Sri Panwa

My husband and I recently stayed here in one of their ocean view west pool suite and were very excited based on previous reviews. This resort was almost double the cost of all the other resorts we liked, but based on the reviews we read, we thought it would be worth the splurge. This review is for the ocean view west pool suite only, we did not meet any guests staying in any other rooms and therefore have no feedback as to their experience. Let me start off by saying the resort was very well maintained and the view from the common areas was beautiful. However, while we didn't get bad service, it was not great either. We arrived at approximately 10 am and the hotel picked us up. They had informed us when we booked that we would have full use of the amenities and check in time the was at 3 pm. We walked around the resort and went to the pool. The resort was practically a ghost town and we had the pool to ourselves. However, they would not let us to our room a minute before 3 pm. I have traveled throughout the US, Europe and Asia and this was the first time the hotel did not let a guest check in even a little early when they could. If you are arriving significantly earlier than check in time, be prepared to wait. Secondly, since we reserved a pool villa that has its own en suite plunge pool we were excited that we would have use of the pool at our own leisure. This was in the middle of August and temperatures were approximately 85F. The plunge pool was so cold at 3 pm, I could not get in the water at all. Maybe it was because we were west facing, but the temperature of the water did not warm up. Also, while we paid for an ocean view, it was barely a peek a boo ocean view. The greenery around the resort was not trimmed to actually see a proper view. So if you're looking for the views based on the resort pictures, you will probably be disappointed if you book the pool suite villas west (again, I have no idea what any of the high end villa views were like). Lastly, when we booked our room we specifically booked the rate that included the airport transfer. The night before we checked out, we received a summary of the charges incurred so far and we were charged for the airport pickup. So we called the front desk to let them know there had been a mistake and our rate had included the transfer. Unfortunately the agent was adamant that we did not book that type of rate and were responsible for the charges. Thankfully we had a copy of the booking email that specifically stated that the airport transfer was included. After forwarding the email to the agent, she did agree (without apology) that we would not to be charged. Was Sri Panwa a horrible experience? By no means. However, I probably wouldn't recommend it either.

Beautiful resort... may surprise you at first glance. Once you see the villas, you'll be quite pleased. The pool suites have huge pools with amazing views. Plenty of space for private parties with BBQ's catered by the resort. The beds were very comfortable and the restrooms were huge. The jacuzzi tub could fit three people and had amazing air jets. The rooms also were equipped with the latest Bose sound system. We absolutely loved the the amenities the resort offered, like the Thai box and the in suite yoga classes. My only area growth would be for the housekeeping to pay more attention to detail when cleaning. Other than that, this resort was amazing. The food was extremely good as well, with many options.

Where can i start... This hotel Is just spectacular, from the pick up at the airport with a Luxury Mercedes Van with a cold towel and drink to the room. The hotel property is huge, you will need the hotel buggy to transfer you to different locations on the property (free ofcourse). The hotel is about a 45 minute drive from HKT (Phuket Airport). We stayed in the One Bedroom Pool Suite East Ocean View for 4 nights celebrating our one year wedding anniversary, which is nestled with the baba pool club which i recommend. The pool suite has its own infinity swimming pool with a jet stream Jacuzzi system, large master bedroom facing the ocean, immaculate bathroom with 2 sinks, hot tub, all amenities available. Yes there is a private beach also but rocky, theres a floatable jetty that you can walk further and a have swim. The Staff were amazing and welcoming. You are treated like a King. From the reception to the restaurant to the security personnel. There are several restaurants on the property that you can choose from depending on your taste, from Japanese to Thai to Western. Our room came with daily buffet breakfast which was good. A lot variety. One thing though if you love your American breakfast especially bacon, order extra extra bacon, cause when they serve you it only comes with 3 strips of bacon. The only downfall was Baba nest rooftop bar was closed for renovations during our stay. Other than that everything was perfect. I would definetley return.

