The post appeared on the communal noticeboard sometime on Thursday. A bearded dragon – answering, apparently, to Gordon Gecko – had gone missing somewhere in the upper floors. The reward was 10,000 baht. The photograph showed a small, prehistoric-looking creature regarding the camera with indifference. It was shared on Instagram and by the weekend, the post had accumulated more comments than anything the property’s marketing team had managed all month.
This, we came to understand, is what HOMA is all about: a place where people lose their pet lizards and their neighbours care. Where chess nights are advertised in the lobby alongside football screenings in the cinema upstairs and Muay Thai classes in the boxing gym. Where half the residents have been here for months and have opinions about what constitutes the best pad grapao on the island (it’s the one at Chuan Chim, silly), and the other half arrived last weekend with a carry-on and a laptop, and already know half the staff by their nickname.
A vast co-living complex set back from Soi Samkong down a cul-de-sac, HOMA is part hotel, part serviced apartment block, part neighbourhood, occupying a stretch of Phuket that most visitors never reach. It offers something the majority of accommodation on the island doesn’t: the feeling of living – rather than just staying – somewhere.
The Location
HOMA sits in a residential neighbourhood in Phuket’s Ratsada district, a far cry from the beachfront resort strips that define much of the island. That’s the point of the place, the local setting designed to foster a less transient feel, though guests accustomed to seaside, sand-between-your-toes convenience may find the location takes some adjusting to.
From here, it’s about ten minutes by Grab to Phuket Old Town, that short distance having its advantages, as it’s far enough to insulate you from the crowds during high season when the Sino-Portuguese streets fill up fast and things get a little hectic. The nearest stretch of coast is Pa Lai, but like most of Phuket’s southern beaches it’s shingle and muddy seabed, not somewhere you’d lay down a towel. Patong, the nearest proper swimming beach, is around 20 to 25 minutes by car. For what it’s worth, most people who know Phuket well will tell you the Old Town is the real highlight of the island anyway, and HOMA puts you right on its doorstep.
Along HOMA’s soi, everything you could plausibly need is within reach: motorbike rental, a tourist office for island trips, and local eateries like La Casa Azul for serviceable Mexican and newly opened Kin Khao for uncompromisingly delicious Southern Thai, all right outside. Chillva Market is a short walk away, a reliable spot for local food, trinket shopping and Hotel California being covered every other song. Phuket’s shiniest shopping mall Central Festival is ten minutes on foot, home to a Big C for everyday essentials.
The Vibe & Style
With (I’m going back to…) 505 serviced apartments spread across an interconnected network of buildings, HOMA is a mammoth operation. Around half its residents are long-term renters; the other half are travellers passing through for anything from a long weekend to a month-long relocation. In less carefully run properties, that mix can tip into something anonymous and soulless. Or, worse, can cause a just palpable tension. Here, it does neither. The interplay between people who have put down roots, those passing through, and people who are suddenly toying with the former gives HOMA its particular texture.
The communal areas are generous in scale and softened by biophilic design – curves, soft concrete, hanging plants trailing from balconies – which stops the complex from feeling as imposing as its size suggests. There’s a constant low-level hum of activity threading through them, and the staff play no small part in that. Skilled at navigating the competing demands of short-stay guests and long-term residents, they keep the whole operation running with the warmth Thailand is so well known for.
There is something faintly utopian about HOMA’s vision of community – or dystopian, depending on your disposition. Either way, it’s carefully cultivated rather than incidental. Cinema nights, games and quizzes, aperitivo evenings with live DJs, and a Christmas market featuring local businesses at the end of the year all give guests and residents opportunities to connect. Wellness runs through the block too – group Muay Thai classes, sunset yoga, personal trainers available at all hours – alongside a programme of local partnerships: healthcare benefits at Bangkok Hospital, ten per cent off day passes at the neighbouring RENEW Sauna & Ice Bath Club, and a revolving roster of tie-ins keeps things ticking.
Right, you know that feeling when you won’t switch from Spotify to Apple Music because all your playlists are on Spotify and it feels like too much hassle to move them across? This is how you might feel living here. There’s a sense you might get institutionalised, with everything catered for quite so comprehensively, making it impossible to leave. For many, this is a massive bonus.
And there are many. But the only real inkling of just how many guests are staying here comes at checkout, when the lobby fills with an astonishing number of bags. That it remains unruffled is a testament to how well the whole operation is managed.
Pets are allowed, which as mentioned, occasionally produces its own drama that belongs to a neighbourhood, not a hotel corridor. Worth knowing if you’re travelling with animals: the policy covers dogs and cats only, up to two per room at 535 baht per pet per night, and they’re not permitted in the rooftop areas. Seems fair.
Rooms
HOMA offers five thoughtfully designed room types, from all-in-one studios at one end to three-bedroom family units at the other, with one-bedroom flats, signature duplexes and two-bedroom suites in between.
Studios are the signature offering and the most popular choice. They’re decent in size, bright, and fitted with kitchenettes complete with hobs, microwaves, and a fridge large enough for actual living rather than just minibar overflow. The aesthetic has a certain halls-of-residence exuberance: bold primary-coloured wall graphics, wicker wall art, acrylic furniture. Cheerful rather than chic, but designed with longer stays in mind.
One practical note: bring washing-up liquid if you plan to cook, as the kitchen is otherwise fully equipped. That said, short-stay ‘hotel’ guests get daily housekeeping, linen changes and a straighten-up. Long-term residents are on a weekly schedule.
