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**Sundance2020** · 08-27-2021, 02:09 AM

Aleetna Hua Hin Resort and Spa *****

Scene
The upscale Aleenta Hua Hin Resort & Spa is a low-rise, beachfront resort. The hotel is hidden by a plain bamboo fence, and is actually spread out between two wings, one that welcomes kids and one that is child-free -- a shuttle buggy is used to get from one wing to the other. The lobby is in the Ocean View Wing. It's a small, open-air, concrete-floored room with a few large cushioned chairs to relax on while the staff check you in. The grounds are ordinary but eye-catching, with lots of grass, trimmed hedges, and trees. The resort is committed to environmental sustainability and almost all of the building materials are natural, recycled, or locally produced, with simple thatched roof structures blending in seamlessly with the surroundings. The resort is quite proud of its zero carbon footprint efforts, and has a large organic community garden and an orchard nearby, where guests can go and pick fruit freely in exchange for planting a seed. All of the farm’s veggies and smoked meats get transferred to the resort kitchen via bicycle and by a tuk-tuk powered by fuel made from other local resorts' disposed cooking oil. This is one of the few alternative and truly green resorts to be found in Thailand, drawing guests that include couples and families.

Location
The Aleenta Hua Hin Resort & Spa is outside of Pranburi town and right on a very attractive beach. While the resort isn't convenient for travelers who don't have their own transport, it does provide guests with bicycles as well as a tuk-tuk powered by reused cooking oil to take them to the few nearby restaurants and shops. The shopping and restaurant scene of Hua Hin is a good 30- to 40-minute drive away, but most guests coming here are doing so for a serene escape. The beach is long and mostly empty, with just a handful of other resorts scattered along several kilometers. There is plenty of white sand, and it is far more attractive than the beach in nearby Hua Hin. The road outside the resort is narrow and somewhat rutted, and eventually dead ends past the hotel, making for few automobiles -- it's a great spot for walking and bicycling. The nearest international airport is in Bangkok, about three-and-a-half hours away, but Hua Hin has connections via train and bus to most destinations. Guests can also find some transport options in Pranburi town for reaching local destinations.

Rooms
There are 22 rooms at the Aleenta Hua Hin Resort & Spa that are divided between two wings. The Frangipani Wing, which houses families, used to be the owner's private residence, while the Ocean View Wing does not allow children and is better suited for couples. Rooms here are bright and airy, with lots of windows, white walls, and glazed concrete floors, and their design is informed by the resort's zero carbon footprint policy. Decor varies across room categories, but in general, furniture is made by local carpenters from reclaimed wood, hammocks are crafted from fishing nets, and ceilings are constructed with locally sourced cane. While the rooms are a bit minimalist for an upscale hotel, it is purposeful and chic, with an elegantly simple vibe. There are no TVs or DVD players, although the resort will provide them to guests on request. Rooms do have safes, minibars, electric kettles, and also feature iPods with a full music library plus docking stations. Beds have 400 thread count Egyptian cotton sheets, there are natural cotton bathrobes and slippers, free beach baskets to use, and rooms include free Wi-Fi. Terra cotta tiled bathrooms have outdoor rainfall showers plus towels and eco-friendly toiletries, and many of the rooms feature private plunge pools on a veranda.

Features
The Aleenta Hua Hin Resort & Spa has two swimming pools to choose from. The family friendly Frangipani Wing has a long family pool that's surrounded by trees and suitable for swimming a few laps, while the Ocean View Wing has a rooftop pool with fabulous views over the property, beach, and out to sea. This curved semi-circle pool is placed right next to a restaurant and bar, and is the perfect spot to sit and enjoy the sunset. The resort also has a tiny fitness center with a few cardio machines, and it provides free bicycles for guests to use to get around the area. There is an on-site spa that offering an array of massage and wellness treatments. The Aleenta owns a large community garden nearby that's full of fruit trees, herbs, and an organic vegetable garden, plus a mushroom greenhouse and a natural meat smoker. Guests can come here and pick fruit for free if they plant a seed in return. Wi-Fi is free throughout and babysitting services can be arranged. The hotel can arrange local transport options as well as transfers to the airports in Bangkok. The resort also has several options for dining. The head of the resort's restaurants, James Noble, served as Mick Jagger's private chef and has also received a Michelin star. Menus in the aptly named Cellar restaurant, which sits in an intimate wine cellar, use only organic home-grown ingredients. The eclectic menu includes standouts such as spinach and goat cheese ravioli or mushroom and whiskey pate. Upstairs, the open-air Aleenta Restaurant looks out over the sea and beach; the hotel's free breakfast is served here. There are Thai and international dishes available, plus fresh bread and pastries. The hotel's restaurants also use carbon-free cooking techniques, like burying items in clay pot in the hot sand on the beach, or solar-baked cookies. Specialties include salted beef ceviche, in which a banana leaf-wrapped local beef fillet is rubbed in salt, and solar-baked sea bass served with ground fermented kimchi. The food at this resort is a true stand-out among properties up and down this stretch of Thailand's coast.

