Phuket is the largest island in Thailand, creating an overwhelming number of hotel choices for the beachgoer-to-be. But since you arrived at this article, you’re likely on the verge of picking your accommodation.
So, is Selina Phuket worth the money?
I’ll share my thoughts with you in this Selina Phuket review. I stayed at Selina for two weeks, so I learned a thing or two during that time.
Accessibility Note: Unfortunately, Selina Phuket isn’t wheelchair accessible, and Phuket as a whole offers poor accessibility.
What’s in It For You, Laura?
To help you.
Really!
I paid in full for my Selina stay, and Selina had no idea I’d be writing this article. Despite the many articles I’ve written about them, I’m pretty sure Selina continues to have no idea about my little blog.
As full disclosure, Selina upgraded me from a 2-bed dorm room to a private cabana during the last four nights of my stay. They said they needed to clear out my dorm room for photos, as they recently remodeled. My roomie got a private cabana too.
Note: Selina Phuket officially goes by Selina Serenity Rawai Phuket.
About the Selina Brand
Before we jump into this Selina Phuket review, it’s helpful to have a background on Selina.
Selina got its start in 2014 as a boutique hostel chain. Some, but not all, of its hostels have coworking spaces. However, given the changing times that Covid created in the work environment, most new Selinas opening around the globe come with coworking areas.
Needless to say, the pandemic worked in Selina’s favor, as they were already ahead of the remote work game.
As a result, Selina is a hub for digital nomads. However, you’ll also encounter your average vacationer staying there. Some families also chose to stay at Selina, though it’s a better environment for younger couples and solo travelers.
Selina offers a range of room types, from large dorm rooms to private suites.
Selina Phuket’s Location
Selina Phuket’s location is either a blessing or curse, depending on your travel style. The hostel sits about 1 hour and 10 minutes south of the Phuket airport on a good traffic day.
The hostel is located in Rawai, hence the formal name “Selina Serenity Rawai Phuket.”
It’ll take you about 30 minutes to travel by taxi from Selina Phuket to the old town.
Needless to say, Selina Phuket isn’t a good fit for people who want shopping opportunities at their fingertips or to take a lot of day tours to different islands, for you’ll spend lots of money and time traveling to and from the port.
However, if you’re seeking a secluded resort for relatively reasonable prices and views to die for, Selina Phuket might be for you.
Despite its more remote location, there are many restaurants within a one-mile radius of Selina, including options for vegetarians, vegans, and raw vegans. Walking is feasible but not a comfortable situation, given that there aren’t sidewalks. So, renting a scooter is the best option for getting around.
Admittedly, scooters and I don’t jibe. So, I walked to restaurants every day from Selina and managed fine enough.
One item to note is that while the ocean views at Selina Phuket are unparalleled and there’s a beach you can walk along, the beach itself isn’t the nicest on the island.
However, there are several beaches not too far away in southern Phuket Island where you can arrive by renting a scooter or using Grab (the Uber of Thailand).
Hostel Setup
Selina Phuket is massive. They purchased an already established resort, which cascades down a relatively steep hill, ending at the beach.
When you first arrive, an open-air lobby will greet you. The Selina staff will then show you to your room, which will be in one of several buildings down the hill on your right-hand side or the cabanas to the left.
One of the buildings closest to the pool has a large kitchen, living room, and media room. There’s also a small but well-equipped gym nearby. Selina offers free bottled water to its guests in the kitchen and gym; just bring your own water bottle.
If you’ll be working remotely while at Selina, booking the cowork space is a must, if only for the views. I’ll talk more about the cowork shortly.
The prize of amenities Selina Phuket is its outdoor pool, restaurant, and bar area. There’s also an outdoor yoga studio and massage area on the second floor. This is where you’ll get to catch some sun, make new friends, and soak in sunrises.
The area also becomes extra lively on many nights, as Selina often hosts events like Latin dancing and parties with DJs.
Rooms at Selina Phuket
Selina offers rooms to fit many budgets. Below is a breakdown of each of them.
