As the reviews had been so great in both Trip Advisor and my guide book my expectations had been quite high. However although there was nothing to complain about there was really nothing very special about the hotel especially as it wasn't that cheap. The rooms were pleasant but quite outdated. The whole hotel looked like it was in need of a face lift. The food was ok but not great and again expensive.The staff weren't rude just quite indifferent. The best thing about the hotel was the location as it was right on the beach. Also the thai massage was fantastic.

From: Tara Kaulback
To: 'reservation'
Sent: Sunday, January 20, 2008 8:25 AM
Subject: Thank You So Very Much!

To Our Dear Friends at Mom Tri’s Boathouse:

It is hard to express in words just how much we loved our 13 day stay at the Boathouse from December 22nd, 2007 through January 3rd, 2008. Although the room provided a lovely view and the beach and weather were superb, what makes Mom Tri’s Boathouse special and unique are the people.

Everyone went out of their way to be kind, thoughtful and helpful to us during our stay. The staff’s attitude was one of sincerity, and as each day went by we felt closer to each and everyone one of you.

My husband Ron and I have traveled most of the Caribbean, Hawaii, Asia, Europe, South America and North America……..and Thailand as it turns out is our favorite place and memory. There are not too many places that we return to because the World is a big place and there is so much to discover and experience……..but Phuket is an exception, or rather I should say, Mom Tri’s Boathouse is the exception.

Every morning we experienced the warm greeting of the friendly staff at breakfast. Not too many mornings went by until they had that Cappuccino delivered pronto to our table. Tat and Nung took great care of us on the beach on those days that we stayed at our home away from home.

Every time we took an excursion away from Mom Tri’s the staff would always ask us how our day was on our return. I wish I had written all of your names down to thank you personally but I do hope you know who you are.

Kitti was very helpful in finding us a way to rent a boat on our own so that we could go visit Crabi, Phi Phi, Hong Island and other beautiful spots to snorkel and swim but without the regular crowds of 25 people per boat.

I had an ear infection while I was visiting and the lovely lady at the front desk helped me locate the medical clinic……..and each day she would remember to ask me if my ear was getting better. And of course, there is another lady that has been there a few years and she was successful in getting us a reservation to visit the beautiful islands of Similan.

We loved the Christmas buffet and appreciated receiving the very nice Mom Tri’s Boathouse golf shirts, which was a nice touch. The New Years dinner was the highlight of our evening entertainment. We had a blast. The sit down dinner was exceptional and the service was as good as it gets. We truly enjoyed the staff joining us to bring in 2008, pots, pans and all! It was a New Years that we will remember forever. Please book us a table for “two” for next New Years Dinner.

We missed seeing Niwat this year and we hope that he is well again and back at the Boathouse. It was Niwat who welcomed us on our first visit to the Boathouse in November 2006. We hope to see you Niwat on our next visit.

Also, I would like to give my regards to Tong (nickname) who worked in the dining room - morning, noon and night. He introduced us to his lovely daughter and their cute dog. Please tell him that we think of him often.

On January 4th we left the Boathouse and headed to Bangkok where we enjoyed the bustling city for 4 days before returning home to Vancouver, Canada on January 8th. Everyday since our return we tell people and friends about our wonderful visit to Mom Tri’s Boathouse and Phuket. We urge each and every one of them to seriously consider a visit.

Thank you again for making every day of our visit a very special experience. We hope that you will all be there again next year. Please stay healthy and safe for our return. We miss you all!

Affectionately,
Tara Kaulback and Ron Faoro
Room #206 (12/22/07 – 1/03/08)

I think this hotel is the perfect hotel for a beach holiday. The location is super, right in front of Kata beach, one of the finest in Phuket, you can go from your bed to your sun bed in less than 5 minutes. Food is superb. Service is excellent, and being a very small hotel very personal. The only drawbacks are the rooms, quite old, and the pool, but who wants to go to the pool with a great beach in front?

We are frequent visitors to Phuket, and although we had eaten at the Boathouse restaurant before, we had never stayed at the resort. After 4 days, it became our favorite resort in Phuket.

The Boathouse is a small resort located on Kata Beach, less than an hour's taxi ride (THB 800) from the airport. Kata Beach is one of the nicest on Phuket: the usual beautiful white sand, but smaller than Patong or Karon, and not as built up nor as crowded. The Boathouse is near the south end of the beach.

The resort has enough lounge chairs and umbrellas to accommodate all the guests, so that annoying habit characteristic of some tourists, to get up at dawn to reserve a prime spot, is completely unnecessary. As soon as we showed up on the beach, attendants were setting up our chairs, laying out towels, and positioning a table and an umbrella. That was followed almost immediately by the delivery of glasses of ice water and fruit kabobs. A short time later icy towels arrived, and the ice water was replenished all afternoon. The resort has a small wading pool only, so if you are looking for a freshwater swim, this is not the place to stay. Thankfully, the very few beach vendors that make it to this part of the beach are not at all intrusive.

The beach itself is gorgeous, with clear water, a nice slope, and rocky outcroppings at both ends which kept a number of snorkelers entertained. A few long tail boats are available to hire, as well as snorkling gear, boogie boards, and surf boards. The latter had us puzzled, since the first 2 days we were there, the surf only lapped at the beach. On the third day, however, the surf was up enough to give a handful of surfers a good, but short, ride. Unlike the bigger beaches, the peaceful sound of the waves is rarely disturbed by wave runners and speed boats.

Between the Boathouse and the south end of the beach are at least 3 restaurants serving both Thai and Western food--all pretty good and cheap. Our favorite was the Kata B-B-Q: great food and really pleasant service.

Our room was nicely appointed and the size was more than adequate, with a mini-bar, cable TV, comfy bed, wi-fi internet connection, and a small balcony. We stayed on the ground floor, and the garden foliage blocked our view of the beach, so next time we will ask for a second floor room. A fruit plate was replenished daily. The buffet breakfast had sufficient variety, so that it didn't feel like it was the same old thing every day.

The restaurant at the Boathouse has the reputation as one of the best on the island, and reservations for dinner are probably necessary even during mid-week. The wine list is the big attraction, and the foyer of the hotel is festooned with multiple awards from the Wine Spectator. To be honest, we were disappointed in the dinner we had--maybe our expectations were set too high. We actually thought their other restaurant, Gung, just a few steps south on the beach road, was much better.

This part of Kata Beach has the requisite souvenir shops, tour desks, convenience stores and tailors, but it isn't overwhelming like some of the more built-up areas of Phuket. There is a great little spa, The Senses, just down the road about 150 meters, that is serene and far less expensive than the one that is associated with the resort.

All in all, a great stay. Because this is the rainy season, the room rates were little more than half of high season, but now that we have stayed here, we will probably come back even when the rates go up.