Hotel
Trisara
A secluded luxury resort of private pool villas, suites and residences on Phuket's north-west coast, home to the Michelin-starred PRU and awarded Two MICHELIN Keys.
A small boutique hotel on Phuket Road in the old town, with 17 individually decorated rooms around a courtyard pool, a café and a restaurant.
Good to know
Casa Blanca Boutique Hotel is a small hotel on Phuket Road, on the edge of Old Phuket Town, with 17 individually decorated rooms arranged around a courtyard with a swimming pool. The pool is a large part of its appeal in a town of small heritage hotels: guests can spend the morning walking the heritage streets and come back for a swim during the hottest part of the day.
The hotel has an on-site café and a restaurant, convenient for breakfast and simple meals without leaving the building. Rooms vary in design, as befits a boutique property, so it is worth looking at the room descriptions or asking the hotel when you book. Note that the hotel has no lift, so guests with heavy luggage or limited mobility should ask for a ground-floor room, and street-facing rooms can be noisy because of traffic on Phuket Road; if you are a light sleeper, request a room facing the courtyard.
Prices are in the budget to mid-range bracket, making it good value for a stay of a few nights in town. It suits couples, solo travellers and small families who want a pool without the size of a big resort, and anyone who prefers to explore the old town on foot rather than base themselves at the beach. It is not a place for big resort facilities such as a spa or kids' club.
The location is practical. Thalang Road, Soi Romanee, the Thai Hua Museum and the shrines and markets around Ranong Road are all within walking distance, and the old town's restaurants and cafés are close by for evenings out. On Sundays, the walking street market on Thalang Road is a short stroll away. For beach days, taxis and ride-hailing cars are easy to find in town; Patong is around 14 kilometres away, and the south-coast beaches of Kata and Nai Harn a little further.
A stay at Casa Blanca works well at the start or end of a Phuket trip, combining a couple of nights of heritage, food and markets in town with time at the beach elsewhere. Book ahead in the high season and around the Vegetarian Festival in the autumn, when Phuket Town is especially busy.
At 26 Phuket Road, Talat Yai, on the edge of Old Phuket Town.
There are 17 individually decorated rooms.
Yes, there is a courtyard pool.
Yes, there is an on-site café and a restaurant.
No, so ask for a ground-floor room if you need one.
Street-facing rooms can be noisy; request a courtyard-facing room if you are a light sleeper.
Yes, prices are in the budget to mid-range bracket.
Thalang Road, Soi Romanee, the Thai Hua Museum and the Sunday walking street market.
Bar
Patong's main nightlife street, closed to traffic each evening and lined with bars, clubs and neon signs from the beach road inland.
Café
A specialty coffee bar on Soi Romanee that roasts Thai arabica on site, is known for nitro cold brew and makes bean-to-bar chocolate from Thai cacao.
Tour operator
The pioneer of sea-cave canoeing in Phang Nga Bay since 1983, best known for its Hong by Starlight tour with guided paddling into hidden lagoons.
Thing to do
A self-guided stroll through Phuket Town's Sino-Portuguese streets, taking in Thalang Road, Soi Romanee, old shrines, museums and Baba-style cafés.