Had a very nice week at the Sunwing resort at Bangtao beach phuket.
I can highly recommend this as a place for a family getaway, although it is quite isolated.
If you're not interested in bars and what have you it's very nice.
the rooms are spacious (4 of us in the room and not at all crowded, with a nice balcony and a kitchenette. (and of all the things, the only bit of civilisation for miles around was a texsco lotus and Mcdonalds 5 minutes and 100 barts away by taxi, so we saved a fortune on food buying salads and cold cuts and tins of tuna and bread.
Surprising how cheap things generally are compared to China and the missus was blown away by how nice and polite everyone was.
The resort restaurant is right on the beach and VERY average but not too pricey and they do actually offer decent portioned kids meals free. 1 with every adult meal. (my 9 year old boy now loves lasagna). Our family of four ate well for around 500 barts. They get you on the drinks but didn't seem to mind us bring our own juice and beers and were happy to provide glasses.
The airport pickup and dropoff went well, the expected ripoff didn't materialize.
The kids loved it. 4 pools and right on the beach. The exercise i got walking on the beach and splashing in the surf made me feel 100% fitter and healthier, absolutely awesome.
Spent much of the time sitting on the balcony overlooking the pool reading a book from the complimentary library.
Bangtao beach is fantastic, especially good for the kids surfing and boogie boarding, and the weather was brilliant. A couple of showers and overcast days were not an issue and it was pleasantly mild compared to how hot it's been here.
We took one day trip to Phi Phi for snorkling and lunch but apart from that just stayed around the hotel.
The only gripe I would have about the hotel is that they charge for in room wifi, 100 barts and hour, but if you REALLY need to go online while on holiday with the family. (and I did a couple of times, confirming travel arrangements and what have you.) you can go to the lobby where they have free wifi.
I'm glad we left when we did. The night before we left a big group of Chinese booked in and at 6.30 or so in the morning I was out on the balcony enjoying a coffee when I hear that throat hacking sound and turned just in time to see one hoik a loogie of the balcony. Horrible kunts they are.
Anyway here are a couple of pics.