**Sundance2020** · 08-27-2021, 02:12 AM

Let's Sea Hua Hin Al Fresco Resort *****

Scene
This boutique property's quiet, romantic atmosphere and stylish decor is a magnet for vacationing couples. Guests are welcomed in an airy lobby, with minimalist, mod couches covered in warm red and pink fabric for a balanced look. It isn't a place where guests tend to gather, opting instead for a seat on one of the sofas or loungers at the open-air restaurant, which offers ocean views. Otherwise, travelers retreat to private quarters to spend time on decks and patios that front the luscious pool, which has attractive tiling arranged in a pattern that gives it a dreamy, turquoise hue from a distance.

Location
Let's Sea is located in Hua Hin, a seaside resort town about three hours southwest of Bangkok. It's right on the beach in an area dominated by other resorts, with a few restaurants and bars in the immediate area about a five-minute walk away from the hotel. The Cicada Market Hua Hin weekend market is also five minutes on foot. Vana Nava Hua Hin Water Jungle is a 10-minute drive from the resort, while the Sam Phan Nam Floating Market takes 15 minutes to reach by car. Wat Huay Mongkol, a temple dedicated to a locally revered Thai monk, is about a 40-minute drive. It takes roughly 90 minutes in the car to reach Pa La-U Waterfall, and about 22 minutes to the Hua Hin Airport.

Rooms
Duplexes at this resort are styled more simply than common areas, but are equally appealing. Ground-floor Studio Pier Pool Access units feature private decks with little ladders that lead straight to the hotel's massive outdoor pool, while the upper-level Moon Deck Duplex Suites swap decks for patios, and add private rooftop terraces. Decor in both models is similar, with marble floors, medium-wood furniture, and throw pillows on couches that accent spaces with muted tones like mustard yellow and maroon. Recessed lighting, curtains, and wall-mounted flat-screen TVs, keep units from appearing spartan. Standard amenities include minibars, Bose stereos, electronic safes, robes, kettles, and free coffee/tea, bottled water, and Wi-Fi. Bathrooms are chic and have walk-in showers with ceiling-mounted rainfall showerheads, and deep soaking tubs. While units don't share walls with neighboring duplexes, guests have reported hearing noise from other rooms.

Features
Let's Sea's standout feature is its lagoon-style pool - just shy of 400 feet long - that fronts all the property's duplexes. Another highlight is Gaia Spa, which offers treatment rooms for couples. The fitness center is small but attractive, with cardio and weight training machines, plus floor-to-ceiling windows with garden views. For dining, breakfast is offered a la carte (for a fee) and is primarily Western dishes along with a few Asian specialties. The open-air restaurant that faces the beach has a good range of international and Thai cuisine for lunch and dinner, but some past guests have complained that the food's quality is substandard. There's a bar in the lobby, and a swim-up pool bar with extended happy hour. The hotel also has 24-hour room service. Children under 12 years old aren't allowed at the property, and there aren't business facilities, but Wi-Fi is free throughout, and there's ample free on-site parking.

