Serenity Lakeside Resort

Serenity Lakeside Resort places you in Kathu rather than in the middle of Phuket's busiest strip. The setting is built around a lake, with tropical forest and mountains around it, so your return from the day's outings has a noticeably greener backdrop than a standard town hotel. There is a garden, a terrace and a pool with loungers and umbrellas. Nothing complicated: swim, sit down, eat, repeat as required.

The resort suits you if you want access to Phuket's beaches and attractions without sleeping beside them. Couples can take a lake-view bungalow, a deluxe lake-view room or a suite with pool access, while families have a room designed to keep everyone under one roof. The website is available in English, French, German, Thai, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Arabic, Vietnamese, Indonesian and Malay, although that does not by itself establish which languages the hotel team speaks.

The address is in Kathu, Phuket, at 18/98 Moo 6, Soi Sreekor 1, off Vitchitsongkram Road. You are beside a lake in a mountain-and-forest setting, a few kilometres from the town centre, with the island's busier areas reached by road rather than from the hotel doorstep.

Patong Beach is about 3.7 miles away by car, around a six-minute drive, while Kalim Beach is about 4 miles away and takes roughly the same time by car. Nakalay Beach is about 6 miles away, around a nine-minute drive. That makes this a land-based resort rather than a beachfront address; you choose the quieter lakeside position, then travel to the coast when the sea is the point of the day.

Kathu Waterfall is about 1.8 miles away, and the Kathu Mining Museum is about 3.5 miles away. Jungceylon Shopping Center is about 4 miles away, while Chalong Temple is about 8 miles away. A pub and a burger restaurant are within roughly half a mile on foot, with cafés and Thai restaurants further out.

The rooms are arranged around the practical business of recovering properly. Air conditioning is there for the return from a hot, salty day, while a ceiling fan gives you another way to keep the air moving at night. A refrigerator handles cold water and the small provisions that become unexpectedly important once you are back, and the desk gives you somewhere to sort plans, messages or photographs without balancing everything on the bed.

For two, the lake-view options make the most of the setting, while the pool-access suite puts the water closer when you want a very short route from room to swim. The standard room is the straightforward choice if the view matters less than having a private bathroom and a little more room to spread out. Families can look at the Family Room, which uses two super-king beds rather than asking everyone to negotiate a sofa bed.

Private entrances, wardrobes, tiled or marble floors and a drying rack keep the basics sensible. A mosquito net is also provided, and daily housekeeping plus room service mean you do not have to turn a tired return into an errand. Non-smoking rooms are available.

Lakeview Restaurant covers breakfast, lunch and dinner, with Thai and Western food on the menu. Its useful feature is not a grand culinary claim but the simple fact that you can eat on site across the day, rather than going straight back on the road when hunger arrives.

There is one restaurant, together with a bar and a snack bar. Room service runs daily, which is handy when your appetite is present but your enthusiasm for changing clothes is not. Breakfast is available, though no breakfast serving time is provided here.

The resort does not set out a half-board or all-inclusive formula. You can therefore keep meals flexible: eat at the Lakeview Restaurant, have a drink at the bar, or use the nearby cafés and restaurants when you want a change of scenery.

The large swimming pool is the main piece of downtime, with sun loungers, umbrellas and pool or beach towels available. After a demanding day, that gives you the useful luxury of doing very little without having to organise an excursion. The sun terrace and garden add quieter places to sit, while the shared lounge and television area cover the occasional evening when the weather or your legs make plans look overrated.

Massage is available at the resort. Bicycles can be hired, and golf is available within 3 km, so you have options beyond the pool if you still want to move but have had enough of fins and cylinders for one day.

There is also a 20-minute sailing activity, with a maximum of two people per boat and no advance reservation required. For a couple, that is a neat way to fill part of an afternoon without committing to a full-day trip. The garden, lake setting and pool are the stronger reasons to stay put; Phuket's attractions can wait until tomorrow.

Phuket International Airport is about 19 miles away by car, with a driving time of around 30 minutes. The resort offers an airport shuttle, either privately or on a shared basis depending on the arrangement, and you book it with the hotel. Free private parking is available on site, so a hire car is a workable option if you want to reach the beaches, golf courses and island sights independently.

Check-in runs from 14:00 to midnight and check-out from 07:00 to 12:00. You need photo identification and a credit card at check-in, and you should tell the resort your expected arrival time. Early check-in and late check-out are available on request.

Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel. A concierge, tour desk, luggage storage and car hire make the practical side of island days easier, while laundry and ironing services are available when the kit from yesterday's outing needs attention. Cash and credit cards are accepted.