Latest Reviews for Hua Hin

This was our first visit to Thailand and it turned out to be the best holiday yet.

When we arrived at the hotel we were treated like royalty we were shown to our garden view room with its own patio seating area which was like the room loverly.The first night we stayed in the hotel restaurant which again was lovely with Thai music being played by a lady and views out to sea although it was probably a good three times more expensive than a meal in the town but at only about £25 whith wine and drinks who complaining went down to breakfast the next day,and it was so busy we did have to wait a while to be seated which when you think this is the off season shows how popular this hotel is,the breakfast was unbeatable with every taste catered for.

We then went to the pool which was lovely and very busy with plenty of staff to serve you with food and drink which is double the price of the town bars but the surroundings make up for that and its still cheaper than UK prices.The beach outside the hotel was lovely although the sea could be a little rough and there were warning signs up about jelly fish but we did have a few paddles as it is clear and you can see the bottom.Night time Hau Hin comes alive with so many bars and restaurants and people everywhere the Thai people were so freindly and it seamed like they could not do enough for you.There were a few of the legendary girly bars which were fun but not in your face like Bangkok.They also have a night market where you can get some bargains if you barter went elephant trekking the next day which was good fun and also went to monkey mountain on a tuk tuk.The tuk tuks are always waiting outside the hotel and will take you where ever you want and are so cheap.

All in all we had a great time and would love to go back as so many of the people we met had done. This year we went to Phukets south sea resort in karon(read our review) and it does not even come close to Hua Hin.I would say its not for the very young as we did meet a couple who could not wait to go home,unlike us who would like to have stayed longer.

Have just returned from anatara resort and spa, Hua Hin. Hotel fantastic although in comparison to outside rather expensive. We have a repeat booking for next year for our daughter's wedding as we were so delighted with the service. Have visited Thailand before (phuket) but far prefer Hua Hin.

'Alex' at main reception deserves a mention as the gentleman is so helpful and will do anything to accommodate although all staff pleasant and helpful.

Am looking forward to our return visit in Oct. 2007.

Well once again what can I say.Over the years we have stayed at the Ananatara Resort and Spa. Its a lovely relaxing holiday but this year we were late. We normally go April/May but due to another holiday in April to Hongkong, Bali, Singapore we were late.

Was abit doubtful over the weather as its coming into the Monsoon Season but we didnt have no rain. As normal we requested the room we normally have and there was no problem.This time they have interdused a program where you can pay in advance for your meals.We agreed to this and as it was our 1st night and shattered went to the Al a Carte Resturant on the beach. We had salad then requested Steak with French Fries.We were informed that there were no French Fries but Jacket Potatoes. To be honest we were not satified with the meal.You were allowed so many meals for the price of £135 per person. The following day we went to the manager and requested that we be taken off the plan. There was no problem and we were taken off it but paid for our meal.

Normally you have no problem getting a sunbed but this year people were coming when the pool opened at 6.30am getting towels and books from behind the towel hut and putting them on to save their beds. We told the towel boys what was happening as we know them and if you didnt use your sunbed after 2hrs and people wanted one they were removed.

Go to the Huts on the Beach for a massage its cheaper and a good Thai massage. Just up the beach is a Hotel called White Sands its easy to walk the beach and go for luncd there. Hua Hin itself a resturant called All Seasons across from the Hilton Hotel do different kinds of meals.The price is decent and across the road is a pretty good bar.
I found this year that the markets were selling clothes that they normally sell. Silly me didnt check them but found out when home that alot were marked and wouldnt come out.
If you have a health problem go to The San Polo Hosital. Its up near the night market by the Thai wrestling. My daughter had to have 2 teeth out. For Consultation, X Ray, Needle and a tooth pulled was approx £18 not worth claiming on your insurence.

To be honest though I wouldnt go again any later then May.I have a child myself but with the school holidays there were alot of children there. Most of the kids were well behaved except for a couple of families who would rather get drunk during Happy Hours then check their children. This caused alot of complaints with the guests as the parents found out whih bars in the hotel did different times for happy hours.

Take the Mini Bar out of the fridge in your room. This is expencive and use the fridge yourself. As you go out of the gates across the road is a petrol station. It as a 7-11 supermarket buy your drinks pop, lager etc from there.
Overall I cannot knock this hotel if I could I wouldnt be going back year after year.

