Aquamarine Resort & Villa

The Aquamarine Resort & Villa sits perched on a hillside, and to access it guests must make their way up a steep driveway divided down the middle by a bush-lined staircase. Golf carts make the short but potentially grueling trip to the reception a bit easier. The lobby is a semi-open space covered with a red roof supported by large round columns painted black and adorned in a traditional motif of gold-leaf geometric and floral designs. Low wooden benches and cushioned booth areas provide a place for guests to hang out and take advantage of Wi-Fi, not available elsewhere in the hotel. The overall ambience is relaxed and though there's plenty for family vacationers, there's also a romantic vibe, owing largely to the gorgeous sea and hillside views found throughout the expansive property. 

The Aquamarine Resort & Villa is located on a hilltop overlooking the sea, a 20-minute walk west of the main strip of Kamala Beach and within a few minutes' walk of restaurants and other hotels. Phuket Fantasea is a 10-minute drive away, while getting to Patong Beach takes closer to 20 minutes. Both Patong and Kamala Beach can be accessed via the hotel's free shuttle, which runs at fixed times throughout the day. The Phuket International Airport is a 45-minute drive away.

The Aquamarine has 186 Deluxe Rooms and 16 Thai Villas in total, many with sea views. Rooms vary a bit in terms of color scheme, although the decor is fairly consistent in terms of style, featuring low-to-the-floor beds and a mixture of traditional Thai-inspired geometric patterns contrasted with soft round lights and billowing off-white curtains. All come with free wired Internet.

Regular Deluxe Rooms are on the ground floor, while their pricier Deluxe Sea View counterparts are on higher floors. All rooms come with air-conditioning, mini-fridges, safes, and patios or balconies. Bathrooms are elegant, with shower-tub combos and marble or tile walls and floors, and come with slippers, bathrobes, and hairdryers. Although mini bottles of lotion are provided, shampoo and conditioner are presented in wall-mounted dispensers, which detracts from the otherwise elegant ambience in the spaces. 

Villas come in Garden View and Sea View varieties, the latter of which also have whirlpool hot tubs. Both have separate walk-in showers and tea- and coffee-making facilities along with all the perks found in the Deluxe Rooms. 

The resort has three outdoor pools (a lap pool, a free-form pool, and a children's pool) along with an outdoor whirlpool hot tub for guest use. The pool area is surrounded by a large tiled patio complete with black wicker lounge chairs and red parasols for sun cover. The free-form pool is particularly lovely and looks out on the surrounding hillsides and out onto the sea. It also has its own swim-up bar complete with semi-submerged barstools. 

Other on-site facilities include laundry service, a gift shop selling souvenirs and sundries, and a fitness center with cardio and weight-training equipment. The resort also offers a number of uniquely Thai experiences, including ever-popular Thai cooking classes, batik painting workshops, and even fruit and vegetable carving instruction. The on-site Lotus Spa offers massages, facials, and body treatments along with mani-pedis and herbal baths. There's also a single hall big enough for 178 guests that can be rented out for weddings and conferences and split down the middle for smaller events. Wi-Fi is only available in the lobby, for a fee. 

There are two restaurants and two lounge bars at the Aquamarine Resort. The Blue Sea Cafe is open for breakfast (served buffet style and included in most room rates), lunch, and dinner. A dinner buffet features a mix of Thai and international food and there's a pasta cook on-site for made-to-order dishes. The slightly more upscale Leelawadee Thai Restaurant is only open at dinner and serves a la carte Thai cuisine along with seafood items. The hotel's two bars both serve a mix of cocktails, beer, wine, and non-alcoholic drinks along with snacks. The Swim-up Bar is convenient for poolside (or in-pool) drinks, while the Horizon Lounge in the lobby has a larger selection that includes light meals.