I spent a bit over a month at Palmetto Park Residence, and here are my honest thoughts about the accommodation.
I arrived in mid-October, which was still low season, so the hotel wasn’t fully booked. That made the first two weeks feel very different.
Most mornings I’d head up to the rooftop pool for a 30-minute swim before starting the day. Having the pool almost to myself felt amazing.
The Location and What to Expect
Palmetto Park Residence is located on Soi 14 off Patak Road in Karon. It’s about a 5–7 minute walk from the main road, where there are a few restaurants and a 7-Eleven.
From there, it’s another 5 minutes down to the beach. So it’s not super close to the beach but definitely manageable.
I really liked the area around the apartment. It’s calm and a bit more local, with a mix of buildings and some traditional Thai houses, which felt more authentic. The building sits at the foot of Nakkerd Hill, which is covered in dense rainforest, providing a nice contrast to the traffic on the main road.
The Apartment
The rooms looked great on the booking website, so I had high expectations. In Thailand, it’s quite common for photos to look amazing while the actual room has a few flaws.
But when I opened the door, it looked almost exactly like the pictures, clean and still feeling fairly new, with two AC units (one in the bedroom and one in the kitchen area).
The only downside was a strong mold smell at first. I even asked the staff if they could do anything about it, but they said they didn’t notice anything and offered to move me to another room. However, the new rooms smelled pretty much the same, so I decided to stay. It improved after a while, and eventually, I hardly noticed it.
The apartment also had a small balcony facing the building across the street. It was nice to be able to sit outside sometimes, but didn’t use it that much to be honest,
One thing I hadn’t considered when booking was the washing machine. It turned out to be a lifesaver during a long stay. They even provided a small packet of washing powder.
The bedroom felt fresh, the bed was large with some good pillows and the bathroom was new with a spacious shower. Overall, the apartment exceeded my expectations.
Facilities ans Services
There’s a rooftop swimming pool. I loved it during the first two weeks when it was quiet. Later, it got busier, but it was still nice to be able to go up there to cool of on a warm day.
There’s also a small gym with a few machines and some weights. It’s not the best gym, but fine if you just want to run a bit or do a quick workout before dinner.
One of the things I was a bit worried about was the internet. Since I was working remotely, I needed fast and stable connectivity for video calls and uploading large files. It turned out that the 5G connection was very reliable and I had no problems at all doing my work from Thailand. which was a big relief.
The building is fairly soundproof. I had a few nights with loud neighbors playing music, but otherwise it was mostly quiet. Most people staying here seemed to be couples or families, so overall it felt calm.
The reception was open 24/7, which made the place feel safe. The staff were very friendly and polite, always willing to help and pleasant to talk to.
So, Would I Stay Here Again?
Yes I would definitely stay at Palmetto Park Residence again. The apartment worked well for me, the pool and internet were great, and the area felt calm. The small things, like the initial mold smell or the tiny balcony, didn’t bother me much in the end. I would definitely stay here again if I come back to Karon.
One tip if you’re planning to stay longer then a month is that both Airbnb and Booking.com often offer discounts for month-long bookings. It’s worth comparing the two so you don’t overpay.
