Searching for a special honeymoon hotel in Thailand? My review of The Shore at Katathani might just sway you to take the plunge and book the most romantic getaway of your life at this Phuket resort!
Tom and I waited almost a year after our wedding in Sorrento, Italy to go on our honeymoon, and part of the reason for that delay was that we couldn’t make up our minds where to go.
We’ve been fortunate enough to visit some of the most popular honeymoon destinations around the world already, so we were faced with a real first-world problem. How were we going to top our previous adventures?
During the honeymoon planning stage, we had the same criteria we’ve had for our annual Big Holiday for the past few years, but this time the stakes were higher. Our honeymoon hotel must be adults-only, must be within easy reach of a busy town or city, and must have that je ne sais quoi.
After deciding against the Maldives and South Africa, I realised my thoughts kept returning to the same destination.
Ten years ago when my now-husband and I were Just Friends, we each went on a backpacking adventure with our respective friends. During our individual trips, our groups met up in Thailand.
We bathed elephants at a nature park in Chiang Mai, danced at the Full Moon Party and got scammed in Bangkok.
Call me a romantic, but returning to Thailand as grown-up, married adults for our honeymoon held a satisfying full-circle appeal. We’re now fully-fledged world citizens with the means to stay at a luxury resort at the complete other end of the spectrum to the budget hostels we stayed in on our first visit to the Land of Smiles.
So, Thailand it was! Now we just needed to find a resort that could top our previous experiences at other five-star honeymoon resorts like the Royalton in Saint Lucia and the El Dorado Royale in Mexico…
After a lot of research, we booked a whirlwind few days in Bangkok at Banyan Tree, followed by a deliciously relaxing 10-night stay at The Shore at Katathani in Phuket.
Here’s my full review of our honeymoon at the most romantic accommodation in Phuket.
Contents of this hotel review
About The Shore at Katathani
Sprawling across almost the entirety of Kata Noi, Katathani Beach Resort is about an hour’s drive from Phuket Airport. The Shore is the resort’s premium section, which sits at the far end of the bay with its own entrance and lobby.
This adults-only section of the resort is perfect for a Thai honeymoon because each couple has their own private villa. Below, I’ve shared an in-depth review of The Shore at Katathani for couples planning their own Thai honeymoon (or just any stay).
A review of The Shore at Katathani’s ‘Sea View Pool Villa In Love’
When our private transfer from the airport pulled up at the lobby of The Shore at Katathani, we were ushered inside by smartly uniformed staff.
The lobby is tastefully decorated and spacious, with comfortable couches and low tables.
We were served cups of sweet butterfly pea tea accompanied by a Thai rice cracker snack, which we munched on while the receptionists checked whether our room was ready.
Moments later, we climbed into a golf buggy and our luggage was loaded in next to the smiling driver. We were taken on a rollercoaster of a ride through the resort to our villa.
We stayed in Villa 8878, which is located near the top of the resort.
The gate to our room’s porch area was dressed in a bow with fresh yellow flowers entwined. This is a special touch for honeymooners at The Shore at Katathani, and the porter motioned for us to untie the bow together.
I couldn’t help but delight in the ceremonial aspect of our arrival!
We stepped into the pleasant chill of an air-conditioned hallway, where four wooden turtles sat on a console table at one end.
Our porter explained how we could place each of the turtles to signal different things to the housekeeping staff – Do not disturb, please clean my room, no need to change our sheets etc.
To the right of the hallway in the villa is another corridor, this one lined with floor-to-ceiling wardrobes.
The wardrobes have clothes hangers, a safe, a mini fridge stocked with local beer, soft drinks and snacks, a coffee machine with pods, tea bags, a hairdryer, a laundry bag, an umbrella, bath robes, and plenty of space to hang our clothes. At the far end sits a dressing table.
Sliding patterned doors on either side of the corridor reveal the main bedroom, complete with a California king bed.
There’s a huge wicker couch, bedside tables with aromatherapy eye pillows, and a decent-sized TV mounted unintrusively in the corner of the room.
The Sea Pool Villa In Love is 30 square metres.
