I'm off to Thailand in Apr and would like a side trip to a beach resort within driving distance of Bangkok. I only want two nights at this beach resort so I don't really want to fly.

I've shortlisted the Sheraton Hua Hin and the Sheraton Pattaya (Sheraton Krabi did look good what with the resident eliphant but just too far from BKK)

I'm just really going to be there for some relaxation and good food and I'd like to see some elephants if there are any nearby reserves. I'm aware that Pattaya is a bit seedy but the resort is quite far from Pattaya proper so that doesn't really bother me.

I only really want either of these hotels so any other suggestions would need to be outstanding for similar cost if I was to consider.

There will be two of us if that makes any difference. I'm leaning more towards the Sheraton Hua Hin at the moment so any pictures of that place would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

If you plan to go into the water DON'T go to Pattaya!

I've stayed at the Sheraton Pattaya. The rooms are VERY nice and it is a terrific resort for just hanging out at. The rooms are almost like private bugalows.

April 13-15 is Songkran. This will run until April 18 or 19 in Pattaya. You will get VERY wet. It will be much less rowdy in Hua Hin.

The drive to Hua Hin is more interesting and less congested. The construction on the road to Pattaya makes for bumper to bumper traffic.

I haven't stayed at the Sheraton in Hua Hin but it to is a bit out of town.

Both are quite a bit removed from their perspecitve towns. In Pattaya, this is a very good thing.

The Sheraton Pattaya is VERY nice. It does lack a real beach, but they have a man-made sandy area next to the rocky shoreline. Its built on a hillside, so you may find yourslef going up & down a bit, though the major climbs are negated by elevators in key buildings. The pools are terrific, and the service is top notch. The only downside is that, at the Pattaya location, you are kind of stuck with eating at the hotel, unless you want to brave the local taxi mafia.

I have not stayed at the Sheraton in Hua Hin, as it is quite new. I really like Hua Hin. Even though it is a good sized town, it is much more laid back. Also the local seafood restaurnats are excellent. Again, the hotel is a bit out of town, and you'd need to take a taxi to dine outside the hotel.

I've shortlisted the Sheraton Hua Hin and the Sheraton Pattaya (Sheraton Krabi did look good what with the resident eliphant but just too far from BKK)


pattaya is a 2-hour drive that sometimes stretches to 3 hours.

hua hin is a 3+ hour drive that sometimes stretches to 4 hours.

krabi is a 1-hour flight. add 1 hour to&from the airport and 1-hour wait in the airport.

having been to all 3 cities, my thoughts are:

1) krabi may be farther on the map, but by practical measurements, it isn't farther

2) krabi area is much nicer (don't know about the relative niceness of the sheratons...)

The Sheraton Hua Hin is just north of the town center, so does not take long to get into the center of town, I have not stayed as it was still being built last time we were there, I would certainly rate Hua Hin way higher than Pattaya. Excellent restaurants, pleasant night market.
You can ride elephants and visit the national parks in Hua Hin, it is far more laid back than Pattaya and in my opinion overall simply a far nicer place to stay.
The Hyatt Regency Hua Hin is very nice.

You should search in the starwood forum to find the thread on hua hin. I will be adding to it after my stay in 2 weeks.

As others have pointed out the pros/cons really come down to drive time (Hua Hin winds up being lots of driving for 2 nights) and the beach (Hua Hin has a nive sandy beach that you can walk for miles). The properties themselves are at about the same level, both quite nice (and in my opinion beat out the Hyatt HH by a long shot).

I've been to both and would say I preferred Hua Hin for the beach... until I was in the painful car ride back to BKK to catch a flight.

I've been to Sheraton Pattaya. Room was nice but I disliked the hillside resort layout. Everything seemed like it was built on top of each other.