Eurasia Cha-am Lagoon

The Eurasia Cha-am Lagoon is one of the oldest resorts in Cha-am. It must have been a real looker in its time, but there have been few renovations over the years, and thus the property suffers from wear and tear. The swimming pools have cracks, the loungers look old, and the road in from the front gate to the lobby is full of bumps and potholes. It's a pity, as the grounds are quite lovely, with beautiful flowering trees lining the drive in, and there is a small "lake" with a set of fountains that even has a couple of swan paddle boats that guests can use -- although as with the other features, they almost look out of service.The lobby is pretty unsubstantial -- just a few seats in a small open-air lounge where guests are checked in. Two wooden deer statues greet visitors, and there is a small area out back with a set of chairs, plus a bunch of bicycles that guests are free to use. The most attractive area of the resort is the pool and beach area, as the beach here is pretty empty and there are benches set up above it near the pool, where one can enjoy the breezes and views. Only the main pool has sun loungers, and not many of them at that, but it is surrounded by casuarina trees and other flowering plants and shrubs, and there is some shaded seating here.

The Eurasia Cha-am Lagoon Resort is located outside of Cha Am town, a good five to six miles to the north. The resort sits down a dead end road off of a quiet side road, out near the Cha Am lagoon. It is very quiet here, and the hotel sits on probably the quietest stretch of beach you'll find in these parts, so it's a good choice for those who like escaping the crowds. However, there are no other facilities out here -- no restaurants or shops around the hotel, and nothing to do in the evening. The resort does run a shuttle bus into town once or twice a day, but you'll either need your own transport or have to rely on expensive taxis to stay out here. The road into the resort is fine, but the long driveway to the lobby is bumpy and rutted.

Rooms at the Eurasia Cha-am Lagoon are a bit worn, just as is the rest of the resort, as much of it has not had a facelift for 30 years. Rooms are spread out into different buildings, and despite the same price for every Standard or Deluxe room, they are slightly different depending on the building. The B Building rooms don't have bathtubs, nor do any of these rooms have carpeted floors, while the M Building has some Standard rooms with carpets, plus all of the rooms have shower/tub combos. The M Building is in the best shape, and has had some new installations in recent years. The best room features are the large flat-screen TVs, although foreign guests won't appreciate them much as -- since the hotel caters primarily to Thais -- there are only Thai channels and no satellite or cable stations. Rooms come with small and very old mini-fridges, ancient safe boxes that require keys from the reception to operate, and Deluxe rooms and higher come with electric hot water kