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Looking for a Phuket resort that combines beachfront relaxation with easy access to restaurants, shops, and local charm? Beyond Kata Resort might be the perfect base for your stay in Phuket.
We spent 7 nights here during our Thailand trip, celebrating our 15th wedding anniversary and enjoying some much-needed downtime. This oceanfront resort sits right on the beautiful sands of Kata Beach — one of Phuket’s most picturesque coastlines — and offers the perfect mix of relaxation and convenience.
Here’s our honest Beyond Kata Resort review: what we loved, what could be better, and who we think this hotel is best suited for.
Beyond Kata Resort, Kata Beach
Quick Summary: Do We Recommend it?
YES! In case you’re in a hurry, because we get it, time is limited, and you want the answer now. In short, we enjoyed our stay at Beyond Kata Resort. The resort is well-maintained and comfortable, with fantastic staff who are helpful and friendly.
The location right on Kata Beach is great; however, if you are planning to do a lot of day trips and activities in central Phuket or elsewhere on the island as part of your Phuket itinerary, it does require a bit of travel time. For example, it’s around 90 minutes from the airport or 45 minutes from Phuket Old Town.
Despite this, we would be happy to stay here again!
Location: Right on Kata Beach
You really can’t beat the location. The resort is literally steps from the sand, so you can go from your room to the beach in under a minute. It’s also surrounded by restaurants, bars, massage parlours, and convenience stores — all within walking distance, literally right across the road.
Kata Beach itself has a more laid-back vibe compared to Patong, making it ideal for couples or families wanting a relaxing holiday without being too remote.
But let’s talk about location in the greater Phuket context. Phuket is a large island. That’s something you need to consider when planning your itinerary. If you’re only staying in Phuket for 2 to 3 nights, maybe you want to stay somewhere a little more central.
Kata Beach is on the West Coast of Phuket. A 1.5km stretch of beautiful coastline. But it’s around a 90-minute drive from the airport, depending on traffic. If you’re looking for airport transfers, check out Welcome Pickups.
That means most of your day trips are going to be around 40-60 minutes away, such as doing a Phi Phi Islands day trip or heading into the old town.
But if you’re staying for 5 days or more, Kata Beach is absolutely the perfect base for your trip to be in a quieter area, with a stunning beach and everything you need nearby. That way, you won’t mind doing a couple of day trips elsewhere in Phuket.
The Room: Superior Room with a Balcony
We stayed in a Superior Room, which came with a small balcony overlooking the resort grounds with a beach view in the distance. The room was spacious, clean, and comfortable, with a king-sized bed, modern bathroom, and all the essentials — fridge, safe, and daily bottled water.
The décor is simple and a little dated in parts, but well-maintained. The standout feature for us was the cool lighting. They had these subtle lights around the base of the bed that were perfect when you don’t want the bright overhead lights on.
The other standout was the little touches that made the stay easier. There were pool/beach towels provided and swapped daily, umbrellas, flip flops and a beach bag for use during your stay.
There is a coffee pod machine and instant coffee or teabags, and they provide 4 bottles of water each day in glass bottles and replace them during the room cleaning.
They did daily room cleans, including clean sheets and fresh towels.
Tip: If you want your own private pool, there are ground-level rooms with mini plunge pools.
Breakfast & Dining
We booked our stay with an all-inclusive package via Luxury Escapes, which included 3 meals a day at the Atrium Restaurant, which is the main restaurant inside the main building. It also included unlimited drinks off the limited package menu.
Most stays do include breakfast. The breakfast buffet had a great variety — from Thai dishes and noodles to made-to-order omelettes, pastries, and fresh tropical fruit. It was a good mix of traditional Thai food and Western food.
The Atrium also has an a la carte menu for lunch and dinner, with a smaller buffet for some dining sessions.
There is also a second on-site restaurant, the Beach Restaurant, which overlooks the ocean and offers a beautiful spot for sunset drinks or a casual dinner. Prices are slightly higher than nearby eateries, but you’re paying for the view.
Is An All-Inclusive Package Worth It?
