phuket magazine

Phuket Town is situated on the east side of the island, far from the beaches, so it may not be ideal accommodation for those seeking a beach holiday. But there are plenty of hotels here, of all standards and prices, and staying in town is the right thing for some people.
Business people, obviously, choose city hotels. There are three large, modern, high-rise hotels here, The Metropole, the Phuket Royal City and the Thavorn Grand. Fierce competition and an over-supply of rooms here has driven prices to rock bottom, another reason some people choose Town hotels. In addition to these three there are numerous medium size city hotels catering to business people, cheaper group tours and budget tourists.

Anyone wanting to tour Phuket and the region, rather than hang out on beaches, could well use this relatively central location as a base. Backpacking travellers have used the famous, and very, very old Chinese hotel, the On On Hotel, for decades. This hotel is right downtown, very inexpensive, and it effuses an atmosphere of an era long gone. The hotel offers history and a bargain, if you’re not squeamish about the occasional rat or cockroach.

If considering staying in Phuket Town you might look up our pages with information and maps on this quaint little centre, for there are quite a few things to see here.

Prices in town range from something over 1,000 Baht for a room in one of the modern high-rises (sometimes less, if purchased through a travel agent as part of a package), to perhaps 300 Baht for something at the bottom end.