Ananta Thai Pool Villas Resort Phuket

A small resort in Rawai, built around villas rather than a conventional hotel corridor. Ananta Thai Pool Villas Resort Phuket suits you if the useful parts of a stay matter more than a grand lobby: somewhere to sleep, cool down, eat, organise the next day and get on with Phuket at your own pace.

The mood is straightforward and easy-going. There is a garden, outdoor furniture, a swimming pool and a separate massage service, so your return from the water need not end with a sprint straight to the room. English is spoken by the hotel team, which makes the practical conversations easier, from arranging a transfer to asking about an excursion or a meal.

The resort also has free Wi-Fi, parking, luggage storage and vehicle hire. Not glamorous, perhaps, but useful after a day when your legs have done enough work already.

Rawai, in southern Phuket. The resort is around 3 km from the town centre, giving you a base away from the middle of the action while keeping local outings within reach.

Chalong Beach, Kok Chang Safari and the Big Buddha are nearby places to explore. The setting works well for a stay built around more than one activity: you can spend the morning underwater, use the afternoon for a short outing and still return to the pool before dinner.

This is not presented as a hotel directly on the beach. The practical advantage is the location in Rawai, where you can organise your days around the coast, excursions and nearby dive centres rather than being tied to a single stretch of sand.

The choice is mainly between standard rooms, deluxe rooms, cottages and villas, with one- and two-bedroom versions in the mix. For two people travelling together, a double villa gives you a private bathroom and a more self-contained stay than a basic room. For a small group or family, the two-bedroom villa categories make more sense than trying to squeeze everyone into one sleeping space.

The villa range is where the practical differences become clearer. Air conditioning, a fridge, a safe, a television, a hairdryer and a private bathroom are listed for several villa categories. That means cold water and a place for essentials when you come back warm, salty and ready for a shower. Some villa options also include a balcony, a dining area and a kitchen with microwave and kitchen equipment.

A mosquito net appears in one of the more comprehensively equipped villa categories, along with tea-making facilities, bathrobes, slippers and toiletries. Do check the exact room card before booking, because the equipment varies considerably between categories. The same rule applies to views and outdoor space: they belong to selected villa options, not automatically to every room.

Air conditioning is also listed among the resort’s general facilities, while refrigerators, showers, wardrobes, televisions and DVD players appear among the room amenities. Room service and breakfast in the room are available. For a diver, that gives you the option of keeping the evening quiet when a full restaurant outing feels like unnecessary exertion.

There is a restaurant on site, with breakfast available and the option of having breakfast brought to your room. Bottled water and a kettle are also listed, as is a microwave. That combination is handy for the first coffee of the day or for keeping the transition from bed to boat pleasantly short.

The meal arrangement depends on the room booking, so check what your chosen rate includes before assuming that breakfast is part of the plan. The resort also offers room service, which gives you a quieter alternative when the day has started early or the return from a dive has left you hungry rather than sociable.

There is a barbecue area for a more informal meal. The hotel offers a restaurant, room service and self-contained villa facilities.

The swimming pool and outdoor pool are the obvious places to put the afternoon on hold. Pool and beach towels are available, and a spa bath is also listed. After a morning in the sea, that is the right level of ambition: sit down, cool off and let the timetable become someone else’s problem for a while.

Massage is available at the resort. It can be arranged as a simple recovery plan rather than an elaborate wellness programme, particularly if your idea of an afternoon activity is moving from the pool to a shaded seat and back again.

For days away from the water, the resort can help arrange excursions, and bicycles are available to borrow. Vehicle hire is another option if you want to explore Rawai and the surrounding sights independently. The garden and outdoor furniture give you somewhere to read, talk or do very little, which is often the most ambitious activity left after several days of diving.

Reception is open from 07:00 to 20:00. Check-in runs from 14:00 to 21:00, and check-out is by 12:00, so arrivals later in the evening should be organised with the resort rather than left to chance.

An airport transfer is available, either privately or as a shared service, and should be arranged with the hotel before you travel. Vehicle hire and other transfer services are also available. Parking and a garage are listed, while Wi-Fi is free throughout the resort.

Laundry, luggage storage, a safe and excursion assistance cover the useful details around the edges of a dive holiday. The resort is non-smoking in its accommodation, and pets, including assistance animals, are not accepted. Only registered guests may access the rooms.

Electricity is 220 volts with Type A, B and C sockets. If your charging kit uses a different plug, pack an adaptor; dive computers are much less entertaining when they run flat.