Banyan Tree Phuket

Banyan Tree Phuket is the first Banyan Tree ever built, on the Laguna lagoons behind Bang Tao Beach rather than on the sand itself. Its relaunch made it an all-pool-villa resort, with a private pool in every villa and two in each DoublePool Villa. It holds no MICHELIN Key.

"The first Banyan Tree ever built, relaunched so every villa has a private pool, but it sits behind the beach rather than on it."

Aggregate 9.0/10 on our editorial scale (Room & Design, Service, Location). Independently scored; see our methodology. This is our opinion, not an aggregate of user reviews.

Affiliate disclosure: we may earn a commission from bookings at no cost to you. We never accept payment for placement. Resort status, villa product and Michelin ratings were verified against official sources and the 2026 Michelin Guide Thailand in July 2026.

What makes Banyan Tree Phuket special?

This is the original. Banyan Tree Phuket is the first resort the brand ever built, and it is where the Asian pool-villa concept as we now know it began, which makes it the most historically significant address in Bang Tao. The site has a second story: it was a reclaimed abandoned tin mine, rehabilitated by Laguna's founders across 550 acres, and the lagoons the resort sits on are the legacy of that mining. The current reason to book is more recent. After a renovation programme the resort relaunched as an all-pool-villa property: 44 former Deluxe Villas were converted into 34 Banyan Pool Villas and 10 Banyan Lagoon Pool Villas, so every villa category on the estate now has its own private pool. The DoublePool Villas go further with two private pools each. Two things to keep straight. The resort is on the lagoons behind Bang Tao Beach, not on the beach, and it holds no MICHELIN Key and no starred restaurant, so judge it on the villas and the history rather than on inspector badges.

Which room should you book?

Every villa here has a private pool, which is the cleanest fact about the accommodation and the point of the relaunch. Categories on Banyan Tree's own site run through Pool Villas in one, two and three-bedroom sizes, DoublePool Villas in the same sizes with two private pools per villa, Signature Pool Villas, Grand Two-Bedroom Pool Villas, and 10 adults-only Spa Pool Villas set beside a lagoon on an all-inclusive basis with daily wellbeing rituals. The conversion that created the current line-up turned 44 former Deluxe Villas into 34 Banyan Pool Villas and 10 Banyan Lagoon Pool Villas. What we will not give you is a resort total. Banyan Tree does not publish one on its official site and third-party figures conflict badly, with one trade listing saying 121 villas and another 218, so any single number you see quoted elsewhere should be treated as unreliable. One caveat on condition: the renovation has been phased, so villa quality varies by category and it is worth asking what has been done to yours.

Where should you eat and drink?

Two restaurants are confirmed as part of the relaunch, and both reopened with it: Saffron, serving Thai, and The Watercourt, serving Andaman seafood. Beyond those two we are not listing outlets, because Banyan Tree's current full line-up could not be verified against a primary source, and guessing at restaurant names is not something we will do. Check the resort's own dining pages when you book, and ask what is open, since a phased renovation means openings move. There is no MICHELIN-starred restaurant here and no MICHELIN Key. What compensates is the neighbourhood. The resort sits inside the Laguna Phuket estate, and the Boat Avenue and Bang Tao dining strip is reachable on foot or by free internal shuttle, which is unusual on Phuket, where most luxury resorts are marooned. If you want variety on a long stay, that access is worth more here than an extra hotel outlet would be. Plan on eating out at least a few nights.

What is the spa and pool like?

Spa is arguably this resort's deepest credential. Banyan Tree Spa is the group's own brand and the business that effectively created the Asian resort spa category, and this is the resort where the brand began. The Banyan Tree Spa Sanctuary is here too. If you care about the lineage of the treatment you are booking, it runs back to this estate. The accommodation supports it: the 10 Spa Pool Villas are adults-only, all-inclusive, set beside a lagoon and built around daily wellbeing rituals, which is a more committed wellness product than a spa menu bolted onto a room. Every villa on the estate has a private pool, so swimming is never communal unless you want it to be. Sea swimming is a different matter. Bang Tao faces west and takes full monsoon surf from May to October, when red flags close the water, so the pools carry the low season.

Where is Banyan Tree Phuket, and how do you get there?

Banyan Tree Phuket is not on the beach, and that needs saying plainly. The resort sits on the lagoons of Laguna Phuket, behind Bang Tao Beach on the north-west coast, at 33, 33/27 Moo 4, Srisoonthorn Road, Choeng Thale, Thalang. Beach access and beach facilities are provided, but reaching the sand means a walk, a buggy or a shuttle rather than stepping off your terrace. In exchange you get the best connectivity of any resort in our Phuket list. The airport is roughly 20 to 25 minutes away, among the shortest transfers on the island. The Laguna estate itself and the Boat Avenue and Bang Tao dining strip are reachable on foot or by free internal shuttle, so there is somewhere to go in the evening without a taxi. Old Phuket Town is roughly 45 to 55 minutes. The other side of that coin is exposure: Bang Tao is a long west-coast beach and takes full monsoon surf from May to October.

What do guests consistently say?

This suits guests who want a private pool villa with easy access to the outside world, and who are honest with themselves about the beach. Couples take the Pool Villas or, for two pools and more space, the DoublePool Villas. Adults-only travellers with a wellness agenda take one of the 10 Spa Pool Villas, which are all-inclusive and built around daily rituals. Families use the two and three-bedroom villas and the walkable Laguna estate. It suits repeat Phuket visitors who value being 20 to 25 minutes from the airport and a stroll from Boat Avenue more than they value beachfront. It does not suit anyone who wants to open a door onto sand, or anyone looking for a small, hushed, headland hideaway, because Laguna is a large multi-hotel complex and the resort feels less private than the cape and cove properties. Ask about villa condition when you book, since the renovation was phased and quality varies by category.

Honest cons: who should skip it?

Four honest drawbacks. First, and most often misrepresented, the resort is not beachfront. It sits on the Laguna lagoons behind Bang Tao Beach, so every trip to the sand is a walk, a buggy ride or a shuttle. If beachfront is your requirement, book a cove or headland property instead. Second, scale and privacy. Banyan Tree sits inside the large multi-hotel Laguna Phuket complex, which is why it is so well connected, and also why it feels less exclusive and less secluded than the resorts on their own headlands. Third, condition. Parts of the estate are long-established and the renovation has been phased, so villa quality varies by category, and it is worth asking exactly what has been refreshed in the category you are booking. Fourth, the monsoon. Bang Tao is a long west-coast beach and takes full southwest monsoon surf from May to October, with red flags closing swimming on rough days.