The Marriott chain began with just two motels in the 1950s. The first opened as a Quality Inn airport motel near Washington D.C. and another motel nearby, the Twin Bridges, a few years later. With the opening of the second motel, Marriott was born as a brand name. In 1967, Marriott opened its first resort hotel, Camelback Inn, in Arizona, USA. Marriott Hotels & Resorts expanded outside of the United States for the first time in 1969 with the opening of the Marriott in Acapulco, Mexico.
One of the very newest Marriot Resort Hotels opened in Hua Hin just a few months ago located near Hua Hin’s center. The 322 room Hua Hin Marriott Resort & Spa was built at a cost of 3.4 billion Thai Baht. A tremendous amount when you consider the soon to be opened Marriott Queen’s Park Sukhumvit hotel will have over 1,000 rooms and will cost 3.8 billion baht.
When you step into the resort from the street side lobby it becomes apparent why the resort’s price was so high. It’s like stepping into Khao Yai. You are visually treated to so much greenery. The resort is large, much larger than I remember the previous Marriott being. The new owners, members of the Charoen family, (Chang Beer), took over the property and except for a few building close to the beach and some trees, completely tore down the old hotel and started from scratch.
The hotel offers 8 different room types starting at 39 square meters for the Superior and Deluxe room type’s, (Deluxe Sea View, Deluxe Pool Terrace, Deluxe Pool Access), 72 square meters for the Junior and Garden Suite’s, 108 square meters for the Ambassador Suite and a palatial 156 square meters for the Presidential Suite. All rooms have ocean or garden views, decks or patio’s and the Deluxe Pool Access rooms give you exactly that, the ability to step from your terrace right into the meandering swimming pool, one of several on the property.
Recognizing that guests without children might not appreciate the noise the little ones may bring, the Marriott has an “Adult’s Only” pool that is separated from the rest of the resort by a lush wall of greenery.
A large “All guest’s pool” is located near the beach and close to the expansive Kids Club and Kid’s Playground. The location of the three was all done by design with the idea that parents can enjoy the beach pool while at the same time keeping an eye on their children.
Also nearby is the Pool Bar which serves refreshing drinks and snacks all day and is open for lunch and dinner. There is another bar located in the Lobby. The lobby is very large and was designed as a place for guests of the hotel or outside guests to meet and socialize. The Lobby Lounge and Bar has a Latin American menu theme and is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner with a “Smart Casual” dress code.
Not far from the lobby and near the main street is the Siam Bakery. The Bakery is a perfect place to meet and enjoy a bakery item or ice cream while upping your caffeine level with a nice cup of coffee. The Siam Bakery was designed so non-hotel guests would feel very comfortable stopping by. The Bakery is also a Deli and is open for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
The Resort’s all day restaurant is called The Amber Kitchen. This is where morning breakfast is served from 6 to 11AM, which is one of the latest ending times for breakfast of any hotel that I can remember. Your choices here are immense with many food stations catering to different ethnic types. When ordering at the egg station my first choice is always eggs benedict, which most hotels don’t serve, but the Marriott does and they were delicious! Their buffet breakfast also includes large fresh coconuts, which were very popular the morning I was there. In addition to breakfast the Amber Kitchen also serve a lunch and dinner buffet plus ala carte.
The Marriott’s signature Restaurant is called The Big Fish and Bar and is the only air conditioned absolute beachfront restaurant in Hua Hin. With a restaurant named Big Fish you’d expect seafood which they certainly have but they also have beef, pizza’s and sandwiches. Additional amenities include the Resort’s Quan Spa and its fitness center.
While most people entering the resort wouldn’t be thinking about business, the Hua Hin Marriott is certainly set up for it with over 9,400 square meters of event space. Their Paksa Sawan Ballroom can handle a U-Shape conference for 60, a banquet for 180 or a reception for 280. They have an additional 7 meeting rooms that can accommodate smaller groups. These rooms, including the ballroom are also great for weddings or large social gatherings. Hua Hin’s very popular Multi Cultural Community (MCC) is booked into the ballroom on June 28th. The resort also has an outdoor space for seaside events for up to 250 guests.
With all these facilities the Marriott Resort is not only the perfect resort for a weekend getaway, or a two-month holiday to disconnect from the real world, it is also the ideal venue for any type of event; be it a lavish engagement party, a beach wedding, a family reunion for long lost blood ties, a professional corporate meeting, a fun birthday party or an interesting conference in Hua Hin.
If you are a local resident, stop by for a coffee at the Siam Bakery, a drink at their ocean front Pool Bar or a meal at The Big Fish or Amber Kitchen. Get to know the Marriott Hua Hin Resort, it’s not just for hotel guests. You’ll be impressed the moment you step foot into the resort.
Hua Hin Resort & Spa
107/1 Phetkasem Road
Hua Hin, Prachuabkirikan
+66 (0) 32 904 666
huahin.reservations@marriott.com
www.huahinmarriott.com