Lodges in Phuket

"We chose this hotel because it met all our requirements. After reading reviews that mentioned 'worn-out' rooms and possible cockroach encounters, we were just happy that at least the view would be beautiful. Again, based on reviews, we decided to rent a car from the airport for the entire vacation. And yes, it was a good call. The road up to the hotel is very steep. We had a Yaris hatchback, and we thought it might be too low, but it was fine. Everything was okay, just be careful on the ascent. The grounds are nice and clean, with plenty of trash bins. There's also ample parking. We didn't swim in the main pool, but it looked gorgeous! There's a small bar area where you can grab food and drinks, and also sunbathe. At the reception, they immediately showed us a photo with a meter reading and charged us 2500 baht for cleaning. We then chose the days for cleaning. Regarding the room: We were in the upper building, on the second floor. Yes, from the parking lot, you have to walk across the grounds and then up a staircase (32 steps up, 12 down). The room itself was genuinely spacious. It's perfectly suited for 4 people. There are two bedrooms with TVs, and two bathrooms. One is near the entrance (with a shower, toilet, and sink), and the other is by the second bedroom (with a shower, bathtub, toilet, and two sinks). There's a large living area with a table and a proper kitchen. The refrigerator is big and freezes well, but it's a bit noisy. The TV in the living area is a large 65-inch Samsung. There's a kettle, toaster, and microwave. Upon arrival, they left 6 bottles of water in the fridge. The terrace features a rather large hot tub with clean water. There's also a small table and two sun loungers. You can start sunbathing from 11:30 AM until sunset. The beds are comfortable, with medium-firm mattresses that are quite soft. The duvet is large, and the pillows are comfortable enough. The bed linen is pleasant and soft. Cleaning was done 4 times, every 3 days. Towels were changed every time! The bed linen was changed 2 or 3 times. There's a hairdryer. Shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, liquid soap, and body lotion are all provided in large bottles. Downsides: The curtains are blinds, so you won't get full blackout. The TVs in the rooms don't have USB ports, but they do have HDMI. The picture quality on these TVs is poor. You can see the roof of the building below us. And the biggest drawback is the air conditioning! They barely work. The one in the living room hums so loudly it sounds like it's about to take off. The ones in the bedrooms are quieter but take a long time to cool the room. We used the AC constantly while we were in the room. Again, based on reviews, I was expecting an outrageous electricity bill... but no. Everything was calculated honestly, and nothing was inflated. And there were no terrible shabby walls or small critters. The building located below us is currently undergoing construction, and the noise will be very disruptive. Also, the road (that steep incline) is nearby, and you can hear all the passing cars. It's very strange that no one mentioned in the reviews that monkeys come by in the mornings. The hotel is on a hill, next to a forest. The two standout features of this hotel are the panoramic sea view, the sunset, the possibility of sunbathing all day, and the monkeys! Overall, I liked the hotel."