Dorm Rooms
Selina Phuket offers fewer dorm room options than many of its other locations. They include:
- 2-bed dorm
- 4-bed dorm (for women only)
- 6-bed dorm
I had never heard of a 2-bed dorm and was thrilled to snag a bed in one of these rooms during my stay (they’re hard to come by).
While it was nice having only one other roommate to juggle, in hindsight, I wouldn’t book it again as a solo female traveler. The 2-bed dorms are co-ed, and I had a male roommate. He was very nice, but for me, it felt more uncomfortable to sleep in a shared dorm with one male I didn’t know than sleeping in a larger dorm with many men and women strangers.
My 2-bed dorm also had the most unusual bathroom setup I had ever experienced. It took me nearly a minute to walk from my dorm room to the bathroom anytime I wanted to use it, which required passing through the kitchen, coliving area, and media room. The result was a 5-star private bathroom equipped with a jacuzzi, but I would have traded it for a closer restroom.
From my understanding, people staying in the 4-bed, 6-bed, and other 2-bed dorms don’t have to juggle this awkward bathroom situation.
The dorm rooms at Selina Phuket are well-designed, with a small private locker built into each bed, a socket beside the bed, and a tiny table large enough to place a phone, glasses, etc.
Towels aren’t included in Selina’s dorm rooms, but you can rent one for a refundable 200 baht.
Private Rooms
If the thought of listening to snoring strangers makes you shudder, you’re in luck—Selina offers a plethora of private room options. Let’s explore them.
Cabanas
Cabanas are Selina’s smallest private room option. And having stayed in one for my last four nights, I can attest to how compact they are. However, they have large glass sliding doors looking into a grassy area.
My advice?
As for a cabana on the upper hill, for you’ll have ocean views from a distance when you step outside your door.
All cabanas come with a patio, air conditioning, and a private bathroom.
Standard Mini
The Standard Mini is an excellent option for people wanting a less nature-esq room style. Like the cabana, it can accommodate one or two travelers, and it’s also a small space.
However, you’ll have a sitting area, a larger bathroom, a desk, and a wardrobe.
The Standard
The Standard is the same setup as the Standard Mini except you’ll have enough space for a yoga workout or to sprawl your bathing suits and tank tops around the room.
Of course, that extra space comes at an additional price.
Family Room
Selina’s Family Room can accommodate up to four people. You can opt to book a Family Room with either four twin beds (two of which would be in a bunk bed style) or a room with one bunk bed and one queen-size bed.
The Family Room comes with all the amenities that Selina’s standard rooms offer.
The Suite
If you’ve noticed a glaring omission up to this point, it’s a room with a sea view. From this point on, my friends, all of Selina’s rooms I’ll be covering here include ocean views.
Not only will you have direct ocean views from your Suite room, but Selina also sweetens the deal with their premium amenity line.
Apartment
Selina’s apartment will make you feel at home and more. It’s a spacious area complete with a plush couch, a kitchenette, and a sitting and dining area.
The bed is set back in an area that’s something between a one-bedroom and a studio apartment.
One Bedroom Apartment
If you want to go all out, enjoying the space of a one-bedroom apartment, Selina has you covered.
It’s a great choice for longer stays, as the one-bedroom apartment comes with a balcony where you can feel the ocean breeze between taking naps or working on your next project from the spacious desk.
Beach Front Pool Villa
How does a private pool and sundeck sound? That’s what you’ll get by staying at Selina’s Beach Front Pool Villa. You’ll even be able to walk out directly onto the beach from your sundeck.
The villa also comes with a first-floor living area, a second-floor with two ocean-view bedrooms, and a private rooftop lounge.
Penthouse Private Pool
Just when you think Selina’s rooms couldn’t get fancier, they pull out their Penthouse Private Pool option. One of the most noticeable differences between this room category and the Beach Front Pool Villa is that the Penthouse’s pool is on the rooftop.
It also has a luxurious lounge and a large private kitchen connecting to it.
