I started traveling late in my life, something I today regret. The world has so much to offer and apart from traveling being fun and exiting, it is also informative and educational and yours truly was lacking way behind. On my first trip I wanted to go somewhere exotic, encounter a culture which was completely foreign and the lifestyle of the people the complete opposite of the rate race world I have created for my self. That place, I eventually decided, was Thailand. At the same time I also wanted to visit multiple locations to see and experience as much of the country as possible.
Because I was not exactly backpacker age any more, good hotel accommodation was not negotiable. So once my research was done on the different locations I wanted to see I settled in behind my PC and Googled “hotels Phuket”. In less than a second I was drowning in information. Hundreds of hotel names were staring back at me, not to mention the countless accommodation booking websites all promising discounted prices. I wanted this vacation to be perfect and because my accommodation, standard of service and location were all important factors, I needed to make sure I was booking the best places I could afford to stay. If I was staying in a resort on an island, I wanted ocean views. If I was staying in the interior of the country I wanted views of jungle clad hills and if I was in Bangkok I wanted to book a luxury suite as close to transport and city attractions as possible.
I checked the other locations I wanted to see. Bangkok, Koh Samui, Krabi and Pattaya. I never realized a country could have so many hotels in each area. As I stumbled through the options I came to the realization that one name kept on popping up in each of the locations. The Centara name seemed to feature everywhere. Spreading hotel accommodation through-out the country, this had to be a successful hospitality chain which seemed to answer to all my mentioned requirements. My mind was made up and I booked a room with them in each of the locations I wanted to visit. I notice that lately the best deals for a holiday in Thailand can be found with www.hotelsphuket.travel. Looking back I could not have made a better choice. All the these resorts were simply amazing. They simply had some of the best hotels phuket had to offer and the same go’s for the other mentioned areas.
If you have encountered the same dilemma as I did above, give them a try, chances are you will be pleasantly surprised. Whether you require family friendly accommodation, a romantic place to stay or even if you are traveling alone, these guys will have you covered. To give you an idea of what you can expect at only some their venues situated in the most frequently visited locations in Thailand I have to put together the following brief overview.
Phuket
The hotel chain boasts two 5 star and three 4 star venues spread out from the northern most tip of the island in Mai Khao Beach which is a tranquil and secluded location right down to scenic Kata Beach in the south. In Mai Khao, Centara Grand West Sands is great 5 star venue for families given its amazing water park and up to five bedroom villas featuring private pools. The latest arrival to the chain’s range of venues has quickly also become the most popular. Centara Grand Beach Resort Phuket is located south in the more active Karon Beach area. It also has an incredible water park located right on the beach and two bedroom pool villas for families. But if you want things romantic, try out the luxury pool villas or rooms with their own spas. A great thing about this place is that every room in the building is ocean facing. Two of their 4 star venues are also located in Karon Beach and one in Kata Beach allowing for choice when it comes to deciding where in Phuket you want to stay.
Koh Samui
Their two hotels in Samui are both 5 star and located in the most popular area of the island namely Chaweng. Chaweng is the heartbeat of the island and has the best beach. To the north of long stretch of sand is Chaweng Noi Beach which is more tranquil and serene than the central part. Sprawling down a hillside to allow awesome ocean views is Bhundhari Samui Spa resort. This is a place for the romantics and has stylish villas with private pools. More to the center is Centara Grand Beach Resort Samui. It is located directly on the beachfront and will appeal to those who like elegance and sophistication. The island’s main strip which feature endless restaurants, bars, shops, markets and nightlife is easy to reach from both these locations.
Krabi
Krabi is located on the south coast of Thailand and close to many islands of all shapes and sizes. The hospitality chain’s fabulous Grand Beach Resort in Krabi has an exclusive location and faces an incredible scenery of exotic beauty with lime stone formations jutting from the ocean. You have a choice of beachfront villas with private pools, ocean view villas and two bedroom family friendly villas.
Pattaya
Another 5 star venue is Centara Grand Mirage Pattaya which feature a lost world themed water park right on the beach. This hotel is popular with families and couples alike given its vast array of facilities.
Bangkok
In the city of Angels this hospitality chain again offers choice in terms of price and location within the city. There is The Grand at Central Plaza Ladproa, a snazzy 5 star hotel which has the perfect location close the the sky train station and underground transit system which makes navigating the city a breeze. Centara Grand at Central World is an award winning luxury leisure, retail and convention center all in one located right in the middle of Bangkok and, then there is still the super modern and stylish Watergate Pavilion. The only limitations to this hotel chain obviously only lies in one’s budget.
In Conclusion
If you are going to be traveling to any of these locations in Thailand and want to book your accommodation with a known brand which has stood the test of time and just keeps on improving, Centara will be a good choice. Just ask all those travelers booking with them year on year.
About the Author
George Conradie now lives in Thailand full time where he works in the tourism industry. George still visits as many locations in Thailand per year as his time permits and regularly shares his knowledge and experiences by writing articles on a number of blogs. He hopes this will help travelers plan their trip to the land of smiles.