We went to Thailand for our honeymoon as we wanted something that we would always remember and not the usual run of the mill beach holiday.

We certainly got what we wanted. We flew from Heathrow with Qutar Airlines, quite possibly the nicest economy airline we have ever flown with. The food and service were wonderful and if you have long legs like my husband the 34"; seat pitch is a definate bonus. the stopover in Qutar was better than expected but it is very busy and we had to wait for flights to leave before we could sit down. A new terminal is being built at present so that should all change in the next couple of years.

After a very long flight we arrived for the first part of our holiday in Bangkok where we were going to stay at the Montien for 4 nights. All I can say about Bangkok is it's SCARY and you have to have your wits about you at all times. The tour rep gave us some very good advice - do not talk to anyone unless you have to especially if they approach you first.

The Montien Hotel itself was gorgeous and the staff couldn't have been more helpful. It was quite expensive to eat and drink at the hotel but the food was good. A must do if you like thai food is a meal at The Mango Tree restaurant it is amazing and very reasonably priced - about £30.00 for 3 course meal with cocktails, beers etc. We liked it so much we ate there 2 out of the four nights.

If you are thinking about going to Thailand you must visit Bangkok just because it so different to any other city in the world, however a couple of days is more than enough.

We were very excited when it came to change over day. The drive to Hua Hin took about 4 hours as the roads were extremely busy, so take some water with you! When we arrived at the Anantara we were greeted with fresh pineapple juice and led to our room. So far so good, until we were shown to a garden view room when we had specifically booked a sea view room. As you can imagine we weren't best pleased about this and complained to the guest relations manager. He seemed completely uninterested and siad the hotel was fully booked for the weekend and we would have to wait for a room. This was not the attitude we would expect from a 5* hotel.

We didn't want to let this ruin our honeymoon and as the room was very nice we took the offer of a free meal and unpacked.We went to the pool to find a block of rooms being renovated however it wasn't very loud and the building work was screened off so we sat on the other side of the pool and got on with relaxing. The next few days were blissful. It was hot, sunny and peaceful just what we needed after a few days in Bangkok and lots of travelling. We woke on our third morning to very loud banging noises- demolition work had started on the block next to us. I'm not joking when i say the floor was vibrating it was so loud.

Considering the previous problems we had experienced we really weren't going to put up with this and went to see the Tradewinds rep. She was wonderful and moved us to a Lagoon room for the rest of the holiday free of charge (roughly £500.00 worth) for the rest of our holiday. From the moment we move to the laggon room we had the holiday we were dreaming of ( peaceful, five star luxury attentive service, private swimming pool and a massive double bath).

The last week of our honeymoon was fantastic and even though we experienced a few hiccups we left with happy memories. IF you are thinking of going to the Anantara consider booking a Laggon room as the difference in the Anantara experience is quite remarkable.

As previous reports have said the food and drink isexpensive in the hotel but well worth the money especially the Italian Restaurant which wasby far the best and was air conditioned!
One last thing take insect repellant the hotel is surrounded by water and Mosquitos are rife!

I hope this has been a useful review and you book the Anatara Spa have a wonderful time and don't let our experiebce put you off i'm sure we were quite unique as everyone else seemed to be having a very problem free stay.

Fantastic Hotel, on the beach and next to plenty of shops and restaurnats, staff all all very friendly, rooms are superb, Would reccomend this hotel to anyone

It took us a while to decide where we to go to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary - and did we make the right choice !

The Regent Cha-Am is a magnificent place in every way. There's little doubt why it's considered, locally, to be the number one resort in the area.

The first thing that stood out was the open-air hotel lobby area, comfortable to sit while taking in the fresh air. A great concept.

Staff honestly couldn't be friendlier and it came from the heart, not just because they were having to do it.

The accomodation was very good, clean with much needed air conditioning, and was serviced on a daily basis if you required it, while there was a vast choice of foods from the various restaurants on site which varied in price. £25 would get you two superb meals, expensive in Thailand but, come on, what would you pay at home ? But it didn't have to be that expensive, it's absolutely up to you.

Before going, we were under the impression that food on site was expensive - maybe so compared to eating places outside the hotel grounds, but not as extravagant as we had been led to believe.