Another wall of Venetian-style doors opens onto the bathroom, where you’ll find a free-standing bathtub and a shower with two shower head sets.
His and hers sinks are set against a cool marble worktop.
It’s a miracle I’ve got this far in my review of our Thai honeymoon at The Shore at Katathani without mentioning the piece de resistance: the private infinity pool.
Throw back the curtains sheathing the fourth wall of the villa, running from the bedroom to the bathroom, and you’ll find a 5.5 m x 3.4 m infinity pool for the sole use of you and your partner.
Each of The Shore’s private villas has one, but we noticed some are more private than others. Though ours didn’t have an unobstructed sea view, we did enjoy total privacy.
A gazebo with fluttering white curtains shades two comfortable day beds on a raised platform with ankle-deep pool water.
Before I’d even dipped a toe in, I knew we’d picked the best hotel for our honeymoon in Phuket.
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The Shore at Katathani Beach Resort Location
We valued the location because it felt secluded without being completely cut off from civilisation.
The Shore is set on a cliff, so this obviously isn’t the place to stay in Phuket if you have poor mobility. It’s very hilly and there are some steep slopes to contend with en route to your room from the lobby and restaurants or the pools.
Even the buggy rides probably aren’t suitable for those with back issues.
Although we did often walk down to the pool and back, you only have to pick up the phone and place a quick call to reception and a golf buggy will be at your door ready to take you to dinner or the pool in minutes.
You can even use the buggies as transport beyond The Shore, if you’re visiting the main Katathani Beach Resort or any of the restaurants there.
There are a number of Instagram photo spots dotted around the resort, if you’d like to take romantic pictures to commemorate your couples’ holiday.
There’s a swing, and a glass-panelled ‘kissing point’ overlooking the sea.
You can book a private dining experience here, which looks like the perfect romantic meal for two and the ideal setting for a proposal. Alternatively, you can have your sunset dinner at the poolside.
Katathani Beach Resort lays claim to the majority of the Kata Noi beach, but there are a handful of local businesses on the street running parallel to the beach. You’ll find a handy 7-Eleven, Family Mart, a few massage parlours, restaurants and small hotels.
I got my hair French braided at one of the beauty places when the humidity made my curls otherwise impossible to deal with!
1. Phuket: Maya, Phi Phi, and Bamboo Island with Buffet Lunch – book here
2.Ethical Elephant Sanctuary Interactive Tour – book here
3. James Bond Island Luxury Sunset Cruise – book here
4. Private Guided Tour of Phuket – book here book here
5. Phi Phi & Bamboo Islands: Premium Day Trip with Seaview Lunch – book here book here
The Shore at Katathani Beach Resort pool and beach
The main pool at The Shore is large enough for a proper swim and very well kept.
There are plenty of luxurious day beds and loungers, with a never-ending supply of clean towels.
The main infinity pool overlooks the white sand beach. I should note that it’s a popular beach and the hotel doesn’t have a private area or any sun beds on the sand, so that’s something to be aware of if you’re envisioning butler service on the shore.
The lack of private beach didn’t really bother us because we were happy to enjoy the shared pool area and our private pool at the villa.
There’s a smaller pool made to look like a beach, which was quiet for the duration of our stay.
Food and drink at The Shore at Katathani
We stayed on a full-board basis, which meant we could eat in any of the resort’s restaurants for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
We were given little cards to give to our servers so they knew our board basis. We found it a bit of a faff, but they helped the hotel keep track of us and meant we didn’t have to wear garish arm bands.
Full-board basis at The Shore at Katathani entitles you to 750TBH per person, per meal.
You can choose from the main menu at each of the restaurants. We found that there’s plenty of choice if you’re keen to stay within your allowance, and you can just pay the remainder if you want higher-priced dishes.
Alternatively, each restaurant has a set menu they’ll show you when they see your cards. You can pick two or three courses from the set menu at no additional cost.
We assumed the set menu meant smaller portions or lesser quality, but fortunately, that couldn’t have been further from the truth.
The Shore’s dedicated casual restaurant is called The Harbour. You can dine inside or out on the deck area.
