The Slate, Phuket

Rooms and decor

The Slate turns the phrase design hotel into a playground for photographers and design lovers — every corner of the resort is the work of Bill Bensley, an architect who drew on Phuket's tin-mining history from the era before tourism. Bare concrete walls are cut with heavy teak furniture, brass lamps, chains and raw steel, for an industrial-chic feel that is both rough and luxurious at once. Rooms come in several types, from a 50 sq m standard up to a Hot Tub suite with a jacuzzi on its own private balcony. Beds are soft and the linens crisp, and small touches — a headboard made from an antique sewing machine, a rug printed with an old mine map — have guests on Trip.com agreeing it feels like a museum you can sleep in. Overall score 9.4/10.

Food and amenities

The resort's highlight is Black Ginger, a Thai restaurant floating in the middle of a pool — you ride a raft across to eat, like a scene from a Bollywood film. Bold southern Thai dishes arrive on antique brass tableware; it is expensive, but the experience is hard to find anywhere else, and many guests say to book 2-3 days ahead. Other places to eat include The Tin Mine all-day dining, the Rivet Grill steakhouse, the Black Ginger Lounge and Rivet Bar, designed to look like a real mine. There is a big main pool facing Nai Yang beach, a kids' pool, and a Cool Pool. In the spa, Coqoon is known for treatment rooms set 6 metres up in the trees. The gym is open 24 hours with a free morning yoga session, and activities run from Muay Thai classes and batik painting to a guided nature walk in Sirinat Park.

Location and getting there

The Slate sits inside Sirinat National Park, right on Nai Yang beach at the northern tip of the island. The best thing about the location is simple: it is the closest hotel on this list to the airport — a 5-minute drive out of the resort and you are at Phuket airport (HKT), which is perfect if you land very late or fly out before dawn. Nai Yang itself is one of the quietest beaches on the island, with fine white sand and shady casuarina trees, gentle surf in the dry season (Nov-Apr), good for an easy evening stroll while planes pass overhead. That said, if you want the busy side of the island, Patong is 30 kilometres away, a 45-minute to 1-hour drive, with a round-trip taxi of $23-34 a day — not worth it if you go every day.

Things to know before booking

Let's be straight to help you decide. First, in-resort food and drinks run fairly high next to places outside. Dishes at Black Ginger are about $43-71 a head and Rivet Grill steaks $51-100 a plate, so if you plan to eat in the resort every meal, set aside the budget — or rent a car and head out to local food in Tha Chatchai or Mai Khao, which is much cheaper. Second, plane noise: it is so close to the airport that when aircraft land every 10-15 minutes it gets loud, and some rooms catch it more than others, so ask for one that does not face the runway directly. Third, it is not a fit if you want nightlife — Patong is 30 km away, a long haul, so if your plan is Bangla Road every evening, this is not the right choice.

Our take

The Slate, Phuket sells a one-of-a-kind look and an airport-side location with no real rival. If the trip in your head is wandering the grounds taking photos, a stylish dinner floating in a pool, and not having to wake up too early on your way out, this is a place you may fall for from the first step. But if you are focused on Patong nightlife, or arriving as a family with small kids who want to splash around the resort all day, somewhere else on this list may suit you better. Overall we give it 9.4/10 — best for couples, design lovers, and anyone using it as a base right before or after a flight.