Beach Garden Cha Am

The Beach Garden Hotel is one of the largest and oldest hotels in Cha Am, and it looks this way from its entrance -- a rather plain building set back from a large parking lot. Many guests here come for conferences and seminars held in the hotel's massive ballroom and conference center, which sits just across the street. The large open-air lobby has glazed terra cotta floor and low-slung teak seats and sofas with silk pillows that are the lobby's center point. Otherwise, the lobby is rather empty and the lighting is dim. The Lobby Lounge is far more appealing -- it's a modern space with wood floors and contemporary wicker pod-style chairs and tables, along with styled white high chairs at the bar and views out towards the pool. The hotel fronts a wide swath of open and empty beach, and there are extremely pleasant large gardens leading the way to the shore, with some swings and benches for guests to relax.

The Beach Garden Hotel is located about six miles -- a 10-minute drive -- outside of central Cha Am. It sits almost by itself along a quiet stretch of beach. Guests are far away from the crowds here, but it's inconvenient without one's own transport. There are not many other restaurants, bars, or shops in the area; and guests are at the mercy of taxi drivers or the infrequent hotel shuttle service to get around. The resort lies down a side road about a mile from the main Hua Hin-Bangkok highway and it's a 10- to 15-minute ride to Cha Am's main bus station, van stations, or train depot for transportation to Bangkok and elsewhere. Hua Hin, the largest city in the area, is a good 20 to 30 minutes down the road, and takes much longer to reach when the Bangkokians come south by the thousands. The closest major airports are back in Bangkok, which can take over two hours to reach depending on traffic.

There are 182 rooms at the Beach Garden Hotel, making it one of Cha Am's largest properties. Unfortunately, having been built over 30 years ago, it is also one of its oldest properties as well, and entry-level Superior Rooms show their age a bit. These rooms have only narrow and hard twin beds and aside from the large tropical flower paintings over the beds, they lack any decor to brighten up the space. These rooms include a stocked minibar, old tube-style televisions, and desks, plus a sitting table and chair, though not much else. Even the balconies don't offer views beyond a few trees. Superior Room bathrooms are well worn, with shower/tub combos that have seen far better days. The quality of Deluxe Rooms is better, with colorful bed runners, hardwood floors, and simple and modern dark wood furniture. These rooms also include hot water kettles for tea and coffee, modern shower units, and flat-screen TVs. Deluxe Sea View rooms provide fabulous views from the balconies over the beach, ocean, and swimming pool. All rooms come with free Wi-Fi, air-conditioning, satellite television, and mini-fridges. 

The Beach Garden Hotel has a decently sized swimming pool with a kids' section, and as the hotel caters mainly to Thai guests (who tend not to spend too much time sitting poolside), foreign visitors will often have it all to themselves. The beach here might not compare to those in Phuket or Koh Samui, but it is certainly pleasant and spacious. It's also often empty and there is a single palapa hut to escape from the sun. The Rim Talay Restaurant is appropriately named ("rim talay" means "sea view" in Thai), as it sits right on the beach, surrounded by sand. The restaurant is painted pastel blue and white, and looks more like something out of Santorini than Thailand -- it's one of the hotel's best features. Breakfast -- included with some rooms -- is served here, along with Thai cuisine for lunch and dinner that includes plenty of Cha Am's famed fresh seafood. The hotel also has a small spa with an indoor treatment center and beauty parlor as well as an outdoor spa pavilion for massages. Finally, the hotel has excellent conference facilities, with a giant ballroom housed in an elegant separate building across the street. It is one of Cha Am's biggest function rooms, and the hotel is well set up to host weddings, meetings, and large groups. Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel and though the hotel runs an area shuttle, service isn't the most frequent.