Sala Phuket Mai Khao Beach Resort (SHA Extra+)

From the moment we arrived, we were welcomed with the warmest smiles and the kind of hospitality that makes SALA truly special. The team made us feel so appreciated, and they went the extra mile to arrange something beautiful for the birthday celebration — it was such a thoughtful and touching surprise. Every detail, from the room to the service, was flawless as always. The serene atmosphere, stunning design, and genuine care from the staff remind us why we keep coming back. It's rare to find a place that stays consistently excellent, and yet SALA manages to exceed our expectations each time. Grateful for another amazing stay — already looking forward to the next visit!

I stayed two times at this resort in different room categories. Tl;dr - OK, with some concerns. A little pricey for what you get. Positive: Close to airport, 20 minutes. Many places on Phuket are much further away. Affordable to have resort car service pick you up, drivers are great (welcoming, safe) & nice vehicle. Low rise resort, 80% one storey high, surrounded by the nature of the national park. Low key, quiet. Many guests have villas, so you do not see crowds (Renaissance and JW Marriott I have stayed also can both feel very crowded at times) Design, with mainly dove grey + white. A few purple accents (colours echoed in staff linen uniforms) Lots of nature: planting, orchids, lily pond, mini farm for their egg chickens (you can visit to feed the goats/see their chickens, although all of the plants seem very past their best and need nurturing), various birdlife. On the beach - it’s a national park, so no sun loungers or jet skis allowed, long empty beach great for walking BUT it’s a rough swell much of the year with a steep drop off, so you are not likely to be swimming in the sea. Large trees along the beach/lawn area give shade but also prevent a ‘tropical’ view. Red flag conditions often. Two swimming pools and they do not get crowded because many people have private pool in their villa compound. I could always find a sunbed with an umbrella. Food is tasty. Breakfast with a la carte (you can order 2 dishes each and I found one dish quite filling each day) plus cold buffet, egg chef etc. My room cleaner was super, very detailed and also polite. She had a lot of rooms to do however and often did not get to my room until after 4. She then returned not much later to offer turn-down and to give me the nightly gift - a small jar of Thai herbal tea, different each night. All garden & other support staff like bell service/porters & cleaners very polite and friendly. Good bed linen, very comfortable bed. Your choice of potion and soap fragrance in refillable containers - but a mild fragrance only . Oil burner, sarong, (tiny) cotton robes, grass slippers, raffia beach bag, umbrellas, insect repellent all provided. Plenty of drinking water provided. Nespresso + kettle. Plates, cutlery, cups, glasses all provided - modern style, good quality. This resort is in a long string of resorts along this area of coast - Marriott, Anantara, Renaissance etc. In theory you can walk to any of them but the road is dark at night and it’s hot all the time, of course. You can definitely cycle it if you are fit and used to the heat. The local mini malls (Turtle Village and Mai Khao Village, they are adjacent to each other) provides free shuttle truck (Thai style, you sit in the rear of a truck on a bench seat) back and forth each 30 mins which is extremely handy - you can eat there in a variety of international restaurants and some Thai ones & seafood, ATM, get massage/beauty/ & souvenir shopping/pharmacy/supermarket + ubiquitous 7-11s etc. You request reception to book you on this and it will pick you from the entrance place, then when you return you go to wait at the truck until the hour/half hour and the driver will come. Without this outside transportation, it would be pretty isolated. The resort itself has bus trips to some shopping locations on certain days, but expensive. Bicycles provided to borrow, if you wish to cycle the area (it's quite quiet roads) Negative: Hotel architecture open air design with almost no walls is lovely to see the gardens & lawn & glimpse of the sea but means all public areas are very hot with no a/c. It can be pleasant if there is a breeze, but often it is extremely hot and humid. There is one a/c area of dining room with some tables, they keep the chilled food in there at breakfast) When it rains, you can get quite wet between areas. Entrance design is very dark grey, with big shallow pool and dark wood walkway - lovely idea but at night it is super dark and when raining quite dreary. They need to increase the lighting at night to make it feel welcoming, not like the entrance to a gothic escape room. No ‘view’ as such from any room. Basic rooms surround a square, with view of your neighbours close by. There are some hanging seats from the trees but in strange locations where you would never want to sit: more like Instagram photo locations than places where you would put a hammock realistically to relax and read. The resort is tired and in dire need of refurbishment. What was stylish when installed is now grubby, tatty, worn out. The printed tiles in the villas are faded/cracked/look dirty yellow in places. All the wood is dry/cracked/warped in places. Touching it feels unpleasant, which you must do in your room/villa as there are no door handles. Rooms - balcony rooms are the base room. All are upstairs and (I think) all have one double bed - only one flight up but not accessible. Very crowded room layout and badly laid out. Tight squeeze around the furniture. Closet space behind sliding doors behind bedhead very difficult to use and get into, also with beverage area & safe in the middle between two areas of clothing storage! The sliding door means you cannot be in the closet and the safe at the same