Putahracsa Hua Hin

Putahracsa Hua Hin is an upscale boutique property with a quiet, relaxed ambience despite its close proximity to nearby bars, restaurants, and shops. It's spread across two zones: Silksand, a garden area with a main pool and most of the rooms and a smaller Oceanside area across the road toward the beach, where one of the restaurants, the bar, and a smaller pool are located. Many of the common areas are outdoors (by the pools or in the furnished public patio area), though the small Silksand lobby is a nice spot for lounging in suspended basket-style swing chairs and on a few plush sofas. The Oceanside Reception is a quiet space with a long plush sofa and open walls that lets air flow naturally. Most guests here are couples, and the hotel attracts Thais and international visitors alike. 

As the name implies, Putahracsa Hua Hin is located in Hua Hin, a seaside resort town about three hours southwest of Bangkok. It's right on the beach in an area with a number of other small hotels and restaurants, and it's a seven-minute walk from the Hua Hin Night Market. Vana Nava Hua Hin Water Jungle is a 12-minute drive from the resort, while the Sam Phan Nam Floating Market takes 20 minutes to reach by car. Wat Huay Mongkol, a temple dedicated to a locally revered Thai monk, takes just under a half-hour to reach by car. Pa La-U Waterfall is an hour and 15 minutes away by road. It's a nine-minute drive to the Hua Hin Airport. Note that the hotel offers free tuk-tuk transfers to area shopping and sightseeing spots as well as free loaner bicycles.

Putahracsa Hua Hin offers three room types and three villa types. Rooms are situated around the main swimming pool area, while villas are located out toward the beach. Standard amenities found in all units include safes, flat-screen TVs with DVD players and satellite cable, Nespresso coffeemakers, mini-fridges, and free Wi-Fi. 

Entry-level Silksand Rooms measure 44 square meters (474 square feet) and come with either one king or two queen beds. These rooms feature neutral decor and include wood platform beds, off-white tile flooring, and wicker seats. Large sliding glass doors lead to furnished patios that overlook the pool area and rooms for lots of natural light. Bathrooms are large with a mix of terra-cotta tile and mosaic floors plus separate walk-in rainfall showers and deep soaking tubs. The next category up are the Silksand Deluxe Rooms, which are slightly larger at 48 square meters. These rooms have a similar look and feel to their non-deluxe counterparts, but add a few lovely features such as one king bed and a day bed that's large enough to sleep on, light-blue mosaic floors, and jets in the shower. All eight of these rooms are located on higher floors and have balconies with pool views. The highest category, Sanksy Rooms, measure 61 square meters and are more like suites with separate living areas and bedrooms with king beds.

Oceanbed Villas are located out by the beach and come in three categories. The Jacuzzi Villas measure 80 square meters (861 square feet) and have outdoor whirlpool hot tubs just off the bathroom area. Oceanbed Pool Villas measure 100 square meters (1076 square feet) and have both whirlpool hot tubs and long private pools surrounded by lounge chairs. There are also three La Canna Pool Villas that have the same size pool but larger floor plans. One of these villas sits right on the beach.

The Putahrasca offers all the amenities typical of resorts in the area, including a good selection of dining options. The main Sala Monsoon restaurant is the most laid-back of the on-site options and features a large breakfast buffet with Thai and Western dishes served every morning (included in room rates), plus daily Thai and international food served a la carte at lunch. Oceanside Restaurant and Beach Club, an open-air space right by the beach, serves all three meals on weekends and lunch and dinner the rest of the week and offers Thai and Asian food along with barbecued meats and fish. The adjacent Oceanside Beach Bar serves snacks and cocktails throughout the day and well into the night. Finally, Ob-Oon is open all day and offers tea, coffee, and baked goods.

The spa provides all sorts of massages, facials, and body treatments along with nail and waxing services in a series of beautiful rooms with rich brown tiling and soft lighting. Other wellness facilities include a fitness center that's open from morning until night with a few cardio and weight-training machines plus free weights. Personal training is available for a fee. The resort also has two swimming pools, namely a large lap pool surrounded by lounge chairs in the Silksand part of the property and a smaller pool with a few additional lounge chairs on a platform in the pool over at the Oceanside section.

The resort also has a variety of event rooms for up to 80 people, and audiovisual equipment and wedding planning services are available. There's also a small boutique that sells clothing, jewelry, and home decor. The library has a huge selection of books and periodicals, plus big comfortable couches for reading. On-site parking and hotel-wide Wi-Fi are free for all guests. Airport transfers and laundry service are available for a fee.