Hyatt Regency Hua Hin & The Barai – A Post-Refurbishment Review By Punam Mohandas
This is an update to the previously published review of Hyatt Regency Hua Hin which can be found here.
It is always a pleasure to visit the Hyatt Regency Hua Hin. Far from the madding crowd and situated on a rolling 12.5 acres along the beachfront, the hotel offers a welcome respite from the hustle and bustle of the Bangkok buzz.
The Hyatt has recently completed the second phase of its room refurbishment. The first phase, comprising of the Regency Club rooms, was undertaken in 2012 at a cost of THB 120-million. The 130 guestrooms in the standard wing have now had a face-lift as well and I walk into the unpretentious, welcoming lobby with a sense of curiosity as to what that might involve.
There are two room categories in this wing: Standard and Deluxe. All the Deluxe rooms are on the ground floor and the make-over has been exceedingly successful. The balcony space has now been enclosed with French windows that overlook lush, green foliage. The roomy space thus created has become a cosy sitting nook with a settee, ideal for sipping a cuppa and looking out over Nature from within air-conditioned environs. All the rooms have differing wooden sculptures above the bed. The TV is now wall-mounted, adding to the element of space in the room. The table countertops have been replaced as well.
The bathrooms are neatly cordoned off from the bed area by sliding wooden panels. The wash basin counters are new, while, most sensibly, the bathrooms have now been equipped with a glass shower cubicle.
The standard rooms on the upper floors look quite spruced up too, notwithstanding the fact that the balconies remain as they are. However, the interiors here have received the same treatment. Undeniably, the rooms are more comfortable now.
Everything else remains much as it was before. Housekeeping service is still virtually faultless and pest control at the property has improved too. A couple of areas the Hyatt could look to for improvement would be: 1. To have more beach umbrellas; there are enough sun loungers but strangely, too few umbrellas. 2. The shuttle bus timings to town should be more friendly.
Almost all major international airlines fly into Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport. Once in Bangkok, there are myriad transport options of getting to Hua Hin: you could take the train from Hua Lampong station, cheaper, but the journey takes almost six hours and tickets sometimes require to be bought in advance. A taxi will cost between THB2500-3000. The minivan from Victory Monument costs THB180 per person and takes two and a half hours, while the bus from Sai Tai Mai Terminal is at approximately the same per person and takes almost four hours. You can also get a bus from the airport at approximately THB300 per person. There is a daily hotel shuttle service, leaving the Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok at 2pm and departing Hyatt Regency Hua Hin at 10am. The journey takes under three hours and the cost is THB600 per head. Hua Hin has its own airport and the flight time from Bangkok is about 30-minutes.
HYATT REGENCY HUA HIN
TEL: +66 32521234
FAX: +66 32521233
Email: [email protected]
Punam Mohandas asserts her right to be identified as the author of this work. Any views or opinions expressed in this review is that of the author.
This is an update to the previously published review which can be found here.