There is a small vilage 200 yards from the hotel reception where food was a lot cheaper, and it also included several places where you could get a rewarding massage after a long day. The only down side was the tailor who hassled us every day we went down there - that was until I had a quiet word in his ear !

The pool facilities (three of them) were superb and we could even stay in touch with the real world - on the internet. 35 baht (50p) for the first 15 minutes and 2 baht per minute there after.

And there was also 24/7 security on the site, peace of mind so to speak. Although during our 12 days in Thailand we didn't see one incident of crime or hooliganism.

The Thais are VERY proud of their King Rama and we joined in his birthday celebration - every Thai celebrated with the main celebration taking part in Bangkok itself.

Accomodation ranged from mountain-view rooms, partial sea-view rooms (one of which we had), and sea-view rooms. There were also delightful chalets in the grounds and, to be honest, it was like being in the middle of nowhere with the super coconut trees and flora.

Cha-Am is about 7km from the hotel and is relatively quiet, although four of us did have a three-course meal there (including 2 T-Bone steaks) and we paid about £3.50 each, and that included a couple of drinks.

14km the other way is the town of Hua Hin, a busier place with night life if you want it. There was a lot more choice for shops here and a taxi from the hotel reception cost 400 baht (nearly £6). However, a taxi from the little village was 250 baht (under £4) and the same for the return journey from the town.

If you like your golf, this is the place to be. A number of championship courses are nearby and a caddy costs you £3 for the round. It's customary to pay 200 baht (£3) as a tip and it was well worth it. Club hire is available at about £10 but golf clubs and gear to buy is no cheaper than at home in England.

I played Palm Hills, in between Cha-Am and Hua Him and there was a free shuttle bus from the club that ran you to and from the hotel.

The weather was always very warm and we only had one day of torrential rain. What did we do that day - swim in the sea, which was warmer than the hotel pools !

My wife always dreamed of riding a horse along the beach, something she did on the last day - £3 for half-an-hour !

We visited the elephant village near Hua Hin and the waterfalls which were quite a drive away.

The elephant ride, about an hour, cost in the region of £12 each but was well worth it. Where else are you going to do that ?

As for the waterfalls, done it didn't get the tee-shirt. There was very little there, no place to eat, and it was a long haul to the top. It wouldn't have been so bad if there was a pathway but you had to do a fair share of rock climbing. Not advised for the unsteady or older holidaymaker.

King Rama spends a lot of his time in his palace at Hua Hin so it can't be all that bad, can it ?

We spent four nights in Bangkok before moving on to Cha-Am, and it was enough. The city never seemed to sleep.

We were advised not to travel by tuk tuk, but did we listen ? These guys have a habit of taking you to their 'friends'. Their friends are usually tailors and the drivers get a petrol voucher for taking you there.

The first time we were asked we agreed, decided the tailor was too expensive, and left. The second time, after visiting the so-called largest outdoor market in the world, we grabbed a tuk tuk back to the hotel.

He asked what we were prepared to pay and I said 100 baht (about £1.40) knowing full well that wherever we went in Bangkok, a metred taxi was going to cost no more than £1.

He asked us if we would go to see his friend and I kindly refused. Half a mile later, he pulled in and asked again. We swiftly got out and waited for a taxi.

Always ask the taxis to put the meter on immediately ! The basic rate is 35 baht (50p) and then 2 baht for every 500 metres ! It works out that you can travel anywhere for nothing. If you don't ask them to start the meter, they can charge what they want at the other end and you haven't a leg to stand on !

We decided to hire a taxi for the day from outside our hotel in Bangkok and visited the Bridge over the River Kwai and the floating market.

It cost us 3000 baht (about £45) for the taxi, a bit OTT but we could do what we wanted.

I thought it was a good decision until we arrived at the floating market and were charged 1200 baht (£17) for a boat as there were only two of us. The market was pure bedlam when we got there, unorganised chaos, boats pushing their way through. We'll give it a miss next time.

And the bridge ? We were a little disappointed as it was very commercial, market stalls everywhere. But you must visit the museum there...it contains the only remaining bit of the original bridge as the one you see is a reconstruction. And the pictures and information just shows you what our guys really had to put up with during their imprisonment.

