Hilton Hua Hin Resort & Spa

The Hilton Hua Hin Resort & Spa is housed in a 15-story building on lush grounds with palm trees, topiary, fountains, Thai elephant sculptures, and winding paths. Guests enter to a contemporary Thai-style lobby with vaulted ceilings, large flower arrangements, sofas, Thai and contemporary sculpture, and an indoor reflecting pool in front of a huge glass wall overlooking the massive outdoor swimming pool. The pool is the hotel's centerpiece, and it features a lagoon-style swimming area bordered by a lawn and spacious palm-lined deck with lounge chairs. Guests gather here to sun themselves and sip cocktails from the swim-up and poolside bars. This isn't the newest resort in town, and it shows in chunky furniture, bland chain-hotel decor, and slightly over-the-top decorative elements like terra cotta naga sculptures. The resort has direct beach access and tends to attract families and couples, who appreciate the beach, pool, and other facilities, plus the location near the night market and other sights. Business travelers make use of the meeting rooms. Service at the resort is generally excellent, in keeping with Hilton brand standards. 

The beachfront Hilton Hua Hin Resort & Spa is located on the Gulf of Thailand in central Hua Hin town, in an area with numerous resorts, restaurants, bars, and massage parlors. Featuring food and merchandise stalls, the Hua Hin Night Market is a five-minute drive or 15-minute walk northwest of the resort. Hua Hin Railway Station, with its lovely antique buildings, is a five-minute drive or 10-minute walk west of the resort, and there are plenty of tuk-tuks in the area for getting around town. The resort is a 15-minute drive north of the open-air Cicada Market, which features art, handmade crafts, a beer garden, and live music. Khao Takiab (Chopsticks Hill), a popular local sight, has a hilltop temple with sweeping views of the surrounding area; it's a 20-minute drive from the hotel depending on traffic. Vana Nava Hua Hin Water Park is a 10-minute drive south and Klai Kangwon Palace and the Panee Butterfly Garden are a 10-minute drive north. Wat Huay Mongkol and the statue of Luang Pu Thuat are a 25-minute drive west of the resort. Hilton Hua Hin Resort & Spa is about three hours' drive southwest of Bangkok city center, where there are two major international airports.

The 296 all non-smoking rooms at the Hilton are arrayed on 15 floors. Rooms range from 452 to 1615 square feet, and feature hardwood floors and contemporary Thai-style decor with Thai art pieces alongside white walls and white cotton bedding. Blue printed lotus panels stand above bids, adding a pop of color to the rooms. All rooms feature floor-to-ceiling windows for good natural light plus balconies with gulf views. Each room includes a safe, minibar, electric kettle, bathrobe, free Wi-Fi, clock radio with MP3 connection, and 32- or 40-inch flat-screen TV with English-language channels and a DVD player. Many rooms feature some combination of pillow menus, seating areas with sofas, separate dressing rooms, and second private balconies. Some rooms allow access to a special Resort Lounge with free breakfast and refreshments throughout the day. All bathrooms are spacious and well lighted ,with ample counter space. They feature walk-in showers or separate tubs and showers along high-end Peter Thomas Roth bath products. Some suites have marble bathrooms with aromatherapy bath oils. Rooms are quiet and clean, but look generally tired, with a decent amount of wear and tear on furniture.

Hilton Hua Hin Resort & Spa boasts an excellent array of property amenities. Its highlight is the large lagoon-style pool, featuring ample swimming space, a hot tub, shallow kids end, waterslide, swim-up bar, and poolside bar. Sometimes the deck gets a little crowded, but generally it's not hard to get a lounge chair. The health club features a fitness center, locker rooms, squash, and lighted tennis courts. The full-service spa offers specialty massages that combine Swedish, Thai, and Ayurvedic techniques, and offers a wide range of other treatments (all for a fee). The spa also has a hot tub and sauna as well as a hair and nail salon. There are numerous on-site restaurants and bars, including a Szechuan and Cantonese eatery with sweeping gulf views from its rooftop terrace and bar. The resort also has a brewery restaurant with comfort food, a restaurant with Thai favorites and wood-fired pizzas, and a chic and relaxed lounge with exotic cocktails and live music. The ample breakfast buffet offers hot and cold items, though most rooms do not include free breakfasts. The resort also offers billiards, a colorful children's playroom, meeting rooms, a business center, concierge service, and free parking. There is direct access to the beach, which is generally pleasant, but at low tide rocks are exposed.