Hi there. We are planning a trip to Siem Reap, Chiang Mai and a Thai beach. We are probably going to stay at Raffles or Angkor Palace resort in SR (a good pool and food is important here), either the Four Seasons or Mandarin Oriental in CM (culture, food and scenery important here), followed by a week relaxing on a Thai beach. We've been to Koh Samui and want to try somewhere else. We have just been completely spoilt at the Datai in Langkawi and I'd love to find a similar reort in Thailand. We will go in either May or September depending on which coast and rainfall etc, and also because the hotels are cheaper at this time and we can go for somewhere more luxurious.

Our (fairly specific) requirements are:
- 5 Star. Willing to pay up to THB10,000 per night for a quality room/villa. is this enough?
- A medium size hotel with several restaurants, good swimming pools and ideally separate villas or a range of room options.
- We spend our money on the hotel so we'd rather not stay somewhere with very high priced food and drinks, unless there are some eating options outside the hotel. We are willing to pay a reasonable amount for quality food and drink in a hotel but not over GBP100 per day for the 2 of us.
- A decent beach to look at/walk on, but not too worried about swimming in the sea, prefer a good pool. Snorkelling near by would be a bonus though but willing to take a day trip to do this.
- Would prefer somewhere not too commercialised, so don't mind a quiet part of an island/area as we are happy to make good use of the hotel facilities. For info, we stayed on Choeng Mon beach in Koh Samui which was lovely. Chaweng was far too commercialised for us.

So far we have narrowed down Krabi, Phuket and Hua Hin (we like the idea of avoiding another flight and lower rainfall). Hotel recommendations and pros and cons would be gratefully received.

Many thanks in advance as I know we are being quite specific with our requirements but from what I've read, Fodorites are particuarly knowledgeable on Thailand so this seemed the best place to start.

Not that you've listed poor choices...I just thought I'd throw a few more into the pot.

First, in Siem Reap, you might want to look at Hotel de la Paix. It's a smaller place and fairly new with excellent reviews and great deals in the summer season.

In Chiang Mai, the FS and the MO are well, well above 10,000 baht per night in any season, and though they are gorgeous, I wouldn't say they offer any more in terms of culture. And when you mention that you spend your money on the rooms so you want to have reasonable food, I don't believe that either the FS or the MO have low food prices, and they are outside of town so not much nearby. You might want to look at the Rachamanka (spelling) or the Chedi in Chiang Mai.

For a beach place...We really enjoyed Khao Lak. The beach was great for walking, and there are lots of nice seashells. Le Meridien Khao Lak has great special rates as they are not nearly busy enough I've heard. Nearby the Sarojin is reportedly lovely.

I'll leave the other beaches to someone else as we've only been to Samui and Khao Lak.

Before picking a beach, you should choose the time when you're going to be there. The weather patterns will dictate where you should go. I think Phuket and Krabi are wet in September. Check www.weatherbase.com for exact rainfall data.

KJ is right, both FS and MO are way over 10000 Baht per night.

I don't know about the weather that time of year, but Rayavadee in Krabi was a fantastic resort - it was like fantasy island... I gave a complete review of it back in March in my trip report "Honeymoon in SE Asia trip report"

However, it is expensive - as is the Four Seasons CM... Four Seasons CM was between 16000-20000B per night... Rayavadee ranged from about 16000-28000B per night depending on what type of villa you choose - ones with their own private plunge pool went for about 28000B per night... But that price included breakfast and dinner for us.

The property is on 3 beaches - Phranang beach is beautiful with caves and calm water, Raillay beach is very pretty too (but more populated) but is unswimmable for half the day during low tide, and Nam Mao beach which is only used for rock climbing...

There are also several restaurants - an international, a Thai (very good btw), and a cave on the beach for your own private barbeque.

Hope this helps...

We're willing to spend more in Chiang Mai on both hotels and extras and because of that it's the beach part of the holiday that we are putting a limit on. That said, if somewhere amazing came up that cost a bit more then we'd consider it.

Thanks for the suggestions so far. The Khao Lak hotels look perfect but the additional transfer time put us off going there - am I right in thinking it's a bit of a drive from the airport?

We are willing to go in May or September. Although we realise both months are in the rainy season, May could be a bit drier. That said, we've experienced September on the Andaman (Malaysian) coast a few times now so we know what to expect. That is partly why we added Hua Hin to the list.

Thanks again.

khtodd - the Rayavadee sounds wonderful and perfect for us but it's just too expensive for a whole week after SR and CM. One day though!

Khao Lak is not that much farther from the Phuket airport than many of the Phuket hotels near kata and Nai harn beaches.

If you go to Phuket, you might take a look at Mon Tri's Boathouse and Mon Tri's Villas. Both have gotten excellent reviews. We ate dinner at the boathouse and looked at a suite. It looked very nice and the food was exquisite.

also, try to get your hands on this month's Conde Nast Traveler -- big article on Thai beaches focusing on Khao Lak, Phuket and Phi Phi hotels

Let me echo a couple of Kim's ideas before I talk about beaches. I agree that you would be better off at a place like Hotel de la Paix in Siem Reap. Raffles is way over priced there.

And in CM, well, I wouldn't consider either of your picks in CM. As a result you will pretty much confined to the hotel for your meals, and you really won't experience CM. The Ramchatka (in town) looks wonderful, or the D2 if you prefer more stark decor. Both of these options are much less expensive and both will put you in CM. If you really aren't interested in Chaing Mai and just want Northern Thai scenery, let me recommend the Anantara at the Golden Triangle. It's a lovely place with a wonderful spa. The views from the rooms are stunning. You fly into Chaing Rai to get there, it's about an hour from the airport, the hotel can arrange transfers. They also have a branch of the Thai Elephant Conservation Camp on the grounds and a wonderful cooking school.

Hua Hin has some nice properties. In the price range you want, you won't get something comparable to the Datai, but you can get some very nice places. In Hua Hin town, I'd recommend the Sofitel. It has old world elegance. There is a Hyatt that is very nice (opt for the Regency club) and right next door to the Chiva Som. There is also an Anantara in Hua Hin, if you opt for them, go with the Lagoon rooms. Both the Hyatt and the Anantara are about 10 minutes outside of town.

i didn't read all the postings as i am out of time but wanted to comment....

in phuket i would choose the jw marriott....fabulous 5 star...different from datai but still very nice with a huge range of rooms...also time share through marriott vacations...

in CM, please know that the four seasons is way and i mean way outside town which i would view as an annoyance...

in SR, from all reports, the de la paix is the place to be...

also september is not a good month for any place in thailand

I have stayed twice at Mom Tri's Villa Royale overlooking Kata Noi beach. It is the most restful and pampering stay I have experienced anywhere. Very pricey... we were there over the New Year twice and had to pay for the "Gala Dinner" but we did enjoy it! Mom Tri's Boat House is also nice, but the Villas are fabulous!!

I would echo gpanda's sentiments about his meal at the Boat House. Superior food and service. Also, Mom Tri's Kitchen, which is located at the Villa Royale property, has superior food and service. Both have an excellent wine list, probably the best on the island.

Carol