time! Only mirror inside room is literally on the wall in the back of the closet behind hanging clothes space! Bathroom is all outside. At night, the contrast between a/c sleep space and hot, humid bathroom is quite surprising. Also, steps down and difficult doors (not nice to the touch) is not convenient AT ALL when you are half asleep. You cannot avoid the mosquitos every time you want to use the bathroom. Bathtub is huge and round so could be romantic but it’s not that comfy to sit in to relax. Only seating on balcony is a big day bed. Again, could be romantic if you are lying down. Big empty gap of space without table. Not convenient to have a drink or room dining out there really, but no other option. (There is a desk chair but the space between the desk and the closet is so tight. It's not convenient for dining at the desk which is directly behind bed ) Because the bathroom is all out on the balcony, yes including toilet, bath and shower, one must keep the sheer curtains closed for privacy which makes the room gloomy even in the day in a sunny country. It also makes the romantic big bath and the romantic huge day bed less romantic, as you have to close your curtains and it feels too much enclosed/shut in. At night also one must close the thick balcony curtains in addition, as the lights behind can provide puppet show to the neighbours! (As I can see easily the neighbours with their sheers closed and the light behind them I am sure they can see me also) [This could be in put onpositive list if you are a voyeur!] Lighting is poorly designed and too dark for things like styling hair or make-up - yes, outdoors in no a/c in the humidity and semi-darkness! I think you must pursue a very casual beach vibe whiel staying in this resort, do not try to blowdry straight hair or wear foundation on your face etc. Sockets are awkwardly positioned. No USB and no international socket. Could not get my phone to cast to the TV. No apps on the TV to use things like YouTube or Netflix. Pool villa: if you can afford, do this. Much better because private and with own private lap pool & garden with small table + chairs on patio, sunbeds & parasol (that said, my sunbeds and parasol were very dirty and old, the garden was full of plant debris and the pathways uneven and rough which limited the enjoyment of the very grubby space which could be lush and welcoming). Patio is big enough space to do yoga. Very private with high wall. The open air bathroom still very hot and humid and outdoor shower is without roof. I quite like to shower in the rain but it is sensory confusing - can be quite cold rain with hot shower water. [In my villa was an enormous additional freestanding a/c, the size of a recycling bin. It took up quite a lot of space. Presumably previous guests had found that the ceiling A/C was not sufficient.] But walls and fixtures etc becoming tatty and worn out in many areas. Broken rotted walls and wood, dirty and stains, broken footpath, chipped tiles on the floor or walls. All doors are wooden shutter style (I mean that for each doorway there are two slim doors that you must open both), difficult to open and close, stiff, awkward. No handles on doors at all does not help. Sometimes you can get stuck outside in the bathroom, difficult to open the door to get back inside. Front facing staff were variable: a couple absolutely delightful (reception & bell men) but others seemed tired and down, without friendly feeling, not warm, without smile. Certainly, I ate breakfast every morning, but not one staff member greeted on any days with welcome even after more than a week. They seemed like they were going through the motions only without any effort to engage with guests or add a spark of hospitality. Service in restaurant was overall efficient but slow & without warmth. I did not see any management during my stay at all, nobody asked about my visit or approached me to ask how things were going, nor inquired when I departed (both times). I lived in Thailand for many years and speak a little Thai, so I know this is not typical and have stayed in much less expensive places where they have made me feel at home, as it were (other than aforemention of bell men and one or two reception staff who were quite jolly and chatty) Food is ok, good quality and well presented on modern crockery, not outrageous prices for a resort. Overall, I would say the rundown areas detract significantly to the overall aesthetic and ambience and therefore I cannot say 5*. I might return potentially if I got a good rate again on a pool villa if I was just staying for a couple of nights for convenience to the airport.

When we first arrived we were concerned to be so far out of Phuket. However the hotel does plenty of excursions to markets, the Phi Phi islands, James Bond Island etc. So it was fine. Our biggest concern was our outside bathroom was uncomfortably hot. We discussed the matter with Mon who was happy to move us to an apartment which was much cooler. Thereafter we were comfortable and happy. The outdoor surroundings are stunning with the beach and the Adaman Sea only a few yards away. There are plenty of sun loungers set in and amongst the trees and two beautiful pools. Food is good and set in very comfortable surroundings. The staff were lovely throughout. A special thanks to Mon who sorted us out with kindness and professionalism.

Hotel is situated on a lovely beach but the sea is too choppy to swim in. Pool area is very nice and plenty of sun loungers. Staff are very helpful. Bar and restaurant are good and excellent choice for breakfast. We had a room with own pool and outside bathroom. Some of the room and hotel does need a bit of upgrading and repair. The bathroom set up is not ever so practical when heavy rain. There is a shop in walking distance and a few restaurants but not much else nearby. If all you want to do is rest and relax hotel is very good.