Alert, Alert, Alert, My Fellow American’s & Travelers! If you are going to Phuket, Thailand, and looking for a First Class, Elegant, and more Traditional Thai Style Hotel/Resort to stay, then look no further than the Sri Panwa and hit the “Book it Now� button, before you miss out on a great opportunity and a great place to stay away from the Big Name Hotel/Resorts. Let me be the first to say, and the last review you read, that helps you with your decision to choosing the Sri Panwa. When you arrive at the property, either in your Private Ocean View Pool Villa, at the Main Pool, or at one of the many Romantic & Delicious Restaurants, take a look up to the skies and give me a special toast and Amen :) As I give you a special toast now to remember back on, that you took our review and listened, to be having those wonderful moments, experiences, and memories for the lifetime.  To begin, all great reviews should honor those, that made ones stay, so memorable and wonderful. For those reasons, and for these great memories, we would like to give a special thank you to the Owner, WAN (Nickname), & his Family. Without your vision and passions for excellence in product and raising the standards in Hospitality and Service, we, the Guests, would not be having the opportunity to experience such a wonderful and beautiful place in Phuket. Congratulations on your Success as a Family and let the years in front of you all, be just as fruitful and blessed. • In special recognition, I/We would like to give a special thank you to Khun Num, the Property General Manager.  Num is a wonderful, kind, caring, and respectful spirit. WAN & Family, you could not have chosen a better General Manager to represent the property and your product. Khun Num, is definitely a first class individual, that is professional, polite, and understands your passions for the Higher Standard. He should be greatly considered as a tremendous asset to the family and we hope to see Khun Num, for many years, as your General Manager of the Sri Panwa. Thank you again Khun Num, for being there for us by E mail before our arrival, making us feel special during our stay, and for the kind words at our departing conclusion. May you be blessed to be the General Manager of the Sri Panwa for many years to come and may many blessings fall upon your family, for you being such a great person.  • Who is the most important man on property when you wake up in the morning at the Sri Panwa? You guessed it right!! Khun Ham, your included in the rate, Breakfast Manager & Host. Of course, we mean that to be funny, and the Family should be so fortunate to have such a wonderful person in this position. Thank you Khun Ham, for always being accommodating, giving that warm welcome and friendly smile every morning at your buffet, and for the great service that you showed us throughout our stay. You as well, should be considered an asset to the Family and to the Sri Panwa, May you have many blessings to reach your full potential with Sri Panwa and may the kindness that you give, return to you and your family 10 times. What would be very impressive after a few weeks after I/We have left, would be if you could remember my order exactly today. Khun Ham has a memory better than the IBM Super Computer. Amazing!!  • Who is the second most important person after a great morning breakfast with Khun Ham? You guessed right again!! Khun Bauo, your attendant at the main pool. Can I say, “I want his job?� One would envy to call that their office, with the spectacular ocean views, and waiting on beautiful bikinis. It’s a hard life and Khun Bauo, you live it well. Thank you for being a great poolside attendant, that is friendly, nice, and accommodating to the Guests needs.  • Here is another special thank you, to a very special person, that had the patience to receive our E mails requests prior to arrival, while Khun Num was away. That very special person is Por. Thank you Por, for helping your General Manager, in receiving our E mail requests, scheduling dinners, etc. and executing them flawlessly during our stay. We also wish you many blessings and a long relationship with the Sri Panwa. The Family should also see you as a great asset to them and the property and allow you to achieve your full potential, growing and advancing within the Sri Panwa over the years. Many blessings to you and your family for all your help in making our stay special.  • To all those that we failed to mention…… As you get older, one of the first things to go is your memory. I/We, want to say, “Thank you very much for always showing a friendly and happy smile when we passed by or if you personally served us (Buggy Drivers Especially). Along with all of your colleagues mentioned above, it was all of you too, that made our stay wonderful, relaxing, stress free, and memorable. Just because we did not mention your names, does not mean you are any less special :) You know who you are :) We look forward to seeing all of your friendly smiles on our next visit. And, maybe next time, I/We, can write all your names down.  In closing, I/We would like the reader of this review to know, I/We are also in the Hospitality Business. The level of Standards that we expect, fall nothing short of the High Standards and Service, that we provide to our Guests. There are many review websites and companies that favor the Big Name Hotels/Resorts by giving them a 5 Star Rating. Are they truly 5 Star? To the diligent traveler, don’t let this be your only tool in making your decision. It is reviews like ours, that should help show you the path. Again, let this be your last review that you read, in making your decision to stay at the Sri Panwa.. The Best!! Here is how we arrived to our 5 Star Rating of the Sri Panwa using the 3P Principals to success, People + Product + Process = Happy Guests & Happy Management/Owners.  