Westin Phuket Siray Bay Resort & Spa Review

This review is part of the 'Siam adventure' trip report - see below for the trip report index.

We drove ourselves from Krabi to Phuket with a rental car. Lots of our fellow travelers seemed quite respectful of the road conditions and driving hazards but I found driving very civil in Southern Thailand. Granted there are more road incursions than you'd find on a typical US single lane highway, but drivers are exceptionally aware and respectful of each other. Plus for the most part (outside Phuket Town) the roads are quite empty.





















Check-in at the Westin Siray Bay & Spa was very quick and efficient but no Platinum room upgrade. spg.com showed no single premium room available and several of our stay dates (6 nights) the hotel was actually sold out.

The hotel extends full breakfast for Platinums. The Internet is free (unlimited devices) but mostly painfully slow. I complained a few times and saw peak rates go up to 10 Mbit only to fall back later. Mornings/noons were better than evenings but the differences were not that stark.

The hotel also has 90 minutes of free drinks (about a dozen cocktails and white/red wine/beer/sparkling wine) every day at one of the bars for Platinums.

As several other reviewers have noted - the hotel has taken quite a beating in it's short history (it's only 2 years old!). While our room looked modern it showed signs of significant wear inside and outside. I suspect shoddy construction plays a big role in this.

The room was about 500 sq feet and a large bathroom with separate bathtub, shower and toilet. It featured a privacy screens to block of the view into the bathroom.

























There was a rain shower but water pressure through it was dismal (it was normal with the regular shower head oddly enough). Additionally the drainage was not done correctly so most of the shower floor was covered about 1 inch with water all the time.
The room also featured a beautiful patio with incredible sea views.

As the resort is perched along a very steep cliff you do have a fantastic view from almost everywhere. The gym, the pools - it's breathtaking and always changing.





The gym sits at the top of the hill (getting there is half the workout!) but it's surprisingly small and has just a couple of cardio machines. Very few other weightlifting equipment can be found.

I found the breakfast buffet spread very extensive and just delicious. Many Western and Asian elements with good to excellent quality were on offer. I especially liked the smoothies and freshly made juice creations.

















The hotel beach is not suitable for swimming. It's rocky, very shallow and features muddy water and 'aggressive crabs'. Plus when the sun comes out the little bay simply gets too hot. The main pool had quite a bit of crowds but given the fact that the hotel has so many different levels - it was quite easy to find a quiet spot in the sun and a pool without crowds.

I generally found the staff very friendly and warm. English was very well understood with almost no miscommunication.

I think the Westin is a higher quality option compared to the Sheraton Krabi Resort. The views are just breathtaking at every sunrise and sunset. Also there is more to do on Phuket compared to Krabi generally. At SPG category 3 this hotel is a fantastic value.