It’s about an 1-hour trip from the Airport and about 35 minutes from the nightlife, bars and restaurants of Patong. Panwa is isolated from most areas of Phuket, which means that taxi fares from the Hotel can go from between 600-1200 Baht, so if you are looking for a private getaway, this would be the only reason to stay here.

The best part of the hotel is the beautiful heated pool which looks out onto the beach with views of the shores of Chalong Bay – ideal for a private night time dip.

I stayed in Room 207, a beach view room with a small balcony that overlooks the beachfront. Rooms are well sized, but the house keeping is slower than most hotels with rooms being made up in the late afternoon. Internet costs 200 Baht for 1-hour.

You can give the buffet breakfast a skip – in fact use the 350 Baht to take a trip into Phuket Town and grab a bite to eat there from a variety of different food vendors around the area.

TIP: Cocktails at the Novotel cost about 180 Baht, and 120 Baht for a stubby of Tiger Beer. If you’re looking for a cheaper drink close by, take a walk up the road to the small hut located at the top of the hill – about a 7 minute walk from the Novotel. A long neck there cost 100 Baht only, and the nice Malaysian man who owns the place lets you buy a few for storage in the hotel mini bar! And there’s an amazing view of sunset from here too!