**Sundance2020** · 08-27-2021, 02:16 AM

Wora Bura Hua Hin Resort and Spa *****

Scene
The Wora Bora was built in accordance with the classic colonial, palatial style, and the quintessentially Thai vibe is apparent both in the decor and in the traditional attire of staff members. The lobby is housed in a red-roof structure, designed inside in an opulent blend of black, white, and honey-colored marble tiling, cream-and-black upholstered chairs with purple throw cushions, and lovely teak ceilings supported by off-white colonnades. A large model ship stands off to one side, and large windows with latticed arches look out on the tropical gardens, filled with manicured shrubs, frangipani trees, and a large fountain. Most guests at this elegant resort are tourists, namely couples and families, though there are business facilities aimed at corporate travelers.

Location
The Wora Bura is located in Hua Hin, a seaside resort town about three hours by car southwest of Bangkok. It's right on the beach in an area dominated by other resorts, with a few restaurants and bars in the immediate area, and a 15-minute walk from the main road. Vana Nava Hua Hin Water Jungle is a 10-minute drive from the resort, while the Sam Phan Nam Floating Market takes 15 minutes to reach by car. Wat Huay Mongkol, a temple dedicated to a locally revered Thai monk, takes about 40 minutes to reach by car. Pa La-U Waterfall is an hour and a half away by road. It's a 20-minute drive to the Hua Hin Airport.

Rooms
The Wora Bura offers five types of lodging, from entry-level, 44-square-meter (474-square-foot) Deluxe Rooms up to 115- to 130-square-meter (1238- to 1399-square-foot) Villas with one or two bedrooms. Colonial-style decor includes dark hardwood floors, off-white walls with wood accents, Tudor-style trim, elegant dark-wood furniture, and vintage-inspired pieces like ceramic sculptures and old-fashioned phones. All units have furnished balconies or terraces with lovely views over the property's sprawling gardens. Standard amenities include flat-screen TVs, safes, free Wi-Fi, minibars, coffee- and tea-making facilities, robes, and slippers. Bathrooms follow a similar decor scheme as the rooms, with lots of dark-wood paneling, large countertops with vessel sinks, walk-in rainfall showers, and separate soaking tubs. In some units, bathrooms have shuttered windows that open straight out onto the living/sleeping areas.

Features
Wora Bura offers a ton of amenities, and there's enough going on that some travelers may prefer not to leave the resort at all. While there is a lovely beach right next to the property, many guests opt to lounge by and swim in the huge lagoon pool, which features a blue-tile bottom, a shallow splash area, and a number of fountains. It's flanked by plush lounge chairs and tropical greenery, and extends out from the resort to the sand. There are also a hot tub and pool bar, Chonlamark, which serves drinks and light lunch items. Other dining options include Chulamongkut Restaurant, where a varied international buffet breakfast is served daily (included in room rates) and gets rave reviews from past guests. For lunch and dinner, Rak Talay offers Thai and international fare, including fresh seafood. The restaurant's main seating area is on an al fresco terrace looking out on the bay, with a mix of dark-blue patio furniture and beanbag seating. There's also a small bar next to a gazebo overlooking the beach, but the restaurant closes early and there are no late-night drinking options on the property. The fitness center features a few pieces of modern cardio equipment, free weights, and a resistance training machine in a lovely space with hardwood floors and garden views, but it's not open 24 hours. The spa is among the hotel's standout features, offering Thai and Western massage modalities. There are five treatment rooms, plus separate men's and women's relaxation areas, each with a sauna, steam room, and whirlpool. There's also a colorful kids' club offering activities during the day. Although there's no proper business center, the on-site library does have a guest computer, along with a table for working and plenty of books that guests can borrow. Meeting space for up to 300 people can be rented, and audiovisual equipment is provided. Wi-Fi is free throughout the property, but a number of past guests have complained of poor connection speeds. There's plenty of free on-site parking.

**Sundance2020** · 08-27-2021, 02:19 AM

Rest Detail Hotel Hua Hin *****

Scene
Popular primarily with couples, Rest Detail Hotel Hua Hin is a luxe resort property facing a public beach in Hua Hin. The red-stone building is fronted by tropical greenery, while the lobby is bright and low-key, featuring open-air spaces dotted with plush patio furniture that look out on small, pool-like fountains. Similar fresh, understated decor in cheerful whites and vibrant hues can be found throughout the property, creating a polished look that's far from traditionally Thai. Grounds are filled with tropical shrubs and greenery, and there's a stretch of white sand between the hotel and the lackluster public beach it abuts.

