The Lantern Resorts Patong

Following a revamp in 2017, The Lantern has emerged as a flashy, modern property that perfectly suits its surroundings, right by the main drag of Patong's nightlife. Despite being in one of the most bustling areas of town, the hotel itself is a bit insulated from noise, thanks to being fronted by a long courtyard peppered with patio furniture and lipstick-red umbrellas. At the back of this sits the hotel's lobby, an almost aggressively trendy space with a Plexiglas chandelier, geometrically patterned pillows, and strips of red neon lights highlighting the ceiling tiles. The hotel's buildings stretch out from the lobby in a U shape around the courtyard. To the left of the lobby is a calmer lounge space with pleather armchairs and sofas giving a spot to collect yourself by the elevators, which rise up to guest rooms. Still, this space tends to sit empty, unlike the hotel's street-side restaurant, to the right of the lobby. This space, decked out in pop art-style portraits, gets a crowd at breakfast time and continues to get a handful of customers throughout the day. It’s an excellent spot for people-watching, as you can see the throngs of travelers and locals making their way up toward Bangla Road -- but it also picks up a fair amount of traffic noise, particularly as mopeds roar by. Other spots that draw guests to linger include the hotel's three pools, although these were never crowded on our visit as many people were often out exploring the surrounding streets or heading to the beach. Given its location and its trendy look, The Lantern draws plenty of twentysomething tourists coming to partake in the area's party-till-dawn atmosphere. But perhaps surprisingly, The Lantern has broad appeal to plenty of travelers, and it seems to draw couples, families, and friend groups in equal measure. 

The Lantern Resorts is a block away from the thumping heartbeat of Patong's main nightlife artery -- Bangla Road. This boisterous stretch of nightclubs has an up-all-night reputation, and it's stuffed with bars, bi-level night clubs, and go-go dancers. It's worth noting, especially for families, that this is also a hub for the area's sex workers. But Bangla is far from the only attraction in the area, the hotel also sits just in front of the massive Jungceylon shopping mall. There, guests can find a multilevel arcade full of upscale stores like Coach, the department store Robinson, plus a food court, a movie theater, and spas, along with a Boots pharmacy. A huge food market also sits just behind the mall. Patong beach, a sunny stretch of sand populated with sunbathers, vendors, and beach clubs, is a 10-minute walk away. Apart from these attractions, the streets are surrounded with bars, cafes, restaurants, cheapie massage spots, and conveniences like mini marts and ATM kiosks. Those looking to reach the must-see cultural attractions of the area will have to depend on a taxi ride. The temple complex of Wat Chalong can be reached in a 36-minute drive, and the towering Big Buddha sculpture is 45-minutes away. Phuket International Airport is a 55 minute drive to the north of the island. 

Continuing the youthful, punchy design found in public spaces, guest rooms are equally trendy. A light, fresh backdrop of white platform beds, milk-white walls, and light wood veneer furniture is brightened up by colorful accent walls and narrow canvases showing silhouettes of chandeliers and candles. Details like prints of Gustav Klimt’s “The Kiss” and molded plastic chairs in some rooms add another layer of stylistic flair. But despite a 2017 refresh, guest rooms do occasionally suffer from some minor maintenance issues, such as dripping air-conditioning units.All rooms come with gigantic flat-screen TVs, mini-fridges, free water bottles, electric kettles with tea/coffee supplies, safes, hairdryers, flip flops, and bathrobes. Wi-Fi is free throughout as well, and headboards are topped with little gooseneck reading lamps. Some rooms have furnished balconies, but views are eye-level with other surrounding buildings, so there's no chance of a glimpse of the beach. Room categories start at simple Studios that are still large enough to accommodate writing desks, wardrobes, and media cabinets. View Pent with Balconies add reclining loungers and big furnished balconies, and the largest category, Quad Rooms, can sleep four (with four times the amenities, too) though it subtracts the balcony to add more floorspace. Some ground-floor rooms also have direct pool access from their balconies. Bathrooms range as well, from Studios with simple walk-in showers to the quite roomy View Pent Rooms' bathrooms with soaking tubs and separate showers.Given the hotel's location, it's no surprise that some nightlife noise does reach the rooms. But air-conditioning units do provide a bit of white noise to drown it out.

For a smaller, centrally located hotel, The Lantern does a good job of providing multiple features covering everything expected of an upper-middle-range resort. There are three stylish rectangular swimming pools on the premises: one adult and one kiddy pool on the ground floor, plus another rooftop one. While none of these are particularly large, the combination of all three provides plenty of room for guests to swim and splash around, and snapping up a free lounger was never an issue on our visit.Dining takes place in a street-side restaurant that serves all meals, including a breakfast buffet (usually included in room rates, but not always). The morning spread covers hot and cold dishes suiting both Eastern and Western tastes. Both the ground-floor and rooftop pool areas are also equipped with snack bars that serve drinks (cocktails and mocktails included) and finger food. Room service is available as well.An on-site massage center offers a full lineup of massage treatments in a peaceful atmosphere with a softly tinkling soundtrack. A private couple’s room is also available, and big cushy armchairs give a cozy perch for foot massages. Another calm space is the hotel's library, an interior room with padded benches, two public computers, and a few shelfs with books to peruse. For events, the hotel has a bookable meeting room with the capacity for 60. The front desk is open 24 hours, and a tour desk is on hand to arrange excursions. Other services include taxi and transportation reservations and laundry service. On-site parking and Wi-Fi are both free.