Centara Kata Resort Phuket

We have just spent 11 wonderful nights at the Centara Kata Beach Resort. Before going into the details of our stay, I want to highlight two exceptional members of staff: Joy, one of the managers, and Aon, who works around the pools. To be fair, all of the staff we met were lovely, but these two really stood out. Joy is an infectious ball of energy. Her enthusiasm for her work, the hotel, and its guests shines through in everything she does. Our family quickly built up a great rapport with her. Aon is a charming young man — humble, friendly, always smiling, and eager to help. We were a family of 10 spread across three rooms. In my room were my wife and three sons. The room itself was a good size, split into two sections: one with single beds for the boys, and another with a king-size bed for us. It also had a fridge freezer, a small cooking area, two TVs, a wet-room style shower, air-conditioning in each area, and a large balcony. The free WiFi was also a handy bonus. The resort has three swimming pools, though we mostly used the one with the kids’ slide, volleyball net, and swim-up bar. We never struggled to get sun loungers, and even when busy, the pool never felt overcrowded. On Fridays, there’s a foam party with staff in fancy dress dancing poolside to a live DJ, while foam cannons spray into the pool — a big hit with the kids (and adults!). We also attended one banquet night. The food was excellent and unlimited, with plenty of choice. The only downside was the limited dessert selection. Entertainment included a live band and traditional Thai dancers in beautiful costumes. Breakfast was generally very good, with just one morning where we had to wait for a table. There’s a great selection of juices, and the food ranges from noodles, rice, and curry to pastries, fruit, cereals, meats, and cheeses. The only letdown was the coffee machines, which produced lava-hot coffee that wasn’t very pleasant. The hotel’s location is brilliant — right in the centre of everything, close to three 7/11 stores and just off the main strip. Kata Beach is an easy 10-minute walk, or you can hop on the hotel’s shuttle bus. As for negatives, they were very minor. One day our air-conditioning broke down, but two engineers had it fixed within an hour of reporting it. The shower temperature fluctuated from tepid to boiling on repeat (this seemed the same in all rooms). The drainage slats around the pool are in desperate need of replacement, as many are broken, missing, or lifting. None of these issues impacted our stay in any way. We loved our time here and would highly recommend Centara Kata Beach Resort to anyone staying in Kata. Room 6101 (Beyoncé’s family 😆)