Cha-Am Methavalai Hotel

The Cha-Am Methavalai Hotel is one of the oldest hotels in town, but has a blend of old and new both in its facade and interior. The large hotel has a rather sprawling horizontal layout as one drives in, with the main building on one side, and then four old traditional Thai teak houses on the other, which have orange tiled triangular roofs, and are still used as guest villas today. The lobby is elongated and rather minimalist, with a circular sofa set fronting the check-in desk, which has a tiled wave mosaic behind it. Further on, there is a carp pond with a small waterfall in the lobby as well, and the relaxing Lobby Lounge, which has live piano music and a laid-back vibe. The hotel is popular both with seminar groups and large tour buses, as it is one of the biggest hotels in Cha Am, but despite being popular for meetings due to its excellent conference facilities, it still maintains a relaxed atmosphere thanks in part to its proximity to the beach.

The Cha-Am Methavalai Hotel is on the beach road in Cha Am, right across from the main beach. This road can get crowded and congested on weekends, but is quiet the rest of the week. The hotel is located towards the northern end of the beach, near to the fishing pier and all the famous seafood restaurants. There are plenty of bars, restaurants, and shops around the hotel and it's convenient for all Cha Am facilities. The train station, bus station, and minivan stop for those headed to Bangkok and elsewhere is just a 10-minute taxi ride from the hotel.

While the Cha-Am Methavalai is one of the oldest hotels in town, unlike the other oldies, it upgraded the propertyand rooms through renovations, so guests here can expect spiffy and modern digs, with all rooms featuring contemporary Thai decor. Rooms come with hot water kettles for making tea and coffee, safes, flat-screen televisions, stocked minibars, and free Wi-Fi and breakfast. With 215 rooms, there are a lot of different choices here, and the same category of rooms come with different options, depending what wing they are in. The standard Superior rooms in the Villa Wing have more of a boutique feel to them, with purple elephant cushions and purple Thai fabrics on the bed and chairs, plus cozy little balconies that are either open-air or enclosed with large windows depending on whether one opts for smoking or non-smoking rooms. All of these rooms look right over the pool. Superior rooms in the older Main Wing aren't as stylish, but they have more space, and large balconies that look out over the main pool and out to sea. Deluxe rooms in the Villa Wing are the same as Superior, except that they have direct pool access. There are also Family rooms with new wood flooring and one large king bed and a single twin in each, and the resort also has four traditional Thai teak villas, which can be rented out as well; despite their large size from the outside, they are actually meant for couples as the interiors are rather small.

The Cha-Am Methavalai Hotel has plenty of facilities for its guests. The hotel features two swimming pools; one a large free-form pool in the Main Wing, which also has a Jacuzzi pool and a children's section, plus an extension of the Lobby Bar where one can order drinks. The Villa Wing Pool is long and narrow, with a children's area with a waterfall and slide, plus a lengthy area to swim laps; all the Deluxe rooms here have pool access. The hotel also has a small fitness center as well as a small spa and massage area where beauty treatments are also offered.For dining, there is the Komein Coffee Shop which serves as the main restaurant. Free breakfast buffets are served here, as well as lunch and dinner (Thai and international), and there is also the Leelawasdee Terrace which opens at night, has a live band, and faces out to the beach. Diners here have a choice of food from the Komein Restaurant, or else they can get Japanese food from the small takeout kitchen that is here. For drinking, the Lobby Bar is the top choice, and it stretches outside to the Main Pool. Next to the Leelawasdee Terrace restaurant is the Terrace Bar, and then there is also an in-pool bar at the Villa Pool.The Cha-Am Methavalai is also well set up for conferences and seminars, with a ballroom and meeting room facilities as well.