Review: the Hyatt Regency Hua Hin hotel, Thailand

This is our review of the Hyatt Regency Hua Hin hotel in Thailand.

It is our second of two Hyatt hotel reviews in Thailand this weekend from our PR consultant Caroline:

“After a fun two days/nights in busy Bangkok at the Grand Hyatt Erawan (review here), I was looking forward to my last two nights in Thailand as a guest at the upscale Hyatt Regency in Hua Hin.

Hua Hin is around 200km south west of Bangkok, and is a renowned holiday and weekend spot for affluent Bangkokians. 

The extensive five star resort is situated in the Kao Takiap area of Hua Hin and has a fabulous beach-front position on the Gulf of Thailand.  Despite being set directly off the main road, you very quickly forget the outside world.  The hotel website is here.

After being welcomed to the resort and checking in, I was escorted to my room set on the ground floor. 

Rooms at the Hyatt Regency Hua Hin

First impressions of the room were, well, impressive!  As well as smelling gorgeous, it felt very modern with lovely wood effect porcelain tiled floor throughout.  The room was a Deluxe twin with 38sqm of space in which to relax.

On the far side of the twin beds was a large sofa, which was positioned next to a round dining table which would double up as a work area.  There were patio doors leading to a very private terrace surrounded by tropical plants and a pond.  

In similar style to the Grand Hyatt Erawan in Bangkok, the bathroom was separated with sliding doors, which gave you the choice of privacy or to keep the space open.

The large bathtub was positioned so you could open the doors and watch TV on the huge 65 inch smart TV whilst relaxing in the tub, which I made a point of indulging in.

The bathroom was equipped with plenty of fluffy towels and also glass filled water bottles (additional to those in the room). This is typical within Thailand. There were separate loo and shower cubicles and the amenities were by Portico.

Large bottles of body wash, shampoo and hair conditioner were available in the shower cubicle and smaller body lotion bottles available by the sink. There was also a box full of other useful amenities including cotton buds/pads, shower caps and toothbrushes etc.

On the screen on arrival is a rolling programme of resort information detailing dining options and also the daily programme of activities for both adults and kids.  These included origami lessons, pond dipping (for pond life – not swimming) and cycling activities. 

There was plenty of hanging space for clothes, and a large area to store an open suitcase in the lobby area of the room.  

There was a paid mini bar containing a selection of alcoholic and soft beverages as well as other snacks.

Tea and coffee making facilities were complimentary there was a good selection of Dilmah teas and some instant coffee sachets and coffee mate. 

The room lighting was quite high tech and had buttons to create the ambience of your choice. USB sockets were available next to the bed as well as having a number of international power sockets around the room.

There was also a large personal safe big enough for a large laptop.

Beach, pool, gym and gardens at Hyatt Regency Hua Hin

After settling in and unpacking for my next couple of days, I went out to explore the extensive resort.   It was quite an overcast day so I didn’t get to experience it at it’s very best, but the first thing that strikes you is the amazing array of lush tropical plants.  The gardens are extremely well tended and looked absolutely stunning.

The large free-form interconnecting pool area is wonderful, comprising a central lagoon.  It also has a large water slide that utilises one area of the lagoon and is roped off to separate it from the main pool area. 

Offshoots from the main lagoon also extended to pool access for several ground floor rooms.  There is another adult only Regency Club pool situated behind the Club lounge, and in front of Club Olympus, where you can use the fitness equipment, plus there is a tennis court.

The resort caters very well for children, but you really have to hunt for the kids areas as they seem to be quite well camouflaged from the main resort areas.  Surprisingly even the 22 ft long and 7ft high pool slide is not immediately obvious!

There is kids club situated close to the main restaurant which looks well equipped, but if you’re not travelling with children, everything child-friendly is quite understated – you don’t feel as if you are in a family resort.

In the centre of the resort by the lagoon, and near the beach front, you find the You&Mee restaurant and bar, which serves food and beverages all day and also has a daily happy hour between 5 and 7pm offering 2 for 1 cocktails.  

