Kamala & Surin Beach Hotels, Phuket
7 Quiet Upscale Stays
North of Patong!

The Surin is the top-scoring stay in this article at 9.5, on Pansea Beach — a private cove reached only by guests of The Surin and Amanpuri. A Design Hotels member shaped by architect Ed Tuttle, it spreads 103 timber cottages down the hillside and coconut groves to the shore, scoring 9.5 from 339 reviews. The draw is Pansea's soft white sand, quiet and very private, plus a beachfront restaurant where you can take dinner as the sun goes down. It's about 25 minutes from the airport. Worth knowing: many cottages are up the hill, reached by steps or a buggy, and the resort closes for renovation 20 Aug–17 Sep 2026 — check before booking those dates.

Cape Sienna is a boutique hotel on the headland at the end of Kamala Beach, with every room facing Kamala Bay, scoring 9.2 from 269 reviews. The selling point is the bay view from height — many rooms set a tub on the balcony so you can soak looking at the sea — and Vanilla Sky, a restaurant on top of the headland that takes in the sunset across the whole bay. Rates start lower than several beachfront luxury resorts here. To be straight: the hotel is up a steep hill, so you take a shuttle down to Kamala Beach below, the pool is on the small side, and some odd-numbered rooms face the road with passing traffic noise.

InterContinental Phuket sits on the north end of Kamala Beach, the softest sand and clearest water on the beach. Opened in 2019 with 221 rooms, suites and villas, it scores 9.1 from 241 reviews. The architecture reworks Phuket heritage — one side faces Kamala Bay, the other green hills — and a white Thai sala stands in a reflecting pool as the resort's signature. The standout restaurant is Jarras, southern Thai cooking listed in the Michelin Guide. You walk straight down to the beach from the resort. Worth knowing: this stretch is quiet, away from shops and nightlife, so you drive to town or Patong, and some guests find it pricey.

Twinpalms is a sleek modern design resort near Surin Beach, built around a lagoon pool. A Small Luxury Hotels member, it scores 8.9 from 152 reviews. At its heart is a long lagoon pool that runs through the resort under coconut palms, with several room types opening straight onto the water. There are free cocktails for guests daily from 18:00–19:00, and Oriental Spoon serves the Thai-Asian cooking guests rate well. It's about a 3-minute walk to Surin Beach. To be straight: the resort itself isn't on the beach — you cross the road to reach it — and a few reviews call breakfast on the simple side.

Novotel Phuket Kamala is the best-value beach stay in this article, on Kamala Beach from just ฿3,200. An Accor property with 166 rooms, suites and pool villas, it scores 8.8 from 214 reviews. It sits at the south end of Kamala on a low rise by the bay, a short walk down to the sand, with a sea-view pool, private pool villas for bigger budgets, and Soul Kitchen overlooking the water. Patong is about 15 minutes' drive. Worth knowing: it's a 4-star, not as plush as some neighbours on the same beach, and parts are starting to show their age — but for value per baht on Kamala Beach it's hard to beat.

Hyatt Regency Phuket is a resort terraced into the hillside above Kamala Beach, built around an infinity pool with a bay view, scoring 8.7 from 265 reviews. Because the buildings step down the slope, the Ocean View rooms and the pool look straight out over Kamala Bay, and some rooms set a jacuzzi on the balcony. A free shuttle runs guests down to Kamala Beach below and into Kamala town in a few minutes. To be straight, as the reviews note: there are a lot of steps and ramps, tiring to walk up and down for older guests or anyone pregnant, so you lean on the shuttle, and it isn't right on the beach the way the seafront resorts are.

Andara is a luxury resort and pool-villa estate terraced into the hillside above Kamala Beach, in contemporary Thai design — the priciest stay in this article. A Michelin Key property, it scores 8.5 from 44 reviews. Suites and pool villas step down the slope facing Kamala Bay; the villas have a private pool and you can bring in a chef to cook in the villa, while suite guests use a rooftop infinity pool that takes in the whole bay. It suits families or groups who want to take a big villa together. Worth knowing: it's up the hill, not on the beach, so you take a shuttle down to Kamala, and it has fewer reviews than its neighbours because it leans toward private villas.