1.) Location = 4 1/2 Stars :) It takes an hour and a half from the Phuket airport to reach the Sri Panwa. Yes, the drive is beautiful along the way, but if you go at the wrong time, during rush hour traffic, the drive can be not so pleasant and can actually take much longer to get there. However, once you arrive, you forget all about this and it becomes unimportant.  2.) Landscape = 5 Stars :) Perfectly chosen varieties of local tropical tree’s, plants, and flowers. This makes the Sri Panwa have that upscale, elegant, and classy feel.  3.) Layout & Architecture = 5 Stars :) The entire property seemed designed to enhance and maximize the spectacular ocean views for the Guest. Even though the property is situated hillside and has many uneven areas of elevation change, the Buggy Service during the stay, made this a non factor.  4.) Material Quality = 5 Stars :) It seemed as if the Owners spared no expense here. The Guest Facilities and Villa’s. throughout the property, in the materials they chose to create such a masterpiece, were of high quality and fashion. 5.) Interior Design & Decoration = 5 Stars :) Classy, Elegant Colors, Quality Fabrics, and done in a traditional Thai style in all Guest Facilities and Villa’s.  6.) Soap & Shampoo Quality = 5 Stars :) Good Choice, Good Smell, and seemed to be of good quality. 7.) In Room/Villa Toiletries = 5 Stars :) There are many things to use or take back home if you forgot any of these amenities. 8.) Electronics & WIFI = 5 Stars :) Our Ocean View Private Pool Villa had big screen TV’s in each split villa, a Bose sound system in each split villa, an iPod Music Library, a great selection of satellite channels, and the most important, Fast WIFI, to be able to do business back home.  9.) Check-In / Check-Out Process = 5 Stars :)  Smooth & easy! 10.) Check-In / Check Out Staff = 5 Stars :) Extremely Friendly, Nice, Always Smiling, & Professional.  11.) Our Ocean View Private Pool Villa = 5 Stars :) My fellow readers, in our opinion, this is the only way to stay! Splurge and reward yourself with pure elegance, luxury, and style. Everything from the spectacular view, your own private pool, the large jacuzzi bathtub, the walk-in shower/sauna, the courtyard large enough to have your own BBQ party, with a few Guests, all the amenities mentioned above, and two split villas, each having their own purpose and function. The left villa, having your comfortable and luxurious bed with high quality linens, a small living area, a modern bathroom with the large jacuzzi tub, and direct access to the infinity pool in 3 areas off the sliding doors. The right villa, being more of a place for entertainment or for extra room if you had more family staying with you (Nanny Quarters), had a small dining area, seating area, bathroom, and the kitchen; that had all the amenities of a small college apartment. There was a good selection of drinks and snacks offered in the villa and replenished daily during maid service. My personal favorites were the ice pops in the freezer :)  12.) Room Service = 5 Stars :) What could be better, than never leaving your room? Exactly, Room Service. With a great selection of delicious foods and always within 20 minutes, the Sri Panwa Room Service is top notch.  13.) Resort Restaurants = 5 Stars :)  Covering many cultures and tastes, the Restaurants at the Resort are amazing. Offering everything from Traditional Thai, Japanese, Chinese, and BBQ, the quality of the foods are fresh and daily prepared. The ocean views from all of the restaurants are romantic and unique in their own way. Especially from the top, the BABA Nest (Being Renovated during our stay).  14.) The Spa = 5 Star :) The Spa at the Sri Panwa is World Class, offering the finest of Treatments, that will leave you feeling relaxed, rejuvenated, and feeling like you have left your body and went to Heaven. Our honest opinion,  it is a little over priced, compared to the street salons offering massages and mani-pedi’s. But, if you want to continue to live the lifestyle of YOLO (You Only Live Once), then the convenience of never leaving the property, is well worth the money spent. The Best!! 15.) Concierge Service = 5 Star :) This was an easy top rating to give. The Concierge Staff at the Sri Panwa are First Class, Knowledgable, Friendly, and willing to assist the Guest in helping make reservations for everything. They have a great selection of the best Tours & Excursions being offered in the area, and they can make private driver & taxi arrangements to and from the airport, or to a surrounding activity in the area. I/We highly recommend the Day trip to Phi Phi Island :)  16.) Buggy Service = 5 Stars :) Pick up your villa phone and call to be picked up to go anywhere on property. Excellent idea for when it is raining and your going to dinner or for when you don’t feel like walking around property. Could not be a better amenity offered.  17.) Resort Shuttle/Driver = 5 Stars :) You are picked up and dropped off at the airport in style and comfort. This could not be more important, being the Phuket airport is 1 1/2 hours away on a hot sunny day and having a good working air conditioner. Friendly and professional drivers, that represent the property in a professional and helpful way. Great beginning and ending process.  