawn cake skewers, mango sticky rice and of course the pad Thai.

Here’s what I will say: I generally enjoy eating meals out and trying new cafes and restaurants when I travel. But, with the exception of eating one dinner and one lunch outside of the restaurant, we chose to dine at Centara Karon. The food was just that good! The quality of the food is simply sublime, and the prices are incredibly reasonable.

Tip: if you are staying a few nights at Centara Karon Resort then look into their “Baht Booster” program. You essentially deposit a set amount of money and they credit you a bonus amount – think of it as starting a tab. For example, during our stay we added 5,000 THB of credit and was gifted an extra 1,250 THB.

Things to do around Centara Karon Resort in Phuket

Though Centara Karon Resort in Phuket is not located directly on the beach, you can walk about 5-10 minutes to get to Karon Beach where there are plenty of sun beds and umbrellas for rent.

You can also try your hand at surfing, surfboard rentals begin at about ฿300 per hour and you can send it for lessons for ฿1200. The best time of year to surf is between July to September in this part of Phuket.

We also really enjoyed visiting Tree Bay Phuket, a cocoon-esque restaurant nestled high on the hilltops of southwest Phuket. Located a short drive away from Karon, Kata and Kata Noi, Tree Bay Clubhouse offers some of the best views in Phuket.

We stopped by for lunch and the food was tasty, and the staff were very polite and friendly. Highly recommend making a booking as we were the first to arrive around opening time, but it quickly filled up in no time flat with large groups arriving. A minimum spend also applies for sunset and dinner bookings.

Looking for Phuket day trip ideas? Here are some options including exploring Phuket Old Town or going a day trip to Hong Island or the famous James Bond Island.

Ready to book your family or couple’s Phuket getaway at Centara Karon Resort? Booking direct will get you the best deal and perks – however, if you prefer booking via Booking.com you can check rates and availability here.

The verdict

Hotels typically don’t do well when they try to be everything to everyone. But everyone was happy at Centara Karon Resort Phuket – the kids, adults and couples – even grandma! I can see this family a fabulous multi-generational travel option. From the get-go, everything was seamless – our time at Centara Karon Resort was easy, breezy and relaxing – exactly what you want when you’re on holiday.

The staff made us feel right at home, with everyone going out of their way to check on us and say hello. We also appreciated Bettie from the kids club coming around during breakfast to let families know what activities were on during the day.

Centara Karon Resort in Phuket was a fantastic re-introduction to Phuket after my last trip there more than 5 years ago, and was a reminder of exactly why Phuket is one of Thailand’s top tourism destinations.

Whether you are after a family holiday in Phuket or a relaxing couple’s trip (go for the Tropicale wing or new villas!), I can personally highly recommend staying at Centara Karon Resort! It is a truly excellent family-friendly resort in Phuket that offers everything you need for a memorable getaway to Thailand.

Ready to check in? Booking direct via Centara will get you the best deal and perks (including 15% off F&B/spa services) – however, if you prefer booking via Booking.com you can also check rates and availability here.

I hope this Centara Karon Resort Phuket review helps you in your Thailand travel planning!

You might also find these guides helpful:

• Looking for some unforgettable day trips in and around Phuket that aren’t overcrowded? Read on for a handful of Phuket day tour ideas to get you started
• Head on over here for my 10 Day Thailand itinerary that will take you beyond the beaches
• Not sure what to expect in Southeast Asia? Read these 10 essential Southeast Asia travel tips
• Click here for even more Thailand travel guides and tips

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I was hosted as media on a familiarization stay at Centara Karon Resort in Phuket. These media stays allow me to experience the property and give a first-hand, honest review of their rooms, facilities and service.

This article contains affiliate links. If you choose to book using these links, I will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my website by using these links.

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