Holiday Inn Resort Phuket Mai Khao Beach: A superb family resort

I am pinching myself. Wait, I’m in Phuket with my two toddlers, yet I’m by the pool bar with my husband. Just the two of us, with cocktail in hand and sanity in place. How.is.this.possible?

Kids clubs are the saving grace for parents with young children on holiday. Yes, as enjoyable and fun holidays can be with toddlers, it’s always nice to have someone else entertain them for a bit while you have a sweet cocktail and an adult conversation. Just one of the many perks of this great family resort in Phuket.

mai khao holiday with kids club 1 - Happy Go KL

The most wonderful welcome

We arrived at the Holiday Inn Mai Khao (see prices here) earlier than the standard check-in time, due to our flight timing. The front desk lady allowed us to check in almost two hours earlier and joyfully spoke about the many kids activities in the Kids Club, the restaurants where kids eat for free, movie night (more on that below) and more.

They gave each of my kids a fun little booklet with some colouring pages, stickers and activities which they loved and used when we waited for our food order.

The Holiday Inn Mai Khao is conveniently located, only a twenty minute drive from Phuket Airport. How great is that!

A couple of minutes walk from your room (grab a beach mat from the resort en route) takes you to the tranquil Mai Khao beach, one of the quieter Phuket beaches. A beach hut (not resort related) sits just by the beach, where adults can enjoy a massage for a fee.

mai khao holiday inn 1 - Happy Go KL
mai khao beach thailand 1 - Happy Go KL

Games & activities

Tonnes of it every day and night. Just outside our room, were huge Lego-like blocks on the lawn, a dart board and a life-size chess board and pieces. Just a short walk from our room was a trampoline in the garden! Not to mention the lovely pool on the hotel grounds and of course the kids’ club.

mai khao holiday inn kids 1 - Happy Go KL

Ask the staff about movie night. That’s when they play a kids movie on the huge lawn, with free chocolate laced popcorn for the kids to nibble on. We caught the charming Peter Rabbit movie. Don’t forget the mozzie repellant, as movie night start at 7pm.

mai khao kids club 1 - Happy Go KL

Tip: If you’re a small family like us, head to the souvenir shop where you can also enjoy movie night on a smaller scale with just your family in an air-conditioned space. Good to enjoy after dinner.

Rooms at Holiday Inn Mai Khao

We stayed in a Deluxe Room which was fairly spacious and opened straight out nearby the pool area. They have various rooms which will make for great family stay, which include the Family Suite Pool Access – kids have their own special-themed room to themselves, bean bags, a PS4 and 24-hour access to the pool just off the patio.

holiday inn khao mai rooms 1 - Happy Go KL

Photo credit: Holiday Inn Mai Khao

Food at Holiday Inn Mai Khao

The breakfast buffet at the resort was up to standard and it’s the first time I’ve seen a breakfast buffet counter just for kids. My kids enjoyed seeing a buffet line (at their eye-level!) filled with sandwiches, mini muffins, bite-sized waffles and pancakes, Nutella spread, cereal and more!

For lunch we opted to eat in the resort. There are two restaurants and the food was reasonable, though somewhat pricey.

For dinner, walk out from the hotel, turn left and you will see a cluster of open-air eateries. The place is airy, high chairs are widely available and spice levels can be modified. What to eat? Order the prawn fried rice, grilled squid and a bowl of spicy tom yam soup (if you can handle it!) and you will be in Thai food heaven.

For a break from the beach

There is a shuttle service for a fee, which runs to Central Festival Mall Phuket. The journey takes about an hour to and fro. It’s a typical mall setting with an indoor play area for kids.

Tip: head to the food court, so clean and the food so delicious. We had not one but TWO plates of the decadent mango sticky rice dessert here.

We’re off to the beach one more time and as we walk past the pool bar my husband and I hold hands gratefully. We had some great time together amidst the beautiful chaos we call our children.

——

This resort is ONLY for you if you like the quiet and peaceful side of Phuket. It is removed from most major attractions. I would say it’s suitable for families with young kids looking for a kid-friendly Phuket hotel. There is also a Holiday Inn Resort Phuket located in the heart of (bustling) Patong.

You may also want to check out our post about Khao Lak, a quieter resort town an easy drive from Phuket.

Check the latest prices here – by booking through our links we get a small commission at no extra cost for you, thank you!

Sign up for our newsletter

Receive an email newsletter every two weeks (or so) to get the best tips on what to do with kids in KL, best travel stories and much more!

I agree to have my personal information transfered to MailChimp ( more information )

We will never give away, trade or sell your email address. You can unsubscribe at any time.

What do you think? Please leave a comment!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Follow us

Happy Go KL is all about having fun with kids in Kuala Lumpur!

This is where you find the latest activities, events and more.

And when it’s time to plan the next family holiday, we’ve got you covered with reviews of destinations and hotels. 100% written by parents!

Follow us on Facebook

You might also enjoy

Happy Go KL radio

Get your FREE guide!

Download your FREE  neighborhood guide !

Join our Facebook group

Stuff like this in your inbox!

More interesting posts for you :