18.) Lounging areas & Bars = 5 Stars :) Great place to relax, read, listen to music, or just take in the ocean and surrounding island views. Order up a Cocktail, Mocktail, or glass of juice and feel like royalty.  19.) Private Beaches = 5 Stars :) The Private Resort Beaches rarely have anyone walking on them. A great place to do water sports, soak up the sun, or just to put your feet in the sand at night.  20.) The Views = 5 Stars ;) The spectacular ocean view of the blue waters and surrounding islands on a clear day, could not be more romantic and peaceful. The layout of the property seemed to take the view into account as the #1 priority, when designing the Sri Panwa. The panoramic view from Baba’s Nest is absolutely amazing at sunset. 21.) Cleaning Staff & Crew = 5 Stars :) There is definitely coordination here. When you call for the Buggy to go to breakfast, there must be behind the scenes communications with the Cleaning Staff. When you return to your villa from breakfast, everything is done. Amazing, when sometimes we were only at breakfast for less than an hour. There must be a crew of 4-5, that show up to do this fast :) Excellent and Consistent!! 22.) Security = 5 Stars :) Feel secure at Sri Panwa. You arrive to a saluting Guard who checks to see if you are on the list. 23.) Residence Ownership = 5 Stars :) If the Sri Panwa has made an impression, that you would like to have a permanent Residence on property, there are 2,3, & 5 Bedroom Private Villas for sale to those that cannot let go of the dream..  24.) Price compared to Competitors Product = 5 Stars :) There is no comparison. The Sri Panwa is a unique property and experience. A real once in a lifetime place and Heaven on Earth. There is only a couple other real and true 5 Star Hotels/Resorts in Phuket, and in my/our opinion, we would always choose Sri Panwa first, when coming back to Phuket.  25.) Price Paid for the Value & Benefits Received = 5 Stars :) Hands down, YOLO (You Only Live Once) don’t stay any other way! I/We paid around $2800US for a 5 night stay in an amazing Ocean View Private Pool Villa.  This concludes our review of the Sri Panwa. Thank you for taking the time to read our lengthy and detailed information, that should have motivated you to Book a stay at this property, and feel confident, that you are making a well informed and correct decision. The Sri Panwa is an amazing Product, a once in a lifetime experience, with beautiful and wonderful People, that carry out a classy, professional, friendly, considerate, and Higher Standard of Service. Remember each experience is different and things happen. It is highly unlikely to view anything negative about the Sri Panwa, and in our opinion, and after such an extensive evaluation of the property, any negative review that is of negative content, would be out of the ordinary and a case of bad luck and Karma.  Thank you again, Mr. Wan & Family. We look forward to our return to your Sri Panwa and seeing all the same friendly and smiling faces, that we saw on our June 2017 vacation with you. Until then, many blessings to all :)  Your the Best, Jonathon Benedict

Stayed at this hotel a week ago for 3 nights and it was amazing! I was staying in LV17 (The room that you see in all the ads with the tree). I'm going to review this hotel in several areas: Location, Guest Room, and Hotel Amenities & Staff Location: The hotel is about a 45 - 60 minute drive from HKT (Phuket Airport) depending on traffic. It's about 20 minutes from Phuket City and about 45 minutes from Patong Beach. If you are staying at this hotel, there is a very slim chance that you'll even leave the property...more on this later. Guest Room: I'll let you choose the adjective you prefer... "WOW!" "AMAZING!" "UNBELIEVABLE" "STUNNING" We staying in Luxury Villa 17. The Unit had a living room, 1 bedroom, full kitchen, walk in closet, bathroom with 2 sinks, shower/steam room, two person hot tub outside, an outdoor covered lounge area, Bose speakers throughout the whole unit and outside, and it even comes with an iPod full of music (in case you didn't bring your own). Oh...it also has an awesome pool!! Hotel Amenities: So the property is huge! Aside from the pool in the unit, there's also several other pools available to guests (3 others if i remember correctly). There are tuk-tuk's available to drive you around the property (free of course). The gym has tennis courts, a boxing ring, a yoga studio, and traditional gym equipment. The beach has paddle boards, kayaks, and other equipment you can rent (for free). There are numerous restaurants on site as well. We ate at Baba Soul (Thai food), Baba Chino (Chinese), Baba iki (Japanese), and Baba Poolclub (everything from pasta to burgers). There are a couple others we didn't get to try. The food was great! Baba iki was our favorite. The sushi was fantastic! While we went to the restaurants for dinner/lunch, you can have them deliver the food to your unit if you don't feel like leaving. The pricing of the food was obviously higher than the street food we ate in Bangkok, but essentially on par with the price I pay for food at home. The spa on site was great as well. It's very beautiful and we got a great massage. Staff on site is super friendly. They made me feel like I was the only person on site...and sometimes you really do feel like you're alone on the property. Overall, I would stay at this hotel over and over again. I've added a few pictures to this post. If you are on the fence with this property... Just book it now and thank me later.