Hi there,
I am looking for 5 star accomodations in Hua Hin for a 5 night stay. I'm confused as to where to stay...apparently Marriott has the nicest beach...but lot's of children?? What is khao takiab - another beach in hua hin? We don't want to be too far from the nightlife and restaurants. If anyone has recommendations - I would really appreciate it!
Thanks
Stephanie

The Sofitel is really nice and is on the beach and is close to the town, about a 5 minute walk. I stayed there a few years ago and loved it.

I agree that the Sofitel is the nicest place right in town. It really isn't true that the Marriott has the nicest beach and the Marriott's rooms are small and dark.

If you don't care about being right in town, two other places to consider: The Anantara's Deluxe Lagoon rooms are stunning as is the spa. The beach is only ok, and the best rooms are farthest from the beach.
The Hyatt is lovely, with huge, beautifully landscaped grounds. The beach there is nice and broad.

Hua Hin has a busy central town area on the sea, restaurants, street stalls, bars, sidewalk bars and cafes, night market and a couple of small shows.
North of the town center is the Anantara, lovely resort with Mandara Spa but the beach is not that good and narrow.
Further north towards Cha Am is the Dusit resort, very nice but far from town.

In town resort hotels are Hilton ( huge tall skyscrapper ), almost next to it is the Sofitel, classic 1920's style, right on the beach.
Next down is the Marriott, ok, but you need to get best rooms, pool not that large.
These last 3 are walking distance to most parts of town.
My own opinion is that you gain a great deal going 'down the beach' to the South beach area / Khao takiab beach. Here you have the Chiva Som Luxury health resort and Spa, the Hyatt Regency Resort and the new Wora Bura Resort and Spa, this area is about 7 minutes into town by tuk tuk and the beach is wide. Just south from these places are some of actually the best restaurants such as let's Sea, Supatra-by-the-Sea, Sasi restaurant and Show and a couple of places by the Hyatt with live bands, and La Mer.
All these are great places to stay, I would say the Hyatt has the largest grounds, and largest pools and the layout is more romantic, if you get the Regency Club Rooms you also have your own pool area. You can't walk into town but it's only a few minutes and you benefit from a wide frontage, romantic views at night of the Golden Buddha and you are close to Elephant, cycling area, local fishing village and some great restaurants.
if you stay in this area you get to enjoy the area plus go into town at night, it seems though that when people stay 'in the town' they rarely venture away from the center which is a great pity, they don't know what tyey are missing by hanging around the town area ( this includes 'me', was going there a long time until realised best areas were south ! ). There is a,ocal pick-up bus service all along Khao Takiab direct to the Central market, costs about 12 cents U.S, tuk tuk or taxi about USD 3.

http://www.phuket-luxury-hotels.com/...ry_hotels.html

www.huahin.20m.com

www.nongasia.com/hua_hin_hotels.html

www.khao-takiab.com

If yuo want the best then Sofitel in town or the Hyatt Regency or Wora Bura at Khao takiab beach.

These give you photos and locations to start getting the idea of what's available from luxury Hua Hin hotels:

Hyatt Regency:-
http://www.r24.org/huahin.20m.com/hu...ency/pictures/

Sofitel:-
http://www.r24.org/huahin.20m.com/hu...tral/pictures/

Anantara:-
http://www.r24.org/huahin.20m.com/hu...tara/pictures/

Hilton:
http://www.r24.org/huahin.20m.com/hu...lton/pictures/

I've stayed at the Hyatt and it's great but it is generally packed with kids as it has a pool complete with water slide and stuff. 5 nights is IMO a lot in Hua Hin. Night life there is not great. A hotel I really like is a boutique property the Aleenta but certainly not near the night life.

If you want a true 5 star resort with out children running around all day try Chiavasom.

http://www.chivasom.com/content/index.htm

The spa at the Chiva Som is unbelievable. Do try it out if you go to Hua Hin. I spent a couple of days at the spa and toured all the room types at the Chiva Som. Frankly, I was disappointed in the rooms. I stayed at the Hyatt in the Regency Club (away from the children at the waterslide), and, as James noted, the Regency Club has its own pool. The Chiva Som is a 5 minute walk via the beach from the Hyatt.

i still think the marriott beach is about the best stretch in HH...

there are kids at all these resorts but i would not say that overrun any of them...

i think 5 days is about enough for HH quite honestly...the town itself is quite disappointing...

