Is the JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa in Thailand Worth It? [Review]

Thailand is a dream destination for many travelers. While I had always wanted to visit, I originally had no plans to get there anytime soon. Then, my husband had a last-minute work trip, so I found myself on a flight to Phuket in November 2025, where I spent 5 nights at the JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa.

This Marriott hotel is beachfront, has great food, and is affordable whether you’re booking with points or cash. I’ll share some highlights from my stay at the JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa so you can decide whether it’s worth it for your Thailand vacation.

How To Book the JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa

The JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa is really affordable, whether you’re using points or cash. You can book a room for as low as 52,000 Marriott Bonvoy points or around $200 per night.

If you need more Marriott Bonvoy points, you can use a Marriott Bonvoy credit card or transfer them from Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards, or Bilt Rewards.

The JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa is also part of The Hotel Collection from American Express. On bookings of 2 nights or more, you get benefits just by booking through AmexTravel.com:

• Room upgrade at check-in, when available
• $100 property credit
• Noon check-in and late checkout, when available
• Daily breakfast for 2

Plus, if you book 2 nights or more using your Platinum Card^® from American Express, you can redeem the card’s prepaid hotel credit of up to $300.

Location of JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa

The JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa is on the north side of the island of Phuket in Thailand. It takes under 20 minutes to drive to its location in Mai Khao from Phuket International Airport (HKT).

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Looking out onto the central reflecting pool.

The hotel grounds definitely feel location-specific — this isn’t one of those generic hotels that could be anywhere in the world. There are nods to Thai culture throughout the property, including reflecting pools at the center of the resort and the jungle-like gardens between the buildings.

Guest Room

My room was large, but with heavy tile and dark wood tones, it felt outdated. We had a small balcony that looked out onto a garden area, and we could see a bit of the ocean in the distance.

There was a large daybed by the window, which made for a nice spot to have coffee in the morning. It could also be a fun spot for kids to sleep.

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My room was spacious but a bit dark.

The bathroom had a large tub, a stand-up shower, and 1 sink. There were shutters that you could open between the bathroom and the bedroom. However, the toilet was out in the open, so we really needed to keep these closed if we wanted any privacy.

Pools and Beach

The beach in front of the JW Marriott Phutket Resort & Spa was beautiful to look at and perfect for a stroll, but it wasn’t suitable for swimming. Not only that, but (because of the tides, it seemed) there were no chairs set up, so we couldn’t even sit on the beach.

There were 3 pools on the property: 2 for adults only and 1 that was family-friendly. I preferred the quiet North Pool. The water was chilly for me, but the setting was beautiful, with comfortable, cushy lounge chairs. It was a lovely spot to sit and read a book for a few hours.

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The main pool area was centrally located and near the beach.

Beach Massages

While the beach massages weren’t officially part of the hotel, I have to mention them. There were 3 massage huts on the beach right by the hotel’s walkway, and this is where you want to go. A 1-hour massage from the local Thai women went for ฿500 ($15).

These weren’t spa-quality massages, and we were lying next to strangers, but for $15, it was totally worth it. We ended up going every day during our stay.

Dining

I was really happy with the food at the JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa. Breakfast was served buffet-style at the JW Cafe. I’m not normally a fan of buffets, but this one had great food. It did get crowded unless we went really early in the morning (which wasn’t hard to do, thanks to jet lag), so plan to go as early as possible to avoid the crowds.

There were so many food choices that it could be overwhelming. Thankfully, I loved what I picked on the first morning, so I just stuck with that the rest of the week.

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The breakfast was delicious.

Though there were lots of international and traditional American choices, I recommend heading to the French toast station first. The JW Signature French toast had its own stand, so there was no mistaking that it was special. It was made of thick bread that was brûléed, so it was crispy on the outside and warm and soft on the inside. I topped mine with berry compote and just a drop of maple syrup. It was divine.

There were a couple of other dining highlights at the resort. The first was at Cucina, where I had one of the best pizzas I have had in a long time — definitely something you wouldn’t expect to be so good in Thailand. I also really enjoyed lunch at Siam Deli, where our Thai meal ended with an excellent mango sticky rice.

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Siam Deli had great mango sticky rice.

Activities

The hotel had a 3-times-daily shuttle service to Old Town Phuket Town available for ฿580 ($18). It took about 45 minutes to get there from the hotel. I didn’t get a chance to do this, but I wish I had.

If you’re looking for something to do without leaving the hotel, check out the turtle rescue right on the property. The Mai Kaho Marine Turtle Foundation at JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa was open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Be sure to stop by right when it’s open to see the turtles fed.

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I loved seeing the turtles up close.

While we were in Phuket, we spent most of our time relaxing at the hotel. However, we did get to visit the Phuket Elephant Sanctuary, home to about a dozen elderly and rescued elephants.

Our tour included a chance to feed fruit to the friendly elephants, but there was no bathing, riding, or any other direct interaction with the elephants beyond that. For the rest of the tour, we got to explore on the elevated canopies and in the grassy areas to observe the elephants as they went about their days.

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I loved seeing these animals in their own environment.

Final Thoughts

I really enjoyed my time at the JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa. It’s not an ultramodern resort, but it’s comfortable and affordable with great food and beautiful public spaces. If you’re already planning a trip to Phuket and have Marriott Bonvoy points, Marriott free night certificates, or Amex Platinum card prepaid hotel credits to use, I would definitely recommend this hotel.