Location
As the name reveals, Rest Detail Hotel Hua Hin is located in Hua Hin, a seaside resort town about three hours by car southwest of Bangkok. It's right on the beach in an area dominated by small hotels, and a 10-minute drive from the center of town. Vana Nava Hua Hin Water Jungle is a 17-minute drive from the resort, while the Sam Phan Nam Floating Market takes 22 minutes to reach by car. Wat Huay Mongkol, a temple dedicated to a locally revered Thai monk, is about a 30-minute drive away. Pa La-U Waterfall is just over an hour away by road. It's a six-minute drive to the Hua Hin Airport.

Rooms
The Rest Detail offers five room types, all with bright, airy decor -- think light-wood floors, wispy curtains, and sea-blue lamps -- and lovely views. Bathrooms have a similar airy design, with mint-green partitions and walk-in rainfall and massage showers. Higher category rooms add separate tubs and bath salts. Standard amenities include 32- or 42-inch flat-screen TVs, DVD players, iPod docks, minibars, safes, and coffee- and tea-making facilities. Beach accessories including sandals, totes, shirts, and fisherman pants are also provided. Note that rooms lack clocks in an effort to promote relaxation, though the free Wi-Fi makes it easy for travelers without watches to find out what time it is. Entry-level Rest Green rooms sleep up to three and have balconies with daybeds. The next level up, Rest Spirits, are around the same size but have partial ocean views, while Rest Horizon units are a bit larger and add sea views and private hot tubs. The hotel also offers Pool Village rooms with outdoor decks featuring direct access to a large swimming pool, as well as similar Beach Village units with direct access to the sand. Four villa-style Pavilions are also available. These include two-bedroom North and South Rest Pavilions, which have their own private kitchens and small pools with waterfall features. Other options include the two-bedroom, two-bathroom Beach Rest Pavilion, complete with butler service and a private pool, and the huge, two-story Grand Rest Pavilion, a four-bedroom house with direct beach access, a private upstairs deck, indoor and outdoor dining areas, and a large private pool.

Features
Rest Detail Hotel features a solid array of amenities aimed primarily at leisure travelers. Dining options include Rest Gastro, a garden restaurant offering a daily international buffet breakfast (included in room rates) and dinner (only in Monsoon season). The poolside Rest Scene is open for lunch, afternoon snacks, and dinner, and serves Thai and international cuisine, while Leaf serves baked goods and tea throughout the day. Room service is available 24/7. The Restfully Yours Spa is open daily and offers a variety of massage and beauty treatments, however, the hotel notably lacks a gym. Two beautiful pools have turquoise tiling and lots of surrounding greenery. An open stretch of wide sand sits above the less attractive public beach, though there are no chairs for guests. On-site activities include morning Ashtanga yoga classes, painting lessons, massage classes, and instruction in Thai cooking and cocktail mixing. Three meeting and event spaces can be rented, the largest of which fits up to 80 people, plus wedding packages are available. Additional features include a DVD library, laundry service, and a concierge that can arrange for golf at one of the many nearby courses or car rentals. Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel.

**Sundance2020** · 08-27-2021, 02:22 AM

InterContinental Hua Hin Resort *****

Scene
This grand, colonial-style resort makes a distinctive first impression with it's gracefully curving facade lined with tropical plants and louvered shutters along the entryway. Once inside, guests are taken to one of several check-in areas depending on the level of booking. Preferred guests, IHG members, and those in higher category rooms are received in the InterContinental Club Lounge, which has polished wood floors, towering wooden bookcases, and Impressionistic paintings of Thai scenes on the bamboo walls. There are comfortable upholstered chairs here, with wooden tables and plenty of free drinks and snacks available to nibble on while waiting. Other guests check in in the main lobby, which has a marble floor and fine lattice work throughout, especially on the large rectangular windows near the front door. There is a hanging fish mobile under the lights in the center of the attractive room. From here, the resort opens up into spacious, landscaped grounds, with flowing pools surrounding the smart restaurants, and plenty of greenery leading up to the beachfront. In 2016, the hotel added its BluPort wing, which houses 40 rooms, a pool, a restaurant, and meeting rooms. All in all, the InterContinental is a classy, but not stuffy, hotel that is popular across a wide swath of travelers, from business guests and families to wedding parties and couples, though groups can sometimes make things crowded.

