Apartments with a Kitchen and a Washing Machine in Phuket: Why It Matters
Why a kitchen and a washing machine change a trip to Phuket more than the view from the window: at what length of stay they become a necessity, what to clarify about the equipment and what to look for in a listing.
When someone is choosing accommodation in Phuket, they usually sort the options by the view from the window and the distance to the beach. A kitchen and a washing machine are seen as a pleasant addition — something in the “nice if it is there” category.
In our experience it is the other way round. The view is a pleasure for the first few days. The kitchen and the washing machine work every day, right up to check-out. Let us look at why.
Where the boundary lies
There is a fairly clear threshold after which household equipment stops being an addition.
Up to a week. You can manage without any of it. You have enough clothes, you eat out, and the accommodation is needed mainly for sleeping.
One to two weeks. Laundry appears. The monotony of eating out starts to become tiresome.
From two weeks. A kitchen and a washing machine move into the necessary category. Without them the trip turns into a series of household tasks: where to do the laundry, what to eat, what time to be somewhere.
A month and more. This is no longer a trip but living in a new place. Without a kitchen and laundry it is inconveniently arranged. We have a separate analysis of long trips.
With children the boundary shifts downwards: a kitchen is needed practically from the first day, because a child’s eating routine does not coincide with restaurant schedules. In more detail — Phuket with children.
What “kitchen” means in listings
The problem is that the word “kitchen” is used to describe very different things:
- a full kitchen with a stove, a fridge, tableware and everything needed for cooking;
- a “kitchenette” — a sink, a microwave, a kettle;
- just a kettle and a mini fridge.
The difference between the first and the third is fundamental, but in the description they can look the same.
What to ask specifically:
- Is there a stove? How many burners?
- Is there tableware, pots, pans — or do you have to buy them?
- Is there a fridge? With a freezer compartment?
- Is there something to heat food up with — a microwave?
In our apartments the kitchen is fully equipped. We word it exactly that way, because you can cook straight after check-in without buying additional utensils.
Why the washing machine should be in the apartment itself
Formally the task can be solved in three ways: a laundry room in the complex, a laundry service, your own machine in the apartment. But in practice these are different levels of convenience.
A laundry room in the complex: you have to fit in with availability, carry your things there, wait.
A laundry service: you pay for each batch, and the items go away and do not come back immediately.
Your own machine: you start it and forget about it.
On a trip of two weeks or more, and especially with children, where the volume of laundry grows unpredictably because of the sea, sand and food, the third option simply removes the question.
There is a washing machine in every one of our apartments.
What else affects everyday life
The kitchen and the laundry are the main things, but not everything. Two more points worth checking.
Internet
If you work remotely or simply make a lot of calls, the phrase “there is Wi-Fi” is not enough. A shared connection for a large building may not hold a video call in the evening hours.
We have a dedicated high-speed internet connection. In addition, on the grounds there is a library-coworking space: a place you can go to work if you do not want to stay in the apartment.
Television
A point that seems like a trifle until you spend several months on the island or travel with children who need something to keep them occupied on a rainy evening.
Our apartments have a TV with channels from more than 100 countries.
The full equipment list
So that you do not have to gather the information in pieces, here is what there is in every one of our apartments:
- a fully equipped kitchen;
- a washing machine;
- a dedicated high-speed internet connection;
- a TV with channels from more than 100 countries;
- a balcony;
- a view of the sea or of the pool.
We list only what is confirmed for all the options. If you need something specific that is not on the list — ask, and we will answer plainly whether it is there or not.
Self-sufficiency plus infrastructure
A common concern: if you take apartments for the sake of a kitchen, you will have to give up resort infrastructure.
You will not have to, if the apartments are located inside a resort. Our guests use the whole grounds of the Mida Grande Resort complex (4+/5★ class):
- 6 swimming pools: 4 on the roof, 2 with bars;
- a restaurant, a Starbucks cafe, a rooftop cafe;
- 2 gyms;
- 2 children’s playrooms;
- a library-coworking space;
- a garden lounge;
- 2 covered garages and parking next to the buildings.
That is, a kitchen for everyday life — and a restaurant when you do not feel like cooking. A detailed comparison with the hotel format: apartments or a hotel.
What options there are
We manage 7 apartments, with areas from 40 to 69 m², on floors 1–9. The equipment is the same in all of them — they differ in area, number of bedrooms and view.
One bedroom, 40–45 m² (up to 3 guests: a King Size bed, a sofa bed, a child’s bed):
- Deluxe Pool View 40 m² — pool view;
- Deluxe Ocean View 40 m² — sea view;
- Deluxe Ocean View 45 m² — sea view, more space.
Two bedrooms, 54–69 m² (two bathrooms):
- Family 2 Bedroom 54 m² — up to 5 guests;
- Grande 2 Bedroom Ocean View 69 m² — up to 4 guests;
- Grande 2 Bedroom Jungle View 69 m² — up to 5 guests;
- Grande Luxury 69 m² — panoramic view, 7th floor.
What to take into account financially
Your own kitchen saves on food, but an item appears that does not exist in a hotel: utility payments. On long bookings they are calculated by meter, and the main part is electricity because of the air conditioning.
Our figures:
| Apartments | Water and electricity |
|---|---|
| 1 bedroom | approximately 80 THB per day |
| 2 bedrooms | 120 THB per day |
Cleaning is on request, from 600 THB for one bedroom without a change of linen to 1600 THB for two bedrooms with a change of linen.
The base rental price is from 2000 THB per night and from 30000 THB per month. Discounts: 10% for bookings from 14 days, 7% — from 3 months. The conditions in full are on the rental and payment page.
About the location
The apartments are located at Surin Beach, on the west coast of Phuket. It is ≈ 750 metres to the beach — roughly 12–15 minutes on foot. To Bang Tao it is 712 metres, to Pansea 912 metres, to Kamala 1.7 km.
About the area in detail: the Surin area — who it suits and an overview of the west coast areas.
Short conclusion
If your trip is longer than two weeks or you are travelling with children — a kitchen and a washing machine will affect your impression more than the view from the window and even more than the area.
Check the wording: a “kitchen” can be very different things. Ask about the stove, the tableware, the fridge and about where exactly the washing machine is.
If you need an option where all of this is there by default — write to us: we will select apartments to suit the length of your stay and your group, and check availability for the dates you need.