12 Best Hotels in Hua Hin, The Gulf Coast Beaches

One of the best spa resorts in the region—and possibly the world—Chiva-Som has tasteful and comfortable rooms accented with natural woods. Some rooms have private terraces overlooking the ocean. Holistic healing and a wholesome diet are the focus of a stay, but the beachfront setting will do you a world of good, too. The courteous staff will help you recharge through educational talks in the library, shiatsu massages performed in a soothing pool, and individually tailored diets.

Even if you don't stay at this local landmark, its old-world charm makes it worth a visit. Built in 1923 for visitors to King Rama VII's summer palace, the hotel has wide verandas that open onto splendid gardens leading down to the beach. The lounges on either side of the reception area are open to let in sea breezes. In low season, rates are almost half of what they are the rest of the year. On-site activities include badminton and putting at two greens.

The spacious lobby at this hotel between Hua Hin and Cha-am serves as a lounge for afternoon tea and evening cocktails, sipped to the soft melodies of traditional Thai music. Just past an ornamental lily pond is the swimming pool, complete with bubbling fountains, and the beach is just beyond that. All rooms have private balconies with ocean views and are decorated with local furnishings and modern touches. Since it's essentially in Cha-am, there's a shuttle service to Hua Hin and car service to Bangkok.

This stunning resort packs a lot into its relatively demure dimensions. Accommodations include spacious pool villas and giant Club InterContinental suites, the latter of which come with perks including private check-in, afternoon tea, and evening cocktails and canapes. Other highlights reveal themselves as you make your way through the tropical grounds towards the beach. These include a gorgeous pool, creative Thai outlet Jaras, and a lively, Art Deco–inspired beach bar. 

There's a real sense of place at this tropical retreat, which eschews contemporary decor for an old-world Southeast Asian feel that maximizes water features, lush foliage, and Thai-style design. Among the standout features are its two lovely pools: an oceanfront pool is divided into three sections making it suitable for serious swimmers and junior splashers alike. The resort's pool villas, meanwhile, offer ultimate privacy and luxurious trimmings. 

Surrounded by a 10-foot-tall terra-cotta wall, this luxurious beach resort looks like an ancient Thai village. Flowers and artworks decorate the lobby and much of the resort, and the furniture throughout is well made. Rooms are within two-story brown-and-burnt-orange structures surrounded by five distinct gardens and a lagoon; the color scheme is so complementary and the grounds so beautiful you could spend a whole day taking pictures. When you need actual rest, you can always head back to your room and collapse on the huge, comfortable balcony sofa. At night tiki torches light up the walkways that connect the rooms with the restaurants. Activities include tennis and cooking classes.

On a pier that juts out over the water, this guesthouse is unlike any other in Hua Hin. The Cape Cod–blue planks of the pier match the color of the trim around the whitewashed walls. Rooms have kitschy (or tacky, depending on your taste) touches like seashell-framed mirrors and sand-encrusted lamps. Two large houses claim prime real estate toward the end of the pier, with private decks ideal for sipping afternoon drinks or watching the sun rise.

In the liveliest part of town, the Hilton is perfect for fun-and-sun enthusiasts who want to be close to the action. Towering over Hua Hin, the 17-story hotel has rooms that are spacious, functional, and outfitted with the modern amenities one expects from this chain. A lagoonlike pool dominates the garden. The beach in front of the resort is next to the public accessway, making it popular with vendors and tourists from other hotels. The Hua-Hin Brewing Company, a popular bar, restaurant, and people-watching venue, is part of the Hilton complex.

A massive lobby area makes a striking first impression while guest rooms are as opulent as one might expect, with many offering direct access to a pool that loops around the verdant tropical grounds and joins with the bigger, lagoon-style, family pool. Dining options are equally generous. Try Big Fish, the resort's casual beachfront grill, for a seafood platter groaning with giant prawns, juicy scallops, and lobster claws packed with tender meat. 

On one of the main streets leading to the public entrance to Hua Hin Beach, Jed Pee Nong has bungalows clustered around a swimming pool and standard rooms in a high-rise building. Rooms have huge beds and not much else, but the price is hard to beat. The terrace restaurant facing the street stays open late.

This three-story hotel in a quiet alley near the night market is an excellent deal, with spacious rooms that feature amenities like hot showers, flat-screen TVs, free Wi-Fi, and silent air-conditioning. Some rooms have balconies. The atmosphere is chatty in the tastefully decorated lobby featuring Buddha statues, paintings of flowers, chandeliers, and natural stone.

Formerly Blue Lotus, this boutique resort is located on a quiet beach in Pranburi, about 20 minutes south of Hua Hin. It has newly renovated guest rooms and pool villas offering light designs to create a natural ambience. There's a good restaurant and a gorgeous beachside swimming pool. Daily activities include sports like archery.