Location
The InterContinental Hua Hin Resort is located just south of the center of Hua Hin, and is extremely convenient for accessing restaurants, bars, shops, and any of the tourist sights in town, though most will have to be done by car or taxi. The resort sits between the main road through town and the beach, with the rooms and facilities located in between. The road out front is full of fast and non-stop traffic throughout the day, which is rather unpleasant, but the hotel is insulated from this noise and commotion. The white-sand beach here is nice, but not nearly as special as those fronting the resorts outside of town, and people on horseback often pass through on weekends. The weekend Cicada Market, packed with all sorts of goods and street food, is less than five minutes away by taxi while the Hua Hin night market is a 15-minute drive from the hotel. Chopsticks Hill, a scenic mountain next to the sea that's loaded with wild monkeys, is a 10-minute drive down the coast, and it's a five-minute taxi ride to the train station or bus and van terminals for onward transport to Bangkok, which is about two and a half hours from Hua Hin by road and has the closest large airports.

Rooms
All of the rooms and suites at the InterContinental Hua Hin Resort are palatial -- even the standard Classic Rooms have 45 square meters (or 484 square feet) of space. Rooms combine elegant and contemporary furniture, artsy details (like hanging lamps and damask fabrics), and traditional Thai elements, like wood latticework and fine silks. Large balconies with daybeds look out over the hotel's tropical gardens, the city, or the ocean. All rooms feature 40-inch flat-screen Smart TVs, DVD players, Bose sound systems, free Wi-Fi, and iPod docks as well as safes, minibars, air-conditioning, and electric kettles. Each room also comes with a private butler service, really upping the five-pearl factor here. Luxurious, contemporary bathrooms have bathrobes, marble floors, high-end L'Occitane or Bvlgari toiletries, and both soaking bathtubs and separate walk-in shower units. The suites are even more opulent, with over 100 square meters of living space, with some featuring hot tubs on the balcony, while others have private garden plunge pools.
Housekeeping is twice a day, and turndown service is nightly. Cribs, cots, and extra beds area available.

Features
There are plenty of excellent facilities at the InterContinental Hua Hin Resort. The hotel has a large beachfront area, although it can get crowded with horse riders, especially on weekends, and the beach is prone to tidal extremes. However, guests can easily retreat to the large beachside swimming pool, which runs the length of the hotel and has plenty of lounge chairs plus a kids' section. The hotel has a 24-hour fitness center with modern equipment, a gorgeous spa with lovely hardwood accents throughout, and Planet Trekkers kids' club. IHG members and those in the higher category rooms also have access to the snazzy Club Lounge, which serves soft drinks and snacks throughout the day and free evening cocktails in a chic setting. For dining and drinking, the hotel has several top-notch selections. Felicita is an intimate Italian restaurant, and right next to it, Pirom Thai features authentic Thai dishes. Both restaurants have indoor areas, but also have romantic seating outside under wooden trellises, surrounded by pools on all sides. Also attractive is Azure, which is located by the beach and serves Mediterranean fare. There are beachside and poolside bars, along with the more elegant Lee La bar, which has live jazz, premium Scotch whiskies, and both outdoor garden tables and a bright indoor seating area. Le Colonial is a casual all-day spot with an open kitchen. The hotel also has large and comprehensive conference and function facilities, and there is a beautiful old colonial building called La Residence on the beach, which the hotel uses for weddings or other large group events. There are several on-site activities to choose from, including yoga and kickboxing, some of which are free to IHG members and Club bookings. Airport transfer can be arranged and the hotel has a dedicated concierge to address travel and tours concerns. Overnight shoe shines are free, and laundry, dry cleaning, packing, and babysitting services are all available. Wi-Fi is free throughout.

Pricing: 4,700 - 14,200 THB
Address: 33/33 Petchkasem Road, Prachuabkhirikhan, 77110, Hua Hin, Thailand.

