This is what it's like to live inside Phuket's bubble, the Marriott Merlin Beach resort is a little eden
Normally I never write a hotel review while I am still within the walls of the room, I wait to return [...]
HKT
Thailand
Marriott
Normally, I never write a hotel review while I am still within the walls of the room, I wait until I get back to the office and metabolize the memories, flip through the notes and photos. And then I start writing the story.
In this article:
Sometimes a review is thus published weeks after the actual visit. But this is not the case with the Marriott Merlin Beach Phuket, on this occasion I wrote it hot and I have published before you even checked out.
I came to the island in southern Thailand because it is the only destination open to tourists thanks to the protocol called Sandbox. One reads all kinds of comments online about the strategy adopted by the Bangkok government to try to restart. Sure, there is a lot of bureaucracy and there are quite a few buffers, but everything is set up perfectly, and, accounts in hand, it has never been cheaper to vacation around here.
Throughout Thailand you can sleep for 4€ a night in 3-star hotels with a clean, air-conditioned room or you can stay in super-luxurious facilities from over 1,000€ a night. The Marriot Merlin is closer to the second option, and in the former world the average price of a basic room was never less than 200€ a night, with peaks in high season of nearly 800€. Now the price has plummeted to less than 100€, including breakfast.
Of all the efforts made to obtain the COE, I wrote in the past weeks., there is then the arrival in Thailand and all the procedures related to the program Sandbox that I described, I hope clearly, in an article just yesterday. In this article, I will devote myself to telling about this resort, a real piece of paradise that after only 48h made me forget about the pandemic and all the trips I didn't do in these 18 months.
Reservation
This facility is a category 5, so it is possible to stay using 30 to 35k points per night, given the prices at this time I preferred to pay about 90€ per night and take advantage of the "Phuket Sandbox Beach Getaway" promotion, which, in addition to breakfast, also includes a 1000 thb (about 25€) credit to spend at the facility.
The location
The resort is located in the most southwestern part of the island about an hour's cab ride from the international airport and a 5-minute scooter or tuk tuk ride from Patong Beach, the beating heart of the island's nightlife (of course, in the "former world," at the moment, as in Italy, discos are closed and after 9 a.m. no alcohol can be sold).
With over 400 rooms, 3 swimming pools, more than 10 restaurants and bars, it is possible to live in this resort without having to worry about what is happening outside. When I chose to fly to Thailand, I did so precisely to tell how the sandbox works and what it is like to vacation (finally) so far from Italy. Because, despite the increase in cases, Thailand is one of the few destinations allowed for nonessential travel (at least at the time of writing this article) for us Italian residents.
Covid check-in and procedures
Upon arrival at the airport, there was a hotel attendant who was responsible for intercepting all arriving guests and transferring them in a car to the hotel, as per the Sandbox program.
In my case I got a Mercedes SUV even though I had opted for a very normal Toyota when booking. Basically upgraded even before arriving at the hotel.
Upon arrival I was checked for the documents required by the sandbox program and for the first time my QR code was scanned, a code that you need to have scanned once a day. It is also necessary to use the app when going to restaurants or other SHA+-certified activities, a way to check in when needed.
Of the quadruple upgrade I received I will write a separate article, here I will just say how in these latitudes of the world to have elite status in hotel chains. can make the vacation even more memorable.
The room
My room is on the ground floor of one of the buildings that make up the resort and from the private terrace it also allows me to dive directly into the pool, which is really not bad.
The room has everything you would expect from a hotel in this category: it is spacious, with a king-size bed and a topper that would drive Bruno Barbieri crazy.
Big screen, great for watching the Olympics and rejoicing in tricolor medals.
An equally huge bathroom with "double" shower and tub and panoramic glass window overlooking the room and pool. Very rich courtesy amenities: soaps, creams and every other product from needle and thread to a nail care kit.
The only flaw is that the rooms are not very soundproof, or perhaps the bells in the rooms next to mine were too loud.
The structure
Having the room on the ground floor makes it possible to reach the main common areas such as restaurants, swimming pools, or the beach without having to walk a long way.
