Review: Cape Panwa Phuket ~ Few vs Many Few vs Many

Review: Cape Panwa Phuket

You’ve read our story about Paresa right? Cape Panwa Phuket is next and we rated Paresa with a 10, which we have never done before. The hotel we visit after has some big shoes to fill. Let’s see if Cape Panwa Phuket is up for the job.

Cape Panwa Phuket is located in the Panwa area (south east) of Phuket. A region that is mainly focussed on Marina life. Kinda like Rawai (Serenity), but a little bit more sophisticated (as far as Phuket gets sophisticated at all). Panwa is a big hotel. It has 105 rooms and the property it’s build on is pretty huge. It has multiple restaurants and most of the hotel has direct access to a private beach (or a huge swimming pool). When we visit there’s a lot of construction going on, so that basically means two things: it’s low season and business is good.

The reception is very nicely decorated. There are ‘fish’ hanging everywhere which is really a nice touch. At night, these things even turn into lamps. Cool interior design we’ve not seen before (probably even handmade) and that’s always something we like. Checking in goes smoothly and we’re even told we’ve been upgraded to a cape suite (78 sq m). Bonus points for Cape Panwa Phuket.

The room is really nice. Our cape suite has got a little bit of sea view (blocked by some palm trees) and a balcony on which we don’t spend any time at all during our visit. It’s mosquito heaven out there. The inside is spacious although we’re not really fans of the sliding doors that lead to the bathroom. But that’s something we can live with.

Our first night we decide to dine at the Panwa House. We’ve head some pretty good stories about this typical Thai establishment so we can’t wait to dig in. The food we receive is simple but very spectacular. The fish cookies are maybe some of the best we’ve ever had and the fish curry blew our mind (almost literally). One for the book guys!

The next day, after some serious sleeping in, we hang around the beach a bit. At night, this private beach is a crab walhalla, when the sun is out this is of course not happening. A few maybe, but most of them are nowhere to be seen. The beach is clean and the water is quiet. Perfect circumstances for a good day at the beach.

We however don’t stay very long. We’re using the cheap shuttle service the hotel offers. This will bring us to the historic center of Phuket and we haven’t been there. Nice of the hotel to create this service. They could however extend the return time, because 1900 isn’t really convenient for those that want the grab something to eat also.

The morning after we try to enjoy breakfast but we can’t help but feel a bit spoiled. This is where the Paresa virus kicks in pretty hard. We don’t like the buffeted style anymore and we notice that some things aren’t tasting like ‘before’.

Next up it’s time to pack our bags and move on. Thus we need to write a conclusion about this property. Would we stay at this hotel again? Yes, the food (except breakfast), beach and other amenities are awesome. However, Cape Panwa Phuket is located a bit remote and some parts might need a bit more attention – game room, breakfast, shuttle service.