I think it’s important to schedule your holidays when you’re busy. Especially when you’re busy. Because time away is always a great reminder that rest is a good thing; I always resist rest because I’m afraid it will cut into my productivity, but when I actually take the time to slow down, I remember that rest is rejuvenating and can spur on new growth and ideas. Don’t be afraid to rest! (I say, mostly as a reminder to myself.)

And while I have your attention on holidays, allow me to recap our trip to Phuket during the May/June school holiday recently.

Actually, make that a recap of our STAY at Amari Phuket because really, that’s where we spent most if not all of our time in Phuket.

You go all the way to Phuket and only stay within a resort, I hear you ask? Yes! That’s my idea of real relaxation now that I have young kids in tow. Don’t get me wrong, I still love to discover new places and experiences but sometimes, it’s nice to just chill and not do anything on holiday. Who’s with me?

Amari Phuket is the perfect place for that.

First impression? The resort is massive and everywhere you look, it’s so darn photogenic.

We were taken care of immediately. We were welcomed with fresh towels and refreshing drinks. It is that familiar warm Thai hospitality that draws us back to Phuket again and again.

Ocean Wing 2 Bedroom Suite

Our 2 Bedroom Suite at the Ocean Wing was located up on the hill. Luckily for us, there were free buggies and trucks that take us to wherever we want to go within the resort. Imagine the amount of exercise we would get if we had to scale the hill every day to get to our suite. Errr.. no thanks!

The Ocean Wing 2 bedroom suite has a spacious, light-filled living room and it opens up to a balcony with a stunning view of Patong Bay, with Patong Beach situated just 10 minutes walk away. Despite the distance from Patong, we couldn’t hear any busy traffic and crowd. Just quietness and serenity with the occasional bird chirping coming from the trees.

Perhaps that’s one of the allures of Amari Phuket. It’s secluded, yet so close and convenient if you want to venture out to town. Have I mentioned that there are free shuttle buses to Patong and Kata Beach from the lobby?

I digress.

Each of our bedrooms had an ensuite. The bathrooms aren’t very big but it’s ok, we hardly had any time to spend in the bathroom anyway. Our suite also had an open kitchen with all the types of equipment. Should you fancy whipping up your own meals, you totally can!

Upon checking in, I was pleasantly surprised to find a bottle of champagne, fresh fruit, a variety of local desserts, cakes and a personalised welcome card awaiting us on the dining table.

It did not end there. I was very impressed the next afternoon, just as we returned from our swim, a hotel staff dropped off another bottle of white wine and a charcuterie board for us to enjoy.

Side note: I’m very pleased to find that our complimentary water came in glass bottles. Kudos to Amari Phuket for taking a step towards eco-friendliness.

Just in case you’re wondering about the sleeping arrangement, here are my happy kids at bedtime. They were all so happy (and tired from swimming) that they didn’t need any of us to lay down with them at night!

The Facilities

The facilities of Amari Phuket were outstanding. There is just so much to do. That’s why we didn’t need to venture out.

There are 3 swimming pools. One right next to Rim Talay, the main restaurant where they serve breakfast buffet every morning, one at the exclusive Club House (right next to our villa), and another one next to La Gritta, the in-house Italian restaurant.

There’s no kids pool at the latter, so it’s perfect for couples on honeymoon. Peace and quiet and let’s not scare them off having children, shall we?

Lauren declared that her favourite pool is the main one next to Rim Talay. Needless to say, we spent a substantial amount of time there. No wonder I got 4 shades darker from this trip.

This is Amari Phuket’s own private beach. it’s very scenic with clear water. It’s a great photo-taking spot but I’m not sure about swimming there but what do we know, we aren’t the sea-swimming type anyway.

But if you’re into swimming in the sea, you can snorkel at Amari Phuket’s private jetty, at the far end of the resort. Can you see it in the photo?

At the jetty, you can find a bar. It’s the perfect place to watch the sunset while sipping a cocktail. Service was friendly and go-the-extra-mile. My water-guzzling lot asked for so much water, they eventually ran out and guess what? We were offered orange juice instead, FOC!

There are endless activities to do here in Amari Phuket. You get to check out dinner theme nights, entertainment at the bars, Thai cooking class, yoga classes, fitness classes, promotion at the Breeze Spa and my favourite – spending time with the little ones, creating memories amidst the gorgeous surrounding.

The Kids Club

The all-important kids club. It’s the first thing we checked out when we finally tore ourselves from the comfort of our suite. Like the rest of the resort key facilities, it faces the beautiful sea-view.

