Review: Hyatt Regency Hua Hin

Hi Tiffany,another great review! Mr Silver Springer and I stayed there a few years ago in a club executive room, that comes with one massage a day, and really enjoyed it. We loved the facility, pools and the club service including the afternoon ice cream served to club lounge section. We are going back in September as part of a "Do" and staying in the Bari suites that come with butler service-should be fun!

Was there a few years ago, looks the same. Only thing different was I took the train from BKK, was fun.
But we did have beach service back then, along with security along the beach.

Fantastic review, Tiffany! Thanks for all the details and commentary. I really enjoy reading all your posts!

What's wrong with Pattaya?

Tiffany,

I love that property. I'm amazed that it's almost always easy to book p&c rooms there and use DSUs.

Yanisa and I go there and we usually get a room on the regency side and spend our time at the regency club pool. And the rooms on the RC side are much nicer than the rooms on the other side and the property treats diamond members very well.

Anyway I'm glad you figured out the hotel with a hotel thing they do there. The Barai Spa rooms are even nicer and are yet another hotel within a hotel apparently another level up from the RC rooms and area.

We love the RC pool and the "quiet area" signs around it.

-David (LIH Prem)

@ Silverspringer -- Thanks! Glad to hear there are other great experiences, and the ice cream was definitely popular with our group!

@ M Simons -- Oh, the train could be a great option! How long did it take?

@ Jenny -- Thanks!!

@ W -- Well, possibly nothing, but I was told it's really gone downhill as of late, and is really a sex tourism spot nowadays. Didn't seem like the best choice with teenage girls, given that.

@ David -- Agreed, the Diamond treatment was top-notch!

When were you there? We were there Dec 26 - Jan 2.

Can't wait for you to try Hyatt COD! It is an amazing deal for 8,000 GP Points a night.. Especially when rates are 8,000PHP

Next time visit Khao Lak, an hour north of Phuket, if you haven't yet. Beautiful, quiet, and not as busy as Phuket!

Not Pattaya, well I can see that might a deciding factor when traveling with teenage girls.

I was under the impression that Pattaya has always been a sex tourism spot, or were you thinking about the Sheraton there Tiffany? The reviews I have read of it seem to indicate it's removed for all the filth in the rest of the town.

Have read that the local government is try to pitch Pattaya as a family beach destination to the Russians, or at least before the recent plunge of the rubbel.

Sounds like false marketing to me, Pattaya is definitely not high on the list of places I would go with somebody for a couple or family holiday.

@Tiffany
Damn, that's a real shame, went there back when I was 12 or so, and enjoyed it.

Was there during thanksgiving and booked 2 paid rooms, barely over $100, under my name. Both received diamond benifit without asking. Suite upgrade was nice and large. No problem with bed. Regency pool section was nice with free non alcoholic drinks and ice cream, which we weren't told but figured it out later, which was disappointing. Really enjoyed our stay and definitely recommend.

Interesting trip report. I was trying to go there a few years ago when there was an airport in Hua HIn (which I now believe is closed) as I didn't want to do a 4 hour Thailand drive from Bangkok. How was the travel to and from Bangkok? You said you used a Van service?

Didn't this hotel used to be a category 1 or 2?? I remember when I was looking years ago, I think the average rate was about $75 a night. It sure has gone up some.

Still thinking about putting this on my to visit list one day.

Pattaya is best avoided at all costs! It is all about sex sex sex and some of it illegal, I wish I had known about this resort before your review, thank you!

Any mosquito or ants issues in the rooms?

@ Greg -- We drove here from Kanchanaburi, which took about 4 hours. The drive back to the Bangkok airport took about the same, as there was heavy traffic that day. Apparently there is a train, which might be a good option as well!

@ mk -- No, though mosquitos were an issue in the evenings. We had plenty of insect repellant with us, but they also had spray in the rooms.

great trip report. The Hyatt grounds and breakfast buffet look nice and I like the location right on the beach.
The room looks very sad - I stayed at the nearby Amari - it's new, service is great and the rooms are much, much nicer at a much lower price (half during my stay)! Breakfast is good and they (now) have a beach club near the Hyatt, short buggy ride or walk from the rooms. Check out my review: http://dreamtravelonpoints.com/2015/12/upscale-beach-hotel-at-bargain-price-amari-hua-hin/
@Paul: Pattaya has a sleazy side, but you can stay at a family-oriented resort and never see any of it. Pattaya is easier to reach from Bangkok, easier to get around and cheaper, too!

There is a great difference between the regular rooms and the club rooms: the club rooms and the suites were renovated to a much higher standard, and the service and maintence is much better on the club side.

Service in the restaurants can be wildly inconsistent, and I don't think they handle being busy very well. In the off season the service is usually excellent, and the food has always been good.

Bookimg a club room here, rather than depending on an upgrade, might be worth it: it comes with a spa credit that makes up the difference in cost. The spa is excellent.

Transportation to Hua Hin is a problem. Last I checked the airport had service to Chiang Mai, but not Bangkok. There is a shuttle from GH Bangkok (500 Baht?), but you can hire a car for about 2500 and stop along the way. The train is fun, but probably the slowest way to get to Hua Hin.

There is an Elephant rescue center outside Hua Hin (www.wfft.org) that is worth the time and money.

Two years back we had our wedding there (traditional Thai with all our non Thai friends and relatives in Thai dress) and we couldn't fault the service; the rooms; the food or the friendly staff even with some 42 room nights for our guests booked and paid for without points over a Friday and Saturday nights.
The Barai Spa is a must and we found the Premier View Suite to be most comfortable.
Love reading your reports Tiffany.

On our last trip to Bangkok we did 4 nights in Pattaya and it was a nice, relaxing stay. You can easily avoid the sex tourism area by avoiding Walking Street, but it's nice to see and quite tame during the day.

I think I'd rather visit other areas of Thailand that we haven't been to yet before returning to Pattaya.

Just so you know, there's a transit option for the Hyatt Regency Hua Hin to/from the Grand Hyatt Erawan in Bangkok. You can arrange an easy shuttle between the two properties. I don't know how the rate compares, but it is really convenient. I didn't even have to stay at the GHE (stayed across the street at the HI on point breaks). The GHE is right next to the train stop which is an easy ride from the airport.

@ Garrett -- Yep, we considered that, and for small groups I think the price of 600 Baht per person is reasonable. For our group it would have been 3900 Baht, and they wouldn't have been able to accommodate us all in the same vehicle, so a private car that took us all the way to the airport was better. Great reminder though!

Hi Tiffany.

I have read a few of your articles and was wondering if you had any travel tips and/ or recommendations for Koh Samui, Khao Lak, or any other destination. I am going for a hotel and travel conference soon to Thailand but wanted to check out a few sites especially if you had anything in mind!

Love Thailand but never traveled to Hua Hin, my wife is from Thailand and we haven't been there since the Kings passing and sure my wife would like to pay respects. Great insight into the Hyatt Regency with dynamic photos and detailed information, feel like I've already visited. Great article and love the cards forgot to mention. Thanks!

Thank you, Tiffany, for your helpful review! I just posted a review of our stays in the winters of 2016 and 2017 to provide additional data points:
http://nomadfoodie.blogspot.com/2018/03/review-hyatt-regency-hua-hin-thailand.html

The current General Manager is very active and often seen strolling the grounds greeting guests.