How Banyan Tree Phuket Perfected the Luxury Wellness Escape – Hotel Review

Jasmin Woolf
49 minutes ago
6 min read

THAILAND

A hotel review of Banyan Tree Phuket. Images courtesy of Banyan Tree Phuket and Jasmin Woolf | CSP Times.

Wellness hotels are experiencing a renaissance as today’s travellers seek more holistic travel experiences that cater to both the body and mind. As the wellness tourism sector continues to grow, a new paradigm has emerged: one where five-star indulgence converges with physical vitality, mental clarity, and environmental consciousness. But long before "wellness tourism" became an industry buzzword, one resort was already spearheading the charge: Banyan Tree Phuket.

Opened in 1994 as the flagship resort of what would become Asia's most revered hospitality brand, Banyan Tree Phuket was a pioneer in the luxury wellness revolution. Three decades since its debut, its vision remains the same: to be a sanctuary where every element, from architecture to cuisine, is meticulously crafted not just to delight, but to restore.

Here's everything you need to know about this award-winning resort.

Location

Banyan Tree Phuket is conveniently located a quick 25-minute drive from Phuket International Airport within the Laguna Phuket integrated resort complex on the west coast of Phuket. Popular with families and retired expatriates, Laguna Phuket is home to six luxury hotels, a village shopping centre, and more than 30 restaurants and bars. The entire complex is huge, but all hotels offer complimentary inter-resort transportation by shuttle vehicle or lagoon boat round the clock, so you can easily get around and enjoy the many facilities in the area.

The hotel is also a stone’s throw away from the beautiful 6-km Bang Tao Beach, known for its powdery white sand, stunning sunsets and a variety of local restaurants and beach bars.

The Hotel

The Banyan Tree brand has long been synonymous with luxury and wellbeing. Its name and brand story inspired by the humble banyan tree, a revered symbol of many Asian villages and a shelter for weary travellers seeking refuge and sanctuary. This is the ethos emulated by its Phuket flagship resort.

The open-air lobby of the Banyan Tree Phuket makes for a striking first impression, with its unique layout composed of a large scale water feature in the middle surrounded by four connecting pavilions, all overlooking the lagoon. The leisurely relaxed atmosphere of the lobby is merely a hint as to the tranquil sanctuary we’re about to experience. Before long, the friendly hotel staff brings us some chilled welcome refreshments and gets us checked in.

After check in, you’re transported by golf buggy to your villa. Unbeknownst to us, the resort was extensive, spread across 89 acres including scenic lagoons, an 18-hole golf course, swimming pools and cycle paths, as well as its 218 villas and facilities. Luckily, getting around is fairly easy – you can order a golf buggy to take you wherever you need to go within the complex, or hire a bike (for free) so you can explore at your leisure.

Although we knew the hotel had just celebrated its 30th year in operation, the property didn’t show its age. From the villas and various hotel facilities to the grounds and surrounding vegetation, everything was fantastically maintained and in good shape. No worrying about faded linens or tired furniture during your stay!

Accommodation

Aptly named the Wellbeing Sanctuary Villa, our home for the next two nights was a spacious enclosed little oasis built for maximum relaxation. The hotel offers several villa types, and while the Pool Villas and Double Pool Villas had a more traditional Thai design, we loved the bright contemporary interiors of the Wellbeing Sanctuary Villa, decked out in various shades of green and cream, with black accents and lots of light wood for a sleek touch.

As you come into the villa, you have the minibar and a large seating area on either side, as well as a spacious bedroom with floor to ceiling doors leading straight out into the outdoor area. The bathroom and dressing room is bright and airy, with modern amenities and separate spaces for a modern Japanese toilet and wet room for the shower.

The villa opens up onto a cosy sundeck with day beds and a dining table, as well as a private pool fitted with a jet pool. It’s clear that a lot of thought has been put into the design: every detail, from the plush bedding of the king sized bed to the colour scheme of the room, is designed to make you feel at ease.

Dining

With over half a dozen restaurants serving up Thai, Japanese and international cuisine spread around the complex, you won’t need to worry about eating the same dish twice.

Let’s start with the most important meal of the day, breakfast served at The Watercourt, Banyan Tree Phuket’s all-day dining restaurant. While the rest of the resort never felt crowded during our stay, breakfast time was a busy, bustling affair, when all of the hotel guests converge seemingly at the same time to caffeinate and break their fast. Luckily, the restaurant is spacious enough to not feel cramped, and the buffet offers a great variety of dishes, from your classic European spread to authentic Thai dishes and even Indian and Chinese options. Whilst simple, the fresh local fruit, is utterly divine.

Banyan Tree’s newest restaurant concept Hojo offers Japanese fare, and seriously good Japanese fare at that. The sushi and sashimi was fresh and tasty, and the wider menu covers everything from katsu curry to soba noodles.

Banyan Tree Phuket's high-end Thai restaurant, Saffron, originated as a simple curry house, but over the years has grown into an award-winning refined dining experience that is best known as the signature Thai restaurant of Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts. Overlooking the lagoon, the open-air restaurant has a romantic vibe that’s perfect for date night, but be sure to request some mosquito repellent if you come for dinner! If you’re visiting for the first time, start off with the Khong Wang Ruam, a selection of Thai appetisers for two, or a Mieng Som O Puu Krob, a refreshing salad with crispy crab meat, pomelo and betel leaf. For mains, you can’t go wrong with any of the curries, but our personal favourite had to be the Gaeng Kati Puu Gub Bai Cha Plu (crab meat and betel leaf in red curry served with Thai vermicelli noodle), a spicy, flavourful dish featuring large chunks of sweet meaty crab. An additional fun feature at Saffron is the rice cart, which is wheeled around when your main course is served so you can choose between four types of grains: traditional Jasmine rice, brown rice, butterfly pea-infused rice and yellow rice.

For drinks, the Tin Tapas Bar, a floating bar on the lagoon, is a great spot to enjoy the sunset along with a pre-dinner cocktail and snacks.

The Banyan Tree Phuket team can also arrange a private dinner cruise or villa barbeque upon request as well should you want to celebrate a special occasion.

Things to Do

If you stay at the Banyan Tree Phuket hotel, you have to indulge in a massage at their award-winning Banyan Tree Spa. All of the masseuses have been trained at the on-site Banyan Spa & Wellbeing Academy to ensure a high standard, and the spa itself has received the Kinnaree Gold Award several times and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Thailand Tourism Authority. The treatment rooms themselves are their own enclosed mini villas surrounded by lush greenery, its own little secluded oasis. After a foot bath, the masseuse will work their magic and dissolve any muscle tension in your body. The time flew by and before I knew it, we were finished with the massage and drinking a hot cup of tea feeling like I was floating on a cloud.

In addition, the hotel offers a wide range of daily activities ranging from wellness to local cultural experiences. There’s your usual yoga, meditation and Muay Thai classes, but also a range of more specialized classes aimed at improving your posture and sleep.

We also loved that the hotel offered guided bike rides through the neighbourhood, as well as Thai cooking classes where you can learn how to cook authentic Thai dishes, and spa workshops where you can learn how to make your own herbal compress and massage oils. The options are creative and varied, there’s really something for everyone whether it’s couples, families or fitness enthusiasts.

The Verdict

This is the kind of hotel that will make you want to immediately book your next stay before you’ve even left. Unlike many other hotels pushing the luxury wellness angle, the Banyan Tree Phuket has honed the fine art of relaxation to a tee.

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Address: 33, 33/27 Moo 4, Srisoonthorn Road, Cherngtalay, Amphur Talang, Thailand |