We didn’t have one unsatisfactory meal during our entire ten nights at The Shore.
We did talk to some fussy eaters who confided that they were struggling, but the staff were more than happy to accommodate requests. I know they made a simple pasta dish that wasn’t on the menu for one guest, and there was never a problem if we wanted to swap mashed potatoes for sweet potato fries or the like.
Breakfast at The Shore is served until 11am in The Harbour. It has everything you’d expect from a five-star breakfast buffet: a range of international and Thai dishes, real honeycomb and a live egg cooking station.
The Harbour is also open for lunch and dinner. There’s an array of dishes on offer including Thai favourites, a wagyu burger, various pasta options, salads etc.
Our standout dishes there were Tom yum soup with prawns or grouper and tenderloin beef salad starters.
Tom loved the lamb ragu gnocchi and I had to agree it was delicious, although slightly out of place in the 32-degree heat!
Unfortunately, they ran out of this dish and even though he asked every night afterwards, it never became available again.
Param Para is The Shore’s speciality Thai restaurant, serving elevated local food with a theatrical flair. The menu is designed to take diners ‘on a journey of Thai literature expressed in exquisite gastronomic form’.
The Param Para menu is super creative, with dishes inspired by Thai mythology. It’s a real experience for foodies, with photogenic creations that leave you feeling like you really have had a culinary adventure.
The Sida Walks on Fire, a Panang-style curry of grilled chicken garnished with boiled egg, capsicum, preserved shallot and sweet basil has impeccable flavours, while the satay is excellent.
Service was good, but it took a little while for the waitress to offer us some rice (there was no option to order any on the menu but there is a communal bowl available).
While the food at Param Para is fantastic, there are quite a few options that might be outside the comfort zone of even the most adventurous appetites. We decided once was enough, and ate at The Harbour instead most evenings.
We also felt that the restaurant lacked ambience, which was a shame. Feeling you have to whisper over dinner is no fun!
We mostly avoided the restaurants at the main resort in favour of The Harbour, but we did dine at the Thai restaurant and got takeout pizza from Seacret.
We also ate at the Italian restaurant La Tasca one night, which I wouldn’t recommend.
Entertainment at The Shore at Katathani
Entertainment-wise, the vibe is very much one of complete serenity at The Shore, with most of the action taking place at the main resort. However, we did listen to a beautiful singer accompanied by a band outside The Harbour a few times. She’s super talented, so don’t miss her!
I didn’t try the hotel spa, so I can’t comment on that.
Pros of The Shore at Katathani
- General location: Perfect balance of seclusion and privacy, but with the busy Kata Beach close at hand.
- Infinity pools are stunning.
- Located at the end of a busy but beautiful beach.
- Excellent food.
- Aesthetically pleasing.
Cons of The Shore
- Drinks are expensive, particularly wine (though we’ve found wine was expensive everywhere we’ve visited in Thailand). Luckily, there’s a cheap supermarket right outside the hotel where you can buy drinks to enjoy in your villa.
- There isn’t really a bar at The Shore where you can spend your evenings.
- I didn’t like the complimentary shower gel, shampoo and conditioner. I was expecting more from a hotel of this calibre.
- Not suitable for those with mobility issues.
- There is no private beach area for The Shore guests.
I hope you’ve found my review of our honeymoon at The Shore at Katathani Beach Resort helpful! We had a truly spectacular stay and felt we’d made a great choice.
If you’ve enjoyed this review, please consider using my affiliate link to book your stay at The Shore. It doesn’t cost you any extra but helps me keep this site running.
We’re generally laid-back travellers and easily pleased, but I do take note of little things I’d improve here and there at hotels and resorts, having travelled quite extensively over the past ten years or so. I hope I don’t come off as snotty when I’ve provided criticism of anything at the resort in this review, because we absolutely adored our honeymoon and would do it all again in a heartbeat (if we won the lottery…)
I know I love reading detailed reviews when I’m about to spend a lot of money on an experience, so I hope the level of detail has been helpful.
We’d have been happy anywhere, but this resort will always have a special place in our hearts.
Pin this for your honeymoon planning!