Bangkok itself wasn't as expensive as the Cha-Am area for presents, shirts etc ! Surprising but they prices are upped a little in the sea-side resorts. Hard to believe really.

It is a place to barter but, to be honest, when the price started at 300 baht (£4) for something you wanted, I felt tight bartering for a 70 pence discount. I usually knocked them down and gave them what they were asking for in the first place ! It was worth it for the fun.

We will be returing to the Regent Cha-Am !

the staff at the hotel was very welcoming the rooms were beautifully furnished, the veiw of the sea was beautiful its well worth risesing early to watch the local fishermen land their catch of the day. the beach itself safe clean with a few large boulders adding to the scene, ideal for that photo opportunity.

the pool ideal lots of space to swim play or lay on your sun lounger. the breakfast was loverly lots to choose from. the sunshine bakery jusy opposite the hotel well worth a visit for beautiful pastries to take out lots of choices for dining within minuites of the hotel with friendly welcome and mouth watering menus, we tried three of the local massage parlours and found each one very good value for facials manicures pedicures and that all inportant thai massage.We found the local tuk tuk cheap and friendly we hired a tuk tuk between us for the day and went to one of the national parks this cost about 20 pounds bit slow but this turned out to be a bonus it allowed us to take in the wonderful scenes along the way best day out we had at P Lao U waterfalls.

we did the elephant treking this was enjoyable , but if your planning to visit Chang Mai i would suggest to do your elephant treks there , Hua Hin is a loverly friendly place to visit and the Hilton a top quality hotel who add those special touces that make all the difference on my birthday i was surprised to find a card and a birthday cake along with orchids waiting for me in my room.

This was an absolutely wonderful holiday, and truly relaxing - which is exactly what we wanted.
We upgraded for a room with a seaview and large balcony, and it was definately worth it. Our room was always kept immaculately clean, and the room service was excellent. Bathrobes and slippers included, along with towels and hairdryer. Dont bother taking beach towels either, as these are available at the pool - more room in case then for all the goodies you will buy in Bangkok.

The hotel runs a shuttle bus service into Cha-am and Hua-hin of an evening, wednesday evenings being the local flea market in Cha-am which is very busy, and full of mosquitos and midges lots of mosquito repellent required, we saw many people with some nasty bites. The shuttle bus was approximately £2.00/£2.30 for a return trip. Be prepared to haggle, fake watches i.e: Guccis can be brought for about £8-10. Sandles for £2.00 per pair (my case was heavy came back with 13 pairs of shoes).

The beach is stunning, white sand and the sea is like bathwater it is so warm. Watch out for the jellyfish though, although the hotel does have a fishing boat out to try and round them all up, some still escape, and they're big.
The food is excellent, especially if you like seafood. Good places to eat - English Breakfast in the village at Johns Place, and excellent Thai food and shellfish fresh daily at Renes Allo Allo, run by two brothers and you are made to feel very welcome, Rodie will remember your name after just one visit. We tried various different places to eat in the village, but Renes was by far the best for service,and quality. Best not to eat in the hotel, the food is very good and seems reasonably priced, but they then whack another 17% on top for service charges and vat. We got caught out by the pool on drinks in the hotel, whatever note you gave the waiter, he thanked you and disappeared, never to see any change again.

The hotel has a spa, which I did indulge in, and was thoroughly spoilt, but it is very expensive, definately a special occasion job only. Massages are available on the beach for about £3.00 for an hour, along with pedicures and manicures for about £2.00. A wash, cut and blowdry cost me £1.50. Excellent value.
As you walk into the village which is minutes from the hotel, watch out for the tailors and taxis, if you say no once you will say it a thousand times, they don't give up, and it can become quite irritating.

Overall an excellent holiday, and would definately return here.

My boyfriend and I have just come back from 11 nights at the Dusit in Hua Hin. The hotel had a huge, stunning lobby, beautifully air-conditioned, which was a relief as the weather was really hot whilst we were there. One of the funniest things on the holiday was trying to open a door yourself, as every time a doorman would get there before us - always with a courteous smile and immaculately dressed.

Our room was described as a standard sea-facing room, but it was lovely and big, very light and airy with a huge bathroom and separate shower. We had an evening turndown service, newspapers delivered every morning, and plenty of bottled water, fresh fruit (every day) and orchids on our pillows.

