Sunday morning, we traded our "bubble" of Nichada for a few days of R&R in the "bubble" of the Hyatt Regency Hua Hin.
I will warn you, if you are looking for an authentic Thai holiday, this is not it (try Koh Chang). One day while we were there, sitting by the pool and watching the boys swim, my friend said to me, "It doesn't even feel like we are in Thailand. This place is so Western that we really could be anywhere in the United States or in the Caribbean." Since we were traveling with our kids and without our husbands, this is exactly what we wanted. The resort was fantastic and I would highly recommend it - very family friendly and lots to do for kids and teens but plenty of quiet places for adults to relax. I have been working the calendar all morning trying to figure out how we can fit in another trip to the Hyatt/Hua Hin before we move as I know Kevin would enjoy the resort.
There was quite a bit of Songkran holiday traffic on our drive to Hua Hin from Nichada (230 kilometers) and it took us about 3 hours. The Hyatt is located on the southern edge of the town and is really not convenient to anything in the central part of town. I would estimate that the Hyatt is about 1 1/2 miles from the central business district of Hua Hin. There are tuk tuks and taxis readily available if you do want to go shopping, try different restaurants, go clubbing, etc. However, we were quite happy to park ourselves by the pool for the duration of our stay and did not leave (or want to leave) the resort. There were four restaurants on the property and each had a menu selection that was varied enough to please the boys, Caitlynne, my friend and I. We thought the food was very good - two nights we had Italian food and one night we had very authentic (and very spicy) Thai food. The friends we went with had also upgraded to the club level so our breakfast was included and we ate that in the club lounge. Lunch was eaten poolside - burgers, salads, etc. The service was impeccable - plenty of staff around to anticipate your every need and they were all very pleasant and so helpful. The buildings, the pools, and the grounds were clean and well maintained. Each morning, right as the sun rose, there was an army of workers landscaping, vacuuming the pool, cleaning floors, windows, etc.
There was quite a bit of Songkran holiday traffic on our drive to Hua Hin from Nichada (230 kilometers) and it took us about 3 hours. The Hyatt is located on the southern edge of the town and is really not convenient to anything in the central part of town. I would estimate that the Hyatt is about 1 1/2 miles from the central business district of Hua Hin. There are tuk tuks and taxis readily available if you do want to go shopping, try different restaurants, go clubbing, etc. However, we were quite happy to park ourselves by the pool for the duration of our stay and did not leave (or want to leave) the resort. There were four restaurants on the property and each had a menu selection that was varied enough to please the boys, Caitlynne, my friend and I. We thought the food was very good - two nights we had Italian food and one night we had very authentic (and very spicy) Thai food. The friends we went with had also upgraded to the club level so our breakfast was included and we ate that in the club lounge. Lunch was eaten poolside - burgers, salads, etc. The service was impeccable - plenty of staff around to anticipate your every need and they were all very pleasant and so helpful. The buildings, the pools, and the grounds were clean and well maintained. Each morning, right as the sun rose, there was an army of workers landscaping, vacuuming the pool, cleaning floors, windows, etc.
A spirit house flanked by elephants stood at the entrance to the hotel property.
I think the figures on this raised mural symbolize the days of the week. But, I could be wrong.
As an added bonus, we were able to watch this monitor lizard search for his breakfast every morning. Monitor lizards give me the heebie-jeebies. Fortunately, this one was not too large - maybe 4 or 5 feet.
There was another spirit house/pair of elephants set up on the beachfront edge of the property line. I think they were so festively decorated in celebration of Songkran.
Looking out to the Gulf from the reception area.
A pink water lotus.
A white water lotus.
As you can probably tell, the resort was huge. I was so happy when the woman handling our check-in offered Caitlynne use of a wheelchair. Our room was about a 1/2 mile from all of the restaurants, pool, etc. and having that wheelchair made all of the difference for her. She never would have managed all of the back & forths on her crutches.
Have a great Thursday.
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