If you do get the all-inclusive package, we found this to be great value. There is a set menu for a la carte meals and drinks that you can choose from.
The package includes a daily breakfast buffet, lunch and dinner, at The Atrium restaurant.
You can choose two dishes from the lunch menu or three from the dinner menu each day.
The included drinks include soft drinks, beer, wine and a collection of cocktails. We were more than happy with the cocktail selection in the package, which included favourites like the mojito, mai tai, margarita, and a Singapore Sling.
It also came with a 30-minute Thai massage voucher for each adult guest for use at the on-site day spa. Simon didn’t use his, so I got to go twice!
Facilities & Amenities
- Beachfront pool with a swim-up bar and plenty of pool lounges
- On-site spa offering Thai massages and beauty treatments
- Fitness centre with basic gym equipment
- Tour desk for booking island day trips
- Two restaurants offering different menus and prices
- Beachfront location
- Kids’ playroom with play equipment for younger children
- Daily activities and a kids’ program
We found the resort facilities to be really good. It had everything we needed for our length of stay. I used the day spa twice, and Simon used the gym twice.
We ate at The Atrium restaurant more than half of our meals, as part of our all-inclusive package, and the food was good.
While there are a lot of pool lounges around the pool area, more than a lot of resorts have, they still fill up quickly, so head down to the pool early if you plan a day of lazing about!
Towels for the beach and pool are provided in your room, which makes things easy. The beach area directly in front of the hotel is clean and great for swimming, especially during calm conditions.
Their daily activities schedule includes things like make and take or cooking classes for kids, and aqua aerobics in the pool.
What you will find on the beachfront is that there are beach chairs all along the beach. These aren’t owned by the resort, so they cost 200 baht to hire for a day. There are also a few restaurants just up the beach.
There is also a tour desk and ATM in the foyer, and a baggage holding service if you arrive too early for check-in or fly out later in the day. They will tag your bag and give you a number to retrieve your bag from the concierge
Service & Staff
Staff were friendly and accommodating throughout our stay. Check-in was smooth, and we were welcomed with drinks, a refreshing towel and a smile. Housekeeping was efficient, and requests were handled quickly.
While not everyone speaks fluent English, communication was never an issue, and everyone was so friendly.
Value for Money
For a beachfront resort in such a prime location, Beyond Kata offers excellent value. It’s nice enough to be considered a luxury resort, delivering on comfort, convenience, and unbeatable beach access at a reasonable price point.
What Is Nearby?
You will find almost everything you need right near the resort. Directly across the road is a 7 Eleven and other convenience stores, a pharmacy (thankfully because Simon got sick) and restaurants.
There are also currency exchange booths everywhere, and the Kata Walking Market is about a 2-minute walk with loads of street food vendors, live entertainment some nights and souvenirs.
Next door is a bar with a surfing simulator. There are also plenty of other bars and restaurants within walking distance, and lots of places to shop.
What We Didn’t Like About Beyond Kata Resort
Let’s be honest, no accommodation is perfect and while we found very little to have an issue with, in the effort to be as transparent as possible, here’s what we liked less:
The distance from major Phuket attractions and the airport did mean spending longer in transit, which wouldn’t be ideal for a short stay, but anything over 5 nights, it’s not a bother at all.
The swim-up bar isn’t always attended quickly, so you might be quicker to get out of the pool and head to the front of the bar, but when they do spot you, they are always quick to get the drinks out to you and make a bit more effort to come back.
Stray cats… okay, this one didn’t really bother us. There were random cats everywhere in Phuket, and while they were stray, they weren’t feral as such. Staff didn’t even seem to mind them, so I wonder if they actually do feed them. We are cat people, so we thought they were cute.
Our Overall Impression
Beyond Kata Resort was exactly what we needed — a peaceful beachfront stay with everything within walking distance. It’s ideal for couples, small families, or anyone who wants to relax by the sea without being far from restaurants and attractions.
Would we stay again? Yes, absolutely. It’s one of those places where you can easily slip into holiday mode from the moment you arrive. Make sure you book your airport transfers ahead of your stay.
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