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Published on March 22, 2008

Surprising as it may seem, not everyone travelling to Phuket's main tourist area of Patong wants to stay right by the beach. That's good news for the new Millennium Resort, which has been enjoying a high occupancy rate since it opened a couple of months ago.

The Millennium Resort Patong is actually two hotels tucked away within the large shopping and entertainment complex called Jungceylon - on Rat U-thit Road at the busy intersection with Bangla Street and within relatively easy walking distance of the beach.

Fabien Linsay, the resort's general manager, says he first wondered why holidaymakers were opting for the resort rather than hotels with views of sand and sea. He quickly understood that they wanted all the comforts of a big-city hotel for their beach holiday. That meant being close to such amenities as cinemas, a department store, a bowling alley and lots of restaurants. Also on the doorstep is Bangla Street's nightlife and the convenience of Carrefour, the big hypermarket in Jungceylon.

The two hotels in this low-rise resort are known as the Lakeside and the Beachside. Both are misnomers - there is neither lake nor beach in sight.

I checked into the Lakeside, which opened its 224 rooms to guests in December, just a few days before the Beachside and its 197 rooms.

Each hotel has its own swimming pool. The Lakeside offers the Escentika Spa and a sizeable gymnasium, plus the Bistro and a bar on the ground floor, and banqueting facilities on the first floor. The Beachside features Straits Dining, Bar 8 Degree and is also home to the main lobby lounge.

Both are immaculate and the ambience is best described as refined, offering an exclusive enclave that's a welcome escape from the madness of Patong. Part of this is due to the sumptuous yet elegant decor designed by Thai company P49.

The Superior rooms at the Lakeside are quite spacious, and some come with balconies overlooking the swimming pool and gym. There are also Cabana-style guestrooms on the fourth floor with direct pool access.

Open air corridors link the guestrooms - meaning no one need worry about dripping water or shedding sand when returning from a trip to pool or beach.

Each room has all the standard amenities including mini fridge, safe, television and stereo, telephone, hi-speed Internet access (you pay per hour), iron and ironing board, coffee /tea making facilities and hair dryer.

A 24-hour kiosk downstairs sells basic drinks and snacks, or guests may prefer to pop into Carrefour or one of the other stores nearby and stock up on their own emergency provisions.

Another good idea is having a washbasin in kitchenette near the living area. It seems rooms are designed to cater to Patong's long-staying guests also.

Vipasai Niyamabha

Special To The Nation