Cassia Phuket
You can always trust my opinion when it comes to lodging options. I’ve stayed at a wide variety of places while traveling from $4 hostels to 5 diamond all inclusive resorts, airstreams, converted school buses, and tiny houses! I know a nice place when I see one and Cassia Phuket Bangtao is definitely the nicest hotel I stayed at during my trip to Phuket, Thailand in December 2021.
Why did I choose Cassia Phuket?
When I first saw Cassia Phuket on Agoda.com, what caught my eye the most was the fact that the hotel was on a lake and their pool area was different from the other hundreds of hotels I looked at while researching my Thailand adventure. I can’t swim, but I love a good pool moment, especially when it’s hot outside and Thailand is HOT. The next thing I noticed about Cassia Phuket was that all of the rooms are apartments that come with a balcony. I’m not sure why, but I really love a good balcony and anything that gives me access to a view of some sort. The last and most important thing that grabbed my attention about Cassia was that the rooms were modern, bright, and overall just had a good vibe to it. Their actual website is super bright, eye-catching, and colorful. I could tell that Cassia Phuket promotes a fun, active, and engaging hospitality experience for their guests.
Location- Bangtao Beach
Cassia Phuket is located in the Bangtao beach area of Phuket with surrounding residential vacation homes, villas, apartments and condos. Bangtao beach itself is quite stunning and Cassia Phuket has a private beach area just for its guests. If you walk down the street from the hotel there are many shops and lots of options for massages, food, drinks and shopping. Boat Avenue would be the place you want to head down to but if not, the beach has plenty of bars and restaurants for you to choose from. Make sure you check out Bangtao beach when you visit Phuket.
Facilities and Amenities
I’m being really honest when I make this next statement. Cassia Phuket has everything you need for a long vacation or workcation. Between the apartment and all of the amenities I am about to list below, you probably don’t actually need to leave the property, unless you really want to.
Amenities:
-Restaurant & Bar
-3 Pools (that connect and go through the hotel)
-24/7 Minimart & Bakery
-Co-working Space
- Indoor Fitness Center
- Outdoor Gym
-Arcade Games, Pool Tables, Foosball Tables
-Transportation (TukTuk, Electric Scooters, Jetty boat)
-24hr Room service
-Children’s playroom
-Private Beach
My Opinion on the Amenities
Food: I want to start with the food because I like to eat. Breakfast was included with our stay and Cassia has a very large variety of food items to choose from, an automatic espresso/cappuccino/latte/coffee maker, juices, tea and condiments for the full breakfast experience. The restaurant itself serves high quality food as well. I recommend the nachos, they were really good. Cassia has a 24hr mini mart with a bakery onsite in case you want to buy baked goods, salads, sandwiches, wraps or cold pressed juices. You can also purchase food to cook in your own kitchen if you want to be low key. Room service is 24hrs and is delivered through a secret compartment door in the apartment for contactless delivery (See Example here). On Wednesday nights at Vista restaurant they offer an affordable Ping Yang Shabu dining experience which includes live music and a fire show (See video here). I had the full dining experience at Cassia Phuket and it was good!
Pools: You’ll never be crowded at the pool because they have three that you can choose from with plenty of chairs and daybeds. One interesting fact about this property is that the three pools are connected and run through the entire hotel. All of the pools have a beautiful view of the lake but my favorite was of course the infinity pool.
Fitness Center: My room happened to be on the same floor as the gym so I went to check it out. It wasn’t huge but it has everything you need to get your sweat on and stay in shape while enjoying the lake and beach view. If indoor workouts aren't for you, they also have an outdoor gym with, you guessed it, a lake view.
Co-working Space & Games: On the other side of the restaurant there is a large area with various seating options for anyone who needs to get some work done. I would also like to point out how the WIFI at Cassia is great and perfect for getting work done if you are a digital nomad. When you need a break from work, there are several foosball tables, pool tables and arcade games to keep you entertained.
Transportation: You can walk to other places from the hotel but it's hot in Thailand so it’s better to get a ride. Cassia Phuket also offers transportation options like a TukTuk and electric scooters. Honestly, this is the only place I have been in Thailand where I have seen e-scooters and it made me feel like I was back in Austin again.
Cassia Phuket sits on a lake and Bangtao beach on the other side of the lake. If you want to go to the beach you can catch the Jetty boat to the other side of the lake and check out the private beach which I will tell you about soon.
Private Beach: I will admit, I didn’t realize Cassia Phuket had a private beach until I arrived so needless to say I was quite impressed. When you get off the jetty you walk a few steps and then you are in a shaded beach area on Bangtao Beach. There are a good number of beach chairs available all with umbrellas. If you want to get a massage or your hair braided there are a few ladies in a set up outdoor spa ready to help you. Thirsty or need a snack? No problem because there is a stand selling food and drinks for purchase there too. Like I said before, they have everything you need for a good hospitality experience.
My Room- 1br Loft Water View
Remember when I said I was getting good vibes from this place. Well, when I entered my apartment I felt really good energy in the room for some reason. The apartment was very bright and well decorated. I can tell whoever designed the space was very thoughtful in the process and I liked that the design was innovative and unique in several ways that I will explain in a moment.
Here is a general list of what you will find in this type of apartment.
Living Room
Functional Kitchen (with cookware and dishes/silverware)
Cozy bed
Closet and safe
Vanity Area
Rainfall Shower
Extra Loft Area
Plenty of wall outlets
2 Pair of Flip Flops
1 Beach Bag
Beautiful sunset, lagoon, and ocean views
Unique Room Features: Let’s start with when you enter the room. The door has a smart lock that will alert you if the door is not closed all of the way and will automatically close the door if you don’t respond to the alert. Very cool. To the left of the door and refrigerator there is a pull out trash can compartment. That may not sound cool to you initially but there's actually a door on the other side that the staff uses to empty your trash daily without having to enter your room. That is the cool part. The last unique feature of the room that I will mention is the magic room service door. While snooping around the apartment I opened the latched door thinking it was just an empty storage cupboard. Nope, that's the magic door that your room service is delivered in. I love no contact delivery!
What types of Travelers come to Cassia
I always take note of the types of people who come to hotels, hostels, and resorts. You can tell a lot about an establishment by the types of people who frequent it. Upon hanging out in the reception area it was easy to see that people came often and planned to stay for a while. Many travelers had several suitcases with them, almost like they were planning to move into the place. I noticed solo travelers, couples, and families. Cassia Phuket is a great place for any type of traveler.
Pricing
Cassia Phuket offers one bedroom and two bedroom apartments at their property. Price will depend on the type of room you select but from my online research, the prices for this property are around $50-$100 per night. Always remember that price varies by season, day of the week, the type of room you book and length of stay. I recommend using their website to book as I have noticed that they have the best price compared to regular hotel websites.
The Hospitality Experience
Overall, the hospitality experience here was amazing. Every time I walked past the reception desk I was greeted. Anytime I passed a staff member in the hallway, I was greeted. The staff at the restaurant and bar provided great services and always asked how my experience was upon departure. Everyone I encountered was more than willing to help with anything I needed with that wonderful Thai hospitality. I highly recommend my travel gang check out Cassia Phuket during their next Thailand adventure.
*This blog was written in collaboration with Cassia Phuket and The Travel Taurus. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*
