Club Med Phuket

Hi Everyone

After asking questions a couple of months ago from all you Phuket experts, I was quite reassured about our impending holiday to Club Med Phuket. We are going in April during Australian school holidays. Today, however, this review, that I have copied below, of the resort appeared on Trip Advisor. Can anyone who was there in January tell me whether this is true or not. I am going with two teenagers and the whole reason we are going there is for the Teen Club and the activities, particularly circus school, for the kids. I am now seriously worried, because my kids will be devastated if there is no teen club, or it is so boring that kids need to be threatened with it as the reviewer comments. I am also concerned about their comments regarding food being like canteen food. There is not much point paying for all inclusive if it isn't any good.

Looking forward to your replies and thanks once more.

Deb


Traveler rating:
Phuket: Club Med Phuket: "Club Med let down"
Jan 29, 2007 Sarajane, perth western australia




My experience with this property took place in:
January, 2007
After spending a fabulous week at Club Med in Bali last year we were so impressed we decided to try the Phuket club In January for 13 nights. Upon our arrival in Phuket where we received none of the normal Club Med greeting we instantly felt things were not right. Sadly our suspicions were confirmed. The standard of this Club in every respect is so far behind our experience in Bali you cannot believe they are part of the same group. You just expect an organisation like Club Med to uphold standards.. The food in Bali was spectacular, in Phuket it was kindred to an office canteen. The kids club was without fun resulting in the majority of kids congregating around the pool and bar areas. In Bali the GO's made an effort to put on a kids show each night so the kids were involved with rehearals. Out of 13 nights in Phuket their were just two shows which included the children. In Phuket the GO's weren't really interested in the kids and were much more interested in performing themselves. They should have listened to the audience because on the night the kids were allowed to perform the audience went wild. I couldnt help but feel sad when I heard parents threatening their kids with the kids club if they didnt behave - in Bali we couldnt keep our kids away from the kids club as the GO's in Bali just made sure the kids had a ball, where in Phuket they were going through the motions, with one or two exceptions. There was absolutely no sign at all of a Teen Club, as apparently the GO that was in charge was on Holiday, now this is great except that a large part of our holiday invoice must have been allocated to the care of our kids. The circus school in particluar was dissapointing as the only activity they did was the high flying trapeze which meant a lot of kids missed out. Our kids love circus and this is one of the reasons we chose to go to Club Med. In Bali every day they did a variety of circus schools and my kids were able to master new skills which made their holiday so memorable. The circus GO's may be compentant performers but they don't care about the kids, we had to beg for our kids to be included in the circus show, apparently they only let kids do the trampoline whilst the trapeze and other skills are confined to the GO's. This was absoloutely not the way it was done in Bali, the kids always took centre stage. Perhaps the Phuket Go's should consider joining the circus if they want to perform, and Club Med should get some child friendly GO's. Whilst the GO's circus show was well presented and received (particulary by the many Europeans who came without kids.)I can quite easily go to the circus to see this. This is paticularly worrying as apparently the Phuket club is responsible for the circus schools throught Asia. Perhaps Club Med Phuket should just own up and become an adult only club. After this experience we will probably not risk Club Med again for whilst you don't mind the major investment when things are as good as in Bali when it all goes wrong you just dont get what you have most certainly paid for. Club Med is still a great concept, a great way for kids to have a holiday and a place for us all to make friends, but it has to be better than this. You cannot help but understand the problems at this club as we overheard one GO comment to another at dinner "yeah, well we get complaints every day about something but there's no point in doing anything about it because you'll only get another complaint the next day." Wake up Club Med Phuket you have let us down and you are letting your whole organisation down.

Deb,

You will always and anywhere find good and bad reviews, be it for hotels or CM villages.
So, basically, I'd leave out the worst and the best review and see what's in the middle (average).

Right now, on a French forum, there's a GM (a long standing member) who just returned from Phuket and who posted a most wonderful review with a special mention for the outstanding food.

I know quite some GOs who are in Phuket right now and I have the most wonderful memories of them. Don't forget, the teams just like the Chef de village do change every 6 or 12 months, so basically, you can't really compare, because a lot always depends on the team (including the F&B manager, cooks, etc.).

As for the children's show, there's usually one per week, either a pre-dinner show or then, the kids are part of the evening show. And that's it (in general).

If there's a single problem, DO NOT hesitate and go to see responsible of team (circus or whatever), the CDV or his assistant immediately and don't complain around with other GOs or GMs which may agree with you or not. As long as your complaints are justified, it's worth a dialogue with the ones in charge.

In April, there are chances there will be more kids and teenagers compared to January, because of the Easter break in most European countries.