**Sundance2020** · 08-27-2021, 02:38 AM

The Barai *****

Scene
High ochre coloured walls enclose this gem of a resort that looks a little like a Moroccan kasbah. The equally impressive spa - reached via a long narrow corridor fragmented by light shafts piercing the walls - utilises plenty of Khmer design elements, such as typically decorative window columns and a serene central pool that appears to have escaped from Angkor Wat. All this conveys a feeling of calm and protection, which is supplemented by the resort’s emphasis on wellness. Ostentatious is the name of the game at super luxurious The Barai. It's actually a hotel within a hotel that's attached to Hua Hin’s Hyatt Regency. Eight huge suites and an atmospheric spa with a sophisticated wellness program - designed with Cambodia’s Angkor temples in mind - make for a regal stay.

Location
The Barai sits south of central Hua Hin on a great stretch of beach shared with the Hyatt Regency. It’s a five-kilometre (three-mile) shuttle ride into town, and costs around 50 THB.

Rooms
The eight suites are lined up in a row in a wooden villa structure, and convey the same serenity as the spa. The units are split into a lounge area with a large day bed and writing table, and a larger bedroom. The latter features a very comfortable, huge bed, fronted by a couch large enough to disappear in for a few days. The arched ceilings lend a futuristic feel but the highlight is the bathroom with a massive marble hot tub at its centre. The four ground-floor suites have private plunge pools, though these – and this is the only flaw here – can be spied on from the balconies of the first-floor suites. Everything is spotless and in perfect condition, and the minibar and some laundry items are complimentary.

Features
Each suite comes with a personal butler who will go out of his or her way to assure a pleasant stay. As for facilities, there’s a 30-metre pool in a palatial enclosure with purple walls, but the highlight is, of course, the huge spa. It is perhaps one of Thailand’s most visually impressive with 18 treatment rooms hidden away in a maze of courtyards and corridors; it's reminiscent of the inner sanctums of Khmer temples. The Barai spa also offers a 'Lifestyle Collection' – a series of supervised three-, five- or seven-day wellness programmes designed to help guests tune out from stressful lives. Treatments range from healthy weight kickstarter courses to detox packages; guests go gluten free, wheat free, dairy free and vegan during the programmes. A body composition analyser measures various health indicators before and after treatment, putting the onus on The Barai to deliver effective rejuvenation in just a few days. Guests may also use the Hyatt Regency’s facilities. While guests can eat anywhere they like in the Hyatt Regency, most opt for McFarland House. This laid-back beachside restaurant is attached to The Barai and serves modern European cuisine with an emphasis on healthy food and organic ingredients. The salads taste incredibly fresh and the Local Collection - offering the likes of freshly caught sea bass on a bed of soft shell crab - is highly recommended. The best place for a complimentary pre-dinner cocktail is on the restaurant’s patio, watching the waves roll in. Breakfast at McFarland House is à la carte, and again offers healthy options, such as the tasty Detox Bowl - a mix of almond milk pudding, blueberries, quinoa, kiwi fruit, dragon fruit, goji berries and flax seed – or poached eggs with fresh avocado, sweet Thai basil, mustard, cornichons and crusty sourdough toast. Guests can also head over to the Club Lounge buffet at the Hyatt Regency or enjoy breakfast in their rooms. The Sunday brunch is popular with locals and ex-pats and should be booked in advance.

Hyatt Regency Hua Hin Hotel *****

This luxurious hotel serves as a great starting point for those wanting to experience Hua Hin attractions. Located directly on the beach and just 3 kms from the town centre, guests surely can find peace and relaxation without compromising access to attractions. Home to the award-winning Barai Spa, getting a massage here is definitely recommended. Additionally, golf enthusiasts also find the Hyatt Regency a great place to stay as it is no more than 10 minutes away from at least 7 world-class golf courses. Here, guests can sign up for tennis and golf lessons or take part in a kayaking challenge. Moreover, with restaurants and bars onsite, visitors will find endless ways to entertain themselves while taking in the beautiful oceanside scenery. Facilities: Salon, fitness center, spa, massage, library, beach, horseback riding, tennis court, game room, coffee shop, balcony/terrace

Pricing: 2,900 -17,900 THB
Address: 91 Hua Hin-Khao Takiab Road, Hua Hin Beachfront, Hua Hin / Cha-am, Thailand

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Hua Hin | Deluxe Beach Resorts *****

Hua Hin | Deluxe Beach Resorts *****

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