Anantara Hua Hin Thailand

I have stayed in the past in Sheraton Hua Hin, Sheraton Pranburi, and Hyatt Regency Hua Hin.  For a change this time I tried Anantara Hua Hin to compare with other properties.  During the stay we had two different room types - my overall takeaway is that I would not stay for the standard rooms which I did not like much, however the suite was very nice not only because of the extra space but also because it was built to a higher standard.

I booked the premium sea view room which sells for a material amount over the entry level room (almost double for my dates).  I believe the rooms are exactly the same except for the view.  While it was nice to be near the beach and hear the waves from our room, unless someone really cares about a view, that is quite a hefty premium to pay just for the view.  Personally if I want sea views I would not go to Hua Hin – there are much better destinations in Thailand for that.  Anyway I booked the premium sea view room with the goal of maximizing the value of the GHA Platinum upgrade because I was targeting the suite; my purpose was not specifically to pay more for a view.

Before driving to the hotel I asked which room type we would have and surprisingly I was informed that we had the junior lagoon view suite.  I asked whether this is a downgrade because this room type is cheaper than what I booked and there was no answer before I arrived at the hotel.  Upon check-in I was told once again that we had the junior lagoon view suite so I repeated my question about whether this was an upgrade or a downgrade.  I received a BS response that the premium sea view room was in high demand which is why the price was higher but that I was indeed receiving an upgrade.  This was complete rubbish: if I really wanted the junior lagoon view suite I could have paid cheaper for it yet they were giving me this room without reducing my room rate.  Second, I scanned many dates in the future and it seems the sea view room is always priced above the junior suite.  I protested and finally I was told that we could have a one-category upgrade to the garden view suite a little later because the room was not clean yet, or take the sea view room without an upgrade and move to a sea view suite the next day.  I chose the latter.

Bottom line I was happy about the result regarding the GHA elite upgrade but it left a feeling that the hotel was trying to play games or blow me off which should not be happening; upgrades should be more proactive and transparent especially if they want to compete with the Sheratons and Hyatt Regency where suite upgrades are automatic if available, and from the entry level room to boot which puts Anantara at a disadvantage from the get-go given that the suite is the 4th room type so if they stick to 1 or 2 category upgrade to GHA Platinum and Black as per the rules, it is not competitive with other hotel chains.

As mentioned above I did not care much for the premium sea view room.  I liked the nice hardwood floors however soundproofing was not good at all: we could clearly hear our neighbors talking (not yelling) from the room next to us.  The terrace outside the room was a plus but it was not the most private: there was a small wall on each side but the entire area was quite compact with neighbors close on each side.  There was no stand-alone shower, instead it was in a large bathtub and the shower head (not rain shower) was close to the wall and we had to squeeze ourselves next to the wall and knock against the soap holder to be under the water, defeating the purpose of the bathtub being so big.   I was also not in love with the somewhat low ceilings, betraying the age of the property.  There were mosquitoes on the resort which is to be expected but the problem is that they did not provide mosquito burning oil in the room or anything similar to help keep them away.  Finally, unlike in Anantara Siam in Bangkok, there were no Occitane toiletries in small bottles available – only something from dispenser bottles and while I cannot be sure it did not seem to be Occitane.  This is in line with this property being less luxurious than its cousin in Bangkok.

The suite was entirely another matter and I enjoyed that room very much.  We had the same sturdy hardwood floors in the suite but we got a much nicer feeling in the room thanks to the high cathedral ceilings with wood beams and charming and tasteful decor.  The window frontage was far greater as well because there were two patio doors giving access to the terrace, one door from the bedroom and one from the living room.  This was in contrast with the regular room type which is long and narrow with the only window being at the far end of the room.  The suite was wider and better designed.  The suite also had a stand-alone shower rather than a shower in the tub, eliminating the issue we had in the smaller room, and the bathroom had a dual vanity.  There was also a very large closet off the entrance which could be used as a make-up area.  Overall the quality of the room was excellent and in fact it felt more luxurious than other hotels we stayed before, including Sheraton Pranburi which is a more expensive property than Anantara (if booking the entry level room).  The basic room at Sheraton Pranburi is quite big in fact it’s a two-level duplex with a private pool so you pay for that, while at Anantara you get a view and a more upscale suite instead.  Speaking of the view, we were close to the sea but in the interest of full disclosure I do not think this particular suite had the best views because it was partially blocked by trees so you had to look more on the side for the view rather than straight ahead which was the swimming pool of a condo building next to the hotel.

Because the covid outbreak is now over in Thailand, the breakfast buffet was reinstated although guests were required to wear masks and it was not self-serve so we did not touch the tongs to take food – we had to inform staff what we wanted.  The hot food options were disappointing – there was a noodle soup station but the rest was all western food.  The a la carte menu was quite small with only fried rice or congee – a far cry from the extensive and generous menu at Sheraton Pranburi.  Thankfully, when we requested something off the menu they accepted which was a nice touch.

We ordered room service once and the food was of good quality and portions were decent.

After the subpar check-in experience, service during the rest of the stay was quite good.  They seemed to make an effort to anticipate guests’ needs in order to provide service.  For example, one day staff noticed that I went to the gym to retrieve extra water bottles.  The next day as I was leaving the resort staff asked me if I wanted more water brought to my room.  I mentioned that I was going to 7-Eleven to buy a few things and he must have communicated with the security guard at the entrance of the resort because once I got there the guard pointed to me where the closest 7-Eleven was, without me asking anything!

The gym was in a separate (small) stand-alone building near the entrance of the resort so we had to walk quite far from our room to reach the gym.  It had appropriate equipment and I thought the gym was fine. 

The pool area was nice and there were many chairs available despite the hotel occupancy being quite high during our stay.

There is a small beach in front of the hotel (unlike Sheraton Pranburi) so people who want a beach will favor Anantara.  That said, Hua Hin is not a destination I pick because of the beach because it’s not as nice as other parts of Thailand.

Wifi worked ok during our stay with speeds of about 10 Mbps.

Overall we had a fine stay; the main issue is that I think the hotel should be careful about how they process elite upgrades and they should also be mindful of the more generous practices of competitor hotel chains otherwise for guests with elite status in many chains, Anantara will not be competitive.  The main advantage of Anantara is for people on a budget who want the benefits of the facilities of this hotel for a low price tag and spending as little time as possible in the room: the basic room is cheaper than other hotel chains so it can be good value.  However if you want a higher-priced room I think the sea view room is not the best value for the money.  I would only consider the suites or the entry level rooms as being good value.