Don't let you deter from one bad review, because you'll also find most positive ones. Incidentally, on Trip Advisor, I've found reviews of hotels I stayed at that were from bad to glorious. Go figure!
I suppose you did read the comments here on CMP:
http://www.clubmedplanet.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=5802

Also, do read carefully what services are mentioned on the CMs web page. Every village has different pros and cons. However, from what I understand, Phuket seems to offer a teens' club (11-18 yo).
http://www.clubmed.com.au/

Enjoy your Phuket holiday!

PS: I just read the reviews on TA. You picked out but the worst review from all of them. Again, in reviews on the internet, you will always find a hair in the soup, if you're looking for it.

the teen club isn't a permanent fixture in asian club meds except for cherating now that they've got that hideous space-age corner thing for teens to play their PS2s and whathavetheys (and the whole point of coming to a beach resort is..?). most of the time a teenclub is formed when teenage occupancy is high i.e. school holidays. i'm assuming you'll be in phuket for the easter break and there'll be a lot more teens around the village by then.

circus in phuket is extremely impressive, you shouldn't let that review spoil your potential experience there. the GOs may not let kids fly in the shows but the kidsclub does have kids shows either before dinner or after the shows. also i'm pretty sure there will be at least one circus show featuring the kids during the school breaks, it will most probably be something indoors though.

the circus team (in general) is quite a narcissistic group as a bunch but individually some of them are nice so it's unfair to say that "they" don't care about the kids.

Kiki is right, at every club that I have been to there was a kid's show once a week, with talented kids as part of the circus show, which is frequently after the main show and is once a week as well. Having the kids as part of every show is unheard of, and would drive most of the GM's who were there without kids, absolutely bonkers. It sounds like the lady from Perth would have been happier at Disney World.

John

John-Chicago is right, even I had my kids in Baby, Petit, Mini, Teens, I would never have enjoyed them taking part every night in the show. Now mine are adults, and quite frankly, one kids show a week is enough.

awww come on - there will always be bad & good reviews about anything anywhere in the world. my say is that don't take the reviews & experience it for yourself. not everyplace or everything suits everyone to the T so it's best to judge for yourself. you can see here that there are so many people enjoying their time & times in phuket. so go on - try it & no more hesitation!

phuket is to me the best in asia!

there is no teens club, but there is a juniors club, again depending on occupancy of the GMs of 11-17 years old & depending if any of them want to join in the juniors club. it will only operate if there are enough 11-17 year olds in the village, no point having a juniors club with only 2 people. most of the time, kids of that age would rather wander about on their own then be tied to a programme.

try it, no regrets...

Hi deb,

Firstly, I would have to agree with the notion that you can't take someone else's opinion as fact.

Secondly, a holiday is what you make of it, not what other people do for you.

I have been to Phuket during the April Australian school holidays and my teenage brothers, aged 18 and 15 at the time and they had an awesome time with a group of Australian teenagers. There was a teens club (though not official) which as formed with Australian, French, South African, New Zealand and German teenagers. (Please note that there are only official Teens club based on demand and only in French school holidays)

Basically, the negative post on TripAdvisor seemed primarily concerned that her teenagers were not adequately entertained for their every whim. C'mon they're teenagers after all, and even if there was a teen club, it doesn't mean that all the teens are going to get along or be best buddies for that week. Teenagers are a rather fickle bunch at the best of times. So basically Club Med is not a babysitiing service for Teens and it never has claimed to be.

So don't worry about the whinging Aussie and make the most of your holiday. The first part is your attitude. If you're positive and approachable, then the GOs and the other guests react positively to this.

As for the food, there are good and bad days at any restaurant and at any club med. So it depends on your own individual tastes really. (My personal favourite is at Bintan, but others love Phuket...they're completely different in style regardless of what team of chefs there are)

Also as for the circus show. Due to safety reasons, only those over the age of 16 are able to take part in the indoor circus show e.g. static trapeze inc double and single and swinging. This policy was probably introduced inbetween when the TripAdvisor poster first went to Club Med (it was introduced in 2005 after a GO accident - not a guest). If she had actually asked the Chief of Circus instead of whinning away, she would have discovered the change in safety policy.

So yeah, trust your own instinct in booking the great holiday and remember make the most of it...

"You will always and anywhere find good and bad reviews, be it for hotels or CM villages."

That is so true !

But sometimes, one should call a spade a Spade and not be defensive about it Or even blame the unfortunate reviewer

I;ve been visiting CM since 1981 and i;ve had bad experiences at some villages as well as wonderful ones which makes me want o visit CM again.

ps thanks for reminding to skip phuket during the school hols



Aita Pea Pea

Vinz

I agree with you about not blaming an unfortunate reviewer.

But a bad review (of whatever) wouldn't possibly deter me from going somewhere (CM village, hotel, restaurant, movie, etc.), as long as there are good reviews as well.