If you are at the Regency Club you should be fine.
The Aleenta is very quiet and romantic but a good 30 minutes or more from town, the Evason Hideaway ( Pool Villas ) in same area so again very quiet.
There are plenty of day trips, River Kwai and kanchanaburi one day, Bang saphan and Koh Talu for snorkeling another, the Sam Roi Yot National park another day, you can spend a day working with the elephants, feeding, riding and spashing about with them in the water, also the hilltribe visits. There are now boat trips to Lion island just for the ride or to go line fishing and the Maya cruise on the Pranburi River. Also cycling tour around Sam Roi Yot another new one. Another new fun addition at takiab Bay is off-road 4 wheelers, lots of sand and mud, good fun!!
There are 3 good shows in town now, the new 'Hua Hin Thai Show' is a large place in the center of town, dinner and Thai dance and music with some cabaret, the sasi restaurant with Thai dance, fire show etc, very well done, Blue Angel Cabaret now near the Hilton.

I would say HH has grown perhaps 30-40% in the last year, new mega shopping mall about to open too with 4 or 5 storeys of shops, restaurants, bowling etc, that opens I think January.

Has anyone been to the new Wora Bura Resort?? The rooms look really nice but I couldn't see pictures of a pool?

I really should have been some kind of entrepreneur! I find it amazing that 'still' they have not put up the pictures that should do it justice. They have spent so much money on the place but are amiss in not updating anywhere the new photos, the pool area is quite large for the number of rooms and is down by the beach, the rooms are in very much 1900's style, wooden facade with verandahs/balconies down both side of a large central garden area that has pools, stone waterfalls and such, some excellent stonework, although the room buildings go down each side of the pool and garden areas they are not too close, wooden bridges over ponds all down to the beach/pool area. The rooms near the pool all have dark wooden verandahs. The pool is not 'large' but it seems adequote for number of rooms. They have aimed at authentic Thai style of the 1900's but with high tech modern facilities in a discreet manner.

Now all they need to do is buy a camera!

I'll be done there probably next week and planned to take a look anyway so will do some photos, I am thinking about doing what others have done and start posting photos of all these places.

Thanks for your reply James. Of all the hotels in Hua Hin, this one appeals to me the most. The rooms look gorgeous - but you're right, not enough photos of the property (can't even see what the pool looks like) - I will keep my eye out for new photos

Hi

My wife and I stayed at Hilton in Hua Hin and we thought it was great...in fact I think it is the best hotel that I have ever stayed at I have written more about our trip to Thailand in a trip report with pictures on my personal homepage: http://gardkarlsen.com/thailand2002.htm Maybe you can find some useful info there. Get in touch if you have any questions or comments.

Regards
Gard
Stavanger, Norway

StephG: We might go down this w/end, if so I will be passing it anyhow and will pop in and either take some photos or scan any new brochures they have.

JamesA-I was thinking Hua Hin this next trip for a couple of days-the Hyatt sounds great-views of the Golden Buddha would sell me on the place (I never get enough golden Buddhas-never get buddha'd or temple'd out-ever). But having a lot of kids around would definitely not be my cup of tea.

It's either Hua Hin or Luang Prabang-the latter will probably win out though.

JamesA - thanks - I would really appreciate that!

Spygirl, Luang Prabang and Hua Hin are just totaly different. What HH offers is beach a cab ride from Bangkok, lots of 'absolute beachfront' ( i.e places right on the beach and no beach roads to get across between hotel and beach ), a more Thai style around the area, national park and jungle nearby, plus quite a lot of nice temples south of town, on Naam Chai they have a 'footprint' of the Lord Buddha ( yes...I know! ) plus some very ancient old small temples from centuries back, steep climb ( no tourist haunt as yet ) and also monks still live up the mountain in these old relic areas, so to sum it up it's the 'close to Bangkok, beach, lots of good accommodation, mix with temples, farmlands and national park plus elephants and stuff', so it's different, but it's not Luang prabang by any strecth....!

oh, quite, James-I didn't mean to imply they were the same in any way, merely talking about a window of time in which to go somewhere from BKK-and I've been to Luang Prabang before, but for a too short period of time, so I'd like to go back.

However, I've not been to Hua Hin, but have always thought I'd like it here-you're making it sound quite enticing.

excuse me but are you guys a bunch of children haters you all where once a child i simply refuse to call a child "kid" we are not goats