Swiss Palm Beach

Set in northern Patong, the Swiss Palm Beach hotel is removed from the hustle and bustle, and upon entering it looks like a makeshift beach club, with colorful paper lanterns hanging from the trees. The open-air reception building is sunny and welcoming, with tourist T-shirts and postcards for sale beside the front desk. Comfortable woven chairs with colorful pillows are arranged near low-lying bookshelves, and the ceiling fans and stone floors lend an easygoing earthiness to the space. Outside, the pool is squeezed in between decades-old buildings with clay-tile roofs, surrounded by leafy trees, flowering bushes, and skinny palms that give off a pleasantly wild vibe. Guests can relax on plastic sun loungers shaded by white umbrellas, and settle in with drinks at the charming swim-up bar with red-tile roof. The property tends to attract families and groups for its self-catering accommodations and low-key sensibility, which couldn't possibly be further from the cookie-cutter-all-inclusive. 

The Swiss Palm Beach, while somewhat removed from the central action in Patong, is still surrounded by other resorts and restaurants -- including an Indian restaurant and a pizza place a few minutes' walk east. Patong Beach is a few minutes' walk west, and Karon Beach in about a 20-minute drive away. The Bangla Road nightlife scene is within a 15-minute walk, and guests will find shops and a grocery store at Jungceylon, about 20-minute walk from the hotel. The property is a 45-minute drive from Phuket International Airport, and a half-hour drive from Old Town Phuket. 

There are one- and two-bedroom apartments available, as well as one three-bedroom apartment, and suites. All have cream-colored walls with dark-wood trim and furnishings, and beige tile floors. Traditional Thai artwork and tapestries, woven chairs, and brightly colored bed runners lend a homey ambience. Some of the decor, however, feels a bit dated, particularly in the bathrooms and kitchenettes, although Deluxe and Superior Apartments have been updated. Standard apartments have balconies, flat-screen TVs with cable channels, safes, and bathrooms with showers; the kitchenettes have small refrigerators, sinks, two-burner stovetops, toasters, dishes, and cutlery. One-bedroom Suites open onto a shared terrace, and have living rooms with sofa beds and flat-screen TVs, and small kitchen corners with two-burner stovetops, metal sinks, toasters, and tea kettles; bathrooms have walk-in showers. Rooms at the back of the property are the quietest. 

The hotel's pool has a small swim-up bar, and the on-site restaurant, Le Gong, serves hefty portions of Thai and Western cuisine for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Massage services are also available. The hotel can arrange for motorbike and car rentals, book tee times at nearby golf courses, and arrange for airport transfers. Wi-Fi is free throughout the property.