It was basically a typhoon when we arrived, so we trudged from the lobby to our room in pouring rain, then trudged back for dinner. The villas are connected by an ugly walkway system, like Amankila had in Bali. The villas themselves seem unnecessarily ugly on the outside; well, not so much ugly as sad and plain. The interiors are quite similar in size and decor to Aman as well, although the bathrooms need a design makeover. Importantly, there are one hundred villas at the Chedi, many times more than at the Amanpuri, so the sense of privacy and personal service that is an Aman highlight is definitely lost. But the service is still good, food very good (except a below average breakfast) and if you haven't been spoiled by some of the other great hotels around Thailand, the Chedi would make a very good impression. (Room: 7, Facilities: 8, Service: 8, Overall: 8)

Somchai golfed most days while I hung out by the pool. The rain would usually let up during the day enough for me to turn red and Somchai to get at least a few holes in, then would come crashing down in the evening. We mostly stayed around the hotel partly due to the rain and partly due to the ugliness of Patong, Phuket's heaving nonstop party. There are actually some decent parts of Phuket, but it's a big hilly island and not that easy to get around. On some trips we stay in northern Phuket, which is too far to get to Patong and so it's developed its own restaurant/beach/bar scene, which is much quieter and more upscale. But in the southern half, all roads lead to Patong...