Back toward the main reception, you’ll find Figs restaurant where daily buffet breakfast is served as well as lunch and dinner options. 

In front of the main pool is a cabana with staff providing pool towels and beyond that the beach which is accessible via some private steps in several places along the edge of the resort.  

The beach is splendid. Whilst it is a public beach, due to the geography and the large property frontage, it is not over-used.  The water is very shallow which means you can walk out for quite a distance at low tide.  It is also several km long, with a headland at the southern end, which is home to both a temple and a shrine.

You would probably need a good hour to walk up to view these landmarks and another hour to walk back.

I decided to have a dip in the sea just to check out the temperature. It was very clean and very warm and happily no sign of jelly fish for which there are warnings around the resort.  It should be noted that the sea is very shallow, especially at low tide, so those looking to do serious open water swimming may be disappointed.

THE BARAI Spa

THE BARAI Spa was named after barays – which are large man-made reservoirs created by ancient Khmers to channel irrigated water for use in their daily lives.   As you would imagine, the spa features its very own baray.

I was invited to smell a selection of candles. Preferences lead to the choice of treatments which could be balancing, vitalizing, releasing or energising.

I opted for a traditional Thai massage which included acupressure, along with passive stretching techniques designed to release muscle tension and clear energy blockages.   It was extremely relaxing.  The whole experience from start to finish was fabulous, and I ended with a relaxing swim in the spa’s dedicated pool set in a beach inspired area of the building.

Guests staying in THE BARAI suites and Presidential Villas receive daily treatments as part of their package.   

Yoga takes place most mornings in the peaceful setting of the THE BARAI pool area known as Tranquillity Court.  

Breakfast and dinner at Hyatt Regency Hua Hin

For my first dinner at McFarland House, I was shown to a lovely table directly looking towards the sea.  The upstairs seating area presumably enjoys an even more magnificent view. 

The a la carte menu is impressive with a tempting selection of modern European dishes and healthy choices.  As well as breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner, the restaurant serves a popular Sunday brunch accompanied by live music, seafood and locally sourced produce. 

Many of the herbs are grown on site in the hotel’s kitchen garden situated outside the front of the hotel.  One of the signature dinner dishes is an Australian Rangers Tomahawk steak, cooked in the restaurant’s Kamado Joe charcoal grill, and served with a selection of special sauces.

It all looked a bit much for me so I went for salt and pepper squid as my starter and the sirloin beef, served with fries and spinach.

I chose a lovely Malbec to accompany my steak.  It was all very enjoyable.

Both my breakfasts were taken at McFarland House.  The a la carte menu has both western and Thai choices as well as a host of healthy choices included freshly prepared juices and breakfast bowls.  I went for Eggs Benedict on my first morning.  

Anyone booking a Club room will have access to the Regency Club lounge and pool which includes continental breakfast, evening cocktail and all day refreshments. 

An unpublished benefit is the presence of the charming Regency Club assistant manager, Vito Chen.   Vito was clearly born to work in the hospitality industry.  His passion for his job shines through and he has the skill to make every guest feel special. A quick google of reviews will see his name and glowing references mentioned again and again. 

Tak Bart

Tak Bart is a Bhuddist morning ritual in which Thai’s participate by joining in prayers as well as offering food to the Monks, and receiving, in exchange, a Sanskrit prayer as a blessing, that will nurture body and soul. 

I was invited to the Tak Bart at the hotel during my stay. The session at 8am on Sunday morning was very well attended.  Lasting around 30 minutes, towards the end of the prayers, I and all the other guests were invited to place rice, milk and a flower (provided by the hotel) into a sacred vessel in front of the attending Monk who gave us each a blessing. It was a unique experience.

Cash or points?

Rates at The Hyatt Regency Hua Hin currently start at around £110 and the hotel is World of Hyatt award category 3, beginning at 12,000 points per night for a standard room and 17,000 points for a Club room.  Given our 1.3p value of a World of Hyatt point, cash may well be a better deal although clearly this can vary week to week.

You can find out more, and book, on the hotel website here. Thank you to the Hyatt team for hosting me.

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