Ocean View 2 Bedroom Apartment
It’s time to invite your friends to Phuket, for Selina offers a 2-bedroom apartment that can hold up to four adults.
You won’t have to worry about bumping elbows, thanks to a large living room, dining room, and balcony.
A Note on Selina’s Pricing
Selina operates on a flexible pricing schedule. The following factors go into determining the price of your room:
- How far in advance you book. The farther ahead you make your reservation, the cheaper your room.
- The number of nights you stay. The longer you stay, the cheaper the price per night.
- Refundable vs. non-refundable rate. The non-refundable rate is cheaper than the refundable rate.
- Whether you book with or without breakfast.
- Whether Selina is running any promotions. Promotions happen often, so keep your eye out for them.
- Whether you’re traveling during a holiday or special event.
Amenities
I was impressed by Selina’s amenities. However, if you read reviews on Google, you’ll see people complaining about how Selina’s amenities aren’t up to 5-star standards.
That’s fair.
But, in my opinion, they’re up to 4-star standards.
The reason why guests sometimes expect 5-star amenities from Selina is that Selina bought a formerly 5-star hotel. So, as long as you don’t arrive expecting a 5-star luxury experience, you’ll likely be more than satisfied with the amenities available to you.
Let’s not forget that Selina is first and foremost a boutique hostel chain.
Selina Phuket’s amenities include:
- Free gym
- Restaurant
- Beach bar
- Movie room
- Shared kitchen
- Library
They also host social events and yoga classes throughout the week.
Selina Phuket Cowork Space
I’ve worked remotely at many Selinas, and each has had its unique features. But of all the Selinas I’ve worked at, their cowork space in Phuket is my favorite.
The ocean views from Selina Phuket’s cowork are stunning, and you can take a break to enjoy them on the private outdoor patio with a plunge pool.
You can also head upstairs to the rooftop, which offers aerial water views without you having to spend hundreds of dollars per night on accommodation.
Selina rents both hot and cold cowork desks, and you’ll get a cowork-only WiFi password. The WiFi was fast and reliable during my stay.
They also have a printer and kitchen available for coworkers.
Safety at Selina Phuket
I can’t possibly write a Selina Phuket review without talking about its safety.
Luckily, there’s little to comment on.
From a macro level, Thailand is an extremely safe country, with the DOS labeling Phuket as the lowest level on their travel advisory page.
As for Selina Phuket itself, they have 24-hour security at the entrance to the hotel and cameras throughout the property.
The most dangerous part about staying at Selina Phuket is if you wish to walk to a restaurant or grocery store. The resort sits on a (not overly busy) highway, and sidewalks aren’t available.
For the full low-down on my experience safety-wise in Phuket as a solo female traveler, check out my guide on Is Phuket Safe?
Cleanliness
I was very impressed with the cleanliness at Selina Phuket. The cleaning staff arrived early at the common areas every morning and were present throughout the day.
During my time in both a dorm room and the cabana, the staff came to clean my room daily.
Selina Phuket Review: The Good
Below are some of the highlights of staying at Selina Phuket:
- Amazing ocean views
- Large common areas
- Female-only dorm room option
- Wide range of room categories
- Resort-like qualities for a hostel chain
- Mostly quiet atmosphere
Selina Phuket Review: The Not So Good
Here are some reasons why Selina Phuket might not be the best fit for you:
- Beach isn’t the nicest in Phuket
- Far from Phuket’s old town, the airport, and the port
- No sidewalks to comfortably explore outside the resort
Is Staying at Selina Phuket Worth It?
Since I was looking for a relaxing spot to plop for two weeks, staying at Selina Phuket was worth it to me. However, if you’re looking to take lots of day trips to other islands, staying at Selina—and even Phuket as a whole—probably isn’t the right choice for you.
If you have questions about staying at Selina Phuket, leave a comment and I’ll be happy to help.
I’d also love to hear from you after your trip. Were you happy with your decision to stay at Selina? What did and didn’t you like about it?
P.S.: Are you still trying to figure out where in Thailand to visit? If so, check out our guide on Phuket vs Bangkok.