The interior of the kids club is bright, cheerful and clean. Kids have a host of activities to do regardless of age. There is something to engage the children – from watching cartoons to going down the slide for the hundredth time – a la Will.

There are plenty of toys, games and activities for the kids. No wonder our kids refused to leave at the end of the day!

You can sign them up for various workshops and classes conducted here. The ones that caught my kids attention were nail art and money-box making. No booking is necessary. Just show up! There are 2 child-minders on duty at all times, so parents can leave their children under the good care of the staff for some couple R&R or even head to the spa!

I’m pretty sure this corner was designed with kids in mind but Nick seemed to have made himself comfortable. As they say – happy husband, happy wife!

Workaholic me headed straight to the Voyager Lounge to check my emails. You can either use the computers provided here or bring your laptop along and tap into the hotel’s WiFi. Oh, I must add that the WiFi connection at Amari was STRONG. It’s full bar everywhere we went.

The other side of the wall right there is the Kids Club. In fact, it’s separated by glass, so I could still ‘watch’ the kids from here.

And here’s the gym which I had every intention to visit but never got around to.

Dinner by the sea

How pretty are the fairy lights?

On the first night, we were treated to Seafood BBQ buffet at Rim Talay, where the crayfish were massive and there’s an abundance of seafood and meat to choose from.

If you’re a fan of Thai salads, you won’t be disappointed either. I must have had at least three rounds of their appetising Thai beef salad, papaya salad, glass noodle prawn salad, minced meat salad and a whole lot of salads I’ve not seen in other Thai restaurants.

The staff are friendly and attentive to our needs, able to respond promptly to our request for cutlery as well as food choices for the kids. Upon hearing that Georgia was allergic to prawns, the chef quickly whipped up a fried rice, especially for our girl. Needless to say, we were impressed.

If you’re ever sick of Thai food (like never!), you could also check out La Gritta, an Italian restaurant located right next to the water.

It must have been nice dining here but the kids needed to go to bed early, so we ordered pizzas to be delivered to our suite instead. Pizzas were massive, but none was left at the end of the meal, so it’s safe to say that it was really good!

Another breathtaking area to take that OOTD shot. Open air, sun-filled lounge with an unrestricted view of the sea – what’s not to love?

Breakfast Buffet at Rim Talay

Lauren had maple syrup with a pancake and waffles on the side. And nope, I did not make a mistake with the previous sentence.

My kids and husband like their breakfast simple. Good bread with butter and Nutella. But Rim Talay had to make it hard for them by offering a HUGE variety of breads.

I, on the other hand, am always game to try everything on offer. There was continental breakfast choices (the crispy bacon was da bomb!), egg station, Thai food spread, Indian food, a noodle cart, pastries, cold cuts and fresh fruits.

How cute are the little jars of muesli, yoghurt and fruit compote?

Fresh honey dripped from a slab of honeycomb, anyone?

All the fresh juices!

Buffet breakfast is served daily at Rim Talay and as a guest of the Ocean suite, we can also opt for a la carte breakfast at the exclusive Clubhouse.

The Clubhouse

The Ocean suite comes with access to the exclusive clubhouse, aptly named The Clubhouse.

The Clubhouse has a gorgeous infinity pool with kids pool, outdoor terrace, a FIT Centre (smaller gym with instructors) and a restaurant. It offers an exclusive experience for quiet and intimate conversation while enjoying the panoramic sea view. A range of drinks and light snacks are available throughout the day while cocktails are served in the evenings during Cocktails Hour. Young children are allowed in the club at all times when accompanied by adults.

May I recommend that you try their range of cookies? We may or may not have eaten half a jar of each.

For those feeling peckish before dinner, you’d love this. Between 5:30pm and 6:30pm on the daily, during Cocktail Hour, you can help yourself to complimentary canapes, mini-buffet which includes a carvery of the day. I can’t think of a better place to wind down and watch the sunset.

What impressed me most is that Pierre, the regional operations vice-president of Onyx Hospitality (the company which owns Amari) personally went from table to table greeting every diner by their names during Cocktail Hour, as if they were guests in his own home. I think that speaks a lot about the service and culture of Amari Phuket. Personable, warm and attentive. The staff takes it in their stride to make our stay an incredible experience.

I also caught a few of their staff laughing and taking group photos outside the Voyager lounge. It warmed my heart to see that not only are the hotel guests well taken care of and happy, but the staff at Amari Phuket clearly enjoy their workplace too.

We went home and the first thing the kids asked was when are we going to Amari Phuket again. So if that doesn’t sound like a winning holiday to you, I don’t know what is.

We will be back, Amari Phuket!