One thing everyone we met was talking about during the stay was how amazing the beds and the pillows were - I have never slept in a more comfortable bed - in fact we only made it down to breakfast twice during our stay as it was difficult to drag ourselves out in the morning - plump duck feather pillows that you just sink into after a relaxing day on the beach or by the pool, and following a trip to the night market in Hua Hin (which is lovely and full of excellent bargains - so don't take lots of clothes like we did!).

Simon Burgess greeted us on arrival and we had been pre-registered and were taken straight up to our room. We also attended a cocktail party one evening and met other guests and the lovely Thai PR chap - who told a hilarious story involving 'tea, s'il vous plait'. Simon was really friendly and chatty and we thought he was doing a great job.

I agree with one of the previous reviews that Piya, the waiter at the pool bar was an absolute sweetie - I wanted to take him home with me, he was so friendly and chatty and always had a smile on his face.

The pool was massive, really clean and lovely trees in the middle - we rarely swam lengths but preferred to sit on the built-in steps at the deep end and look out to sea or do laps round the date tree...

I managed to go riding one morning - I had planned to go every day, but it was so hot - the stables were nicely kept with well-fed horses and ponies (although there weren't any horses big enough for a large man to ride so I sent my boyfriend to the gym instead!) - they even had a huge fan in the stable block to keep the horses cool.

I have to recommend a visit to the Deverana Spa - it is out of this world - you must try the Anti Stress massage - heavenly.

Also, try the poolside massages, I think they were 400 Baht (around £5) for a 50 minute full body massage - and they really got into any muscles that were sore.

For day trips - hire a car and drive down to Sam Roi Yot National Park - walk over the cliff top to the next bay (or get the little boat) and then climb the hundreds of steps up the mountain to Phraya Nakhon cave - it's so worthwhile and stunning - plus you get to see the monkeys swinging in the trees above you.

To summarise - you must stay at this hotel, you'll come away feeling really special and chilled out!

This was the second time my husband and I had been to the Anantara and the reason for returning was that my son and daughter-in-law decided to get married abroad and Thailand was the choice.

We were told we would have to spend 4 nights in Bangkok as the wedding formalities would take 4 days (in fact they took two and a half hours) but we enjoyed excursions to the Grand Palace, the Floating Market and the Safari. A visit to MBK shopping centre is recommended but you could spend a full day there and still not get round it all. We then spent 11 nights at the Anantara and the wedding was arranged for the 5th day. The staff could not have been more helpful and the setting for the wedding was superbly decorated. The (British) manager did say that they only have about 5 weddings a year at the hotel but you would not have known that as everything was so beautifully organised. The 'romantic meal' they had on the evening of their wedding was so spectacular - it even included 2 three foot high ice sculptures and the bride and groom were upgraded to a lagoon room for the rest of their stay. (Petals in the bath and all the other thoughtful little things as well)

Hua Hin is just a short taxi ride away, and there is a busy night market selling the usual fake items which is good fun. The food and drink in the hotel is quite expensive but if you choose to take your meals in town you can get a meal for just over a pound.

Monkey Mountain seems to be a new excursion and any taxi driver will be pleased to take you there. You can buy buckets of food for about 50p and a hundred or so monkeys come out of the trees to take the food. It is rather nice as they are living in the wild and are not confined.

The elephant trekking was also enjoyed by those who went on that trip.

There are massage beds at either side of the hotel, run by locals, and an hour's massage is about £3 and worth every penny.

There is also a small hotel next door (which can be reached by a thirty second walk as long as the tide is out,) called White Sand and the food there is good and also inexpensive.

The staff at the Anantara are excellent, especially if you lighten up a little with them - if you remain aloof they are extremely polite and courteous. The bedrooms are not particularly large but are adequate and the accommodation is in villas which are only 2 storeys high. The reception area is open and has a very rustic feel - things are made of wood, not marble and the furnishings are also old but it gives a wonderful 'colonial' feel to the place. The pool has a pool bar and a happy hour, and the water is just like getting in a bath .... luxury!

There is no entertainment other than a singer at the restaurant but all in all a wonderful hotel if you just want a peaceful laid-back holiday and if you are thinking of planning a wedding it certainly beats the Carribbean.