Blackout curtains make the rooms blissfully dark at night. There’s ample shelving, two chairs for co-working, 42-inch smart TVs, and a wicker laundry basket in place of the usual plastic bag – the kind of small touches that suggest someone thought carefully about what staying here for a month would feel like. Complimentary filtered water stations sit beside the lifts on every floor, with glass bottles provided for refilling, removing that unseemly, sweaty trek out to the nearest 7/11 for single-use water every. damn. evening.
Communication runs through the HOMA app and WhatsApp rather than an in-room telephone, which suits such a clockwork-run property.
Facilities
The rooftop is where HOMA makes its most emphatic statement. An 80-metre pool – reportedly the longest rooftop pool on the island, with a 50-metre Olympic-length lap section for anyone who takes their swimming seriously – runs the length of the seventh floor, flanked by panoramic views of Phuket’s green hills.
The neat design gives the pool an unexpected sense of privacy for such a communal space. At either end, circular decks jut out over the water, each topped with a dramatic disc-shaped canopy that wouldn’t look out of place in a design museum. Part UFO, part sculpture, they feel like their own little islands. A handful of sun loungers sit directly in the shallows for those who want to be in the water without committing to a swim. Behind, more loungers line the artificial turf, parasols and palms giving some shade.
A poolside bar serves drinks throughout the day, and it’s especially good for a late afternoon dip, when the light drops behind the mountains. At sunset, it’s a genuinely special place to be.
Beyond the pool, the facilities are comprehensive: a modern, well-equipped 24-hour gym with free weekly classes in yoga, Thai boxing, pilates and aqua gym; a games room with a pool table, PS5 and foosball; a cinema that also shows the footy; and a kids’ playroom. There’s also a Grab driver drop-off point for food delivery.
The in-house laundry service deserves a mention: 100 baht per kilogram, charged by weight rather than by item, returned by 11.30am the following day, which is crucially before standard check-out. Same-day turnaround is available for 80 baht more per kilo. That’s serious value when you consider the whole ‘500 baht to get your boxers washed two days later’ in some of the five star resorts down the road.
Unsurprisingly for a place of its posture, HOMA is geared up for digital nomads. Free WiFi runs across three separate networks – co-working spaces, public areas, and in-room – and the co-working space itself has soundproofed individual booths and meeting rooms, open round the clock. It’s worth knowing that the membership, which includes access to the pool, gym, co-working space and events, is also open to non-guests, which is useful if you have colleagues based elsewhere on the island.
What’s less obvious, but worth flagging, is the care that’s gone into the building itself. HOMA holds both LEED Silver and EDGE Advanced certification – making it the first purpose-built residential rental complex in Thailand to do so. In practice, that means solar panels covering 15-20% of the property’s electricity needs, rainwater harvesting, grey water recycling, and energy and water efficiency ratings significantly above the Thai national average. For a property at this price point, it’s an unusual commitment.
Food & Drink
On the same floor as the pool, HOMA has an Italian restaurant VIVA, with a large outdoor terrace alongside the dining room proper, making it an excellent spot for a sundowner with views over the hills. The drinks list covers cocktails and wine, fresh juices and smoothies, and a happy hour runs in the early afternoon (worth checking current times on arrival).
Serving from breakfast through to late dinner daily (7am-11pm), it’s particularly good in the mornings, where things are light, bright and airy. For breakfast, choose between a set or à la carte menu with both Asian and western choices. We had a gorgeous passion fruit yoghurt with granola, coconut flakes and local fruit. A simple plate of eggs with bacon was a job well done, too.
Later in the day, serviceable wood-fired pizza is the headline act, though the menu spans pasta, Thai dishes, grilled meats and salads. Live music on Friday evenings adds to the atmosphere. Do note that VIVA operates independently from HOMA. Breakfast isn’t included, and food can’t be charged to your room.
Ideal For…
With stellar facilities, genuine warmth and a residential flexibility that standard hotels don’t offer, HOMA fills a gap for digital nomads, relocating workers, families wanting space without resort-level prices, or any traveller who finds conventional hotels too transactional. Whether you’re coming for a long weekend, a week’s holiday or a month-long relocation, it suits.
Digital nomads & remote workers — the co-working spaces, soundproofed booths, three-network WiFi, and 24-hour access are all built for them.
Long-stay travellers — kitchenettes with hobs, daily housekeeping, laundry by weight, and the HOMA app setup are all oriented towards people staying weeks or months, not just a night.
Families wanting space — two- and three-bedroom apartments, a kids’ playroom, pet-friendly policy, and resort-level facilities without resort-level prices.
Budget-conscious travellers who don’t want to compromise on facilities — 800 baht/night is very competitive for an 80-metre rooftop pool, gym, cinema, and the overall level of comfort.
People relocating to or trialling life in Phuket — the community element (local discounts, monthly events calendar, mix of short and long-term residents) makes it feel residential rather than transient.
The Bottom Line
The lost pet lizard sounds like a minor detail. It isn’t. That noticeboard moment – neighbours mobilising over a lost lizard, strangers becoming something closer to a community – is precisely what HOMA Phuket Old Town is built around. The idea that how many of us live now – mobile, untethered, screen-adjacent, perpetually between places – doesn’t have to mean living alone in a room.
Today’s travellers are increasingly demanding spaces not just to rest and relax, but to work, too, and nowhere is that appetite more pronounced than Phuket, where a large and growing community of transient workers, remote professionals and long-term nomads has created real demand for accommodation that goes beyond the standard hotel room. HOMA was built precisely for this moment and offers one of the smartest ways to stay on the island.
Rooms start from around 800 baht per night (£20) for short stays, with flexible long-term rates available from one month upwards. HOMA also has properties in Cherngtalay, Chalong and Si Racha.