You would almost need a map to get around the facility, especially to locate all the restaurants and bars scattered in every corner.
The ability to dive right off the terrace is one of those things that might not justify the cost difference when booking, but once you try it, it's hard to go back.
The other two swimming pools are one dedicated primarily to families and children, with a small water park attached, and one designed for a more adult audience: it has a submerged bar in the middle, so you can enjoy a cocktail without even having to go to the trouble of getting out of the water.
Of course, the resort faces the sea, indeed it is in a cove between Freedom and Paradise Beach, the two most famous beaches in the area, is completely for the use of resort guests.
Then there are hot tubs, relaxation areas, and plenty of other mini locations where you can relax, have a cocktail at sunset, or just soak up the sun.
The entire facility is excellently covered by the wi-fi signal, which is free for all guests. I must say that the speed is more like a Milanese convention center than an island where you would have to come to disconnect.
The resort for families
Having a 7-year-old daughter I very carefully evaluate the offer for families, this resort is perfectly capable of accommodating children.
The kids club operates daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., but hours can be extended if desired.
All pools are at a safe height, and the area designed for families houses a slide, a protected area for toddlers, and a small water park where they can play safely.
There are also games and activities scattered throughout the resort. Ping pong tables and beach playground included. Not forgetting the classic resort offerings.
The resort for couples
From the spa to the pools, from the many restaurants to the sea-view swing where you can watch the sunset. This is definitely a perfect location for couples.
The proximity to Patong makes it possible to move around by scooter in a few minutes and live in the midst of the nightlife (when it returns) or still by scooter reach isolated beaches and enjoy a day of silence and peace.
The lazy ones can stay by the pool, enjoy a cocktail and dine at one of the many restaurants without having to leave this little eden.
Perhaps not the place for those who want to experience the night and the excesses of old Patong, the road to and from the resort is a 5-minute scooter ride, but it is not exactly a straight or even flat road.
The gastronomic proposal
There really is an embarrassment of riches, from breakfast, which, with the good old poolside buffet, offers every kind of product and choice possible.
One can create one's own salad, or go for the classic eggs cooked in every way. Then there is, of course, the sweet island with waffles and pancakes freshly prepared.
But there is also a range of Asian cuisine on offer with the possibility of savoring flavors and dishes that are not part of the classic Mediterranean tradition. Lots of staff ready to sanitize stations, take orders and help guests.
From lunch to dinner, like a resort, there are so many choices available. There is the grill on the beach where you can eat freshly caught fish, there is the chiringuito overlooking the sea where you can enjoy a cocktail while watching the sunset.
Then there are a number of themed restaurants and bars scattered around the resort; a week is not enough time to try them all.
The activities
Although the facility does not travel with the engine running at 100%, the list of activities is very long. From early morning yoga to visiting the butterfly paradise.
There is the gym, the SPA , there are lots of appointments that are advertised on the interactive TV and in the screens and blackboards scattered around the resort.
The bubble
The island, the entire island of Phuket, is actually open only and only to international tourists via sandbox. One can do anything one wants on the island except leave it before spending 14 days in the bubble. If you want, as in my case, you can stay even less than 14 days and still leave Thailand from Phuket Airport (HKT).
Restaurants and attractions are open, excursions of all kinds can be taken as they were before the pandemic.
Of course, there are far fewer people around, we are also in a low season, and nightlife is nonexistent. For everything else, it is Thailand that has made millions of tourists from all over the world fall in love with it.
In conclusion
Of course August is not the best time to come to Phuket, but this does not mean that one cannot still relax and enjoy a wonderful vacation. The Marriott Merlin Resort is definitely a facility suited to the 90% of tourists and able to meet the needs of all types of vacationers. Moreover, until tourism returns to pre-pandemic levels it will be possible to stay at this, and similar facilities, for much less than what they cost in the world before.
Pro
- The structure
- The rooms with direct access to the pool
- The culinary offerings
Against
- The road with Patong is a roller coaster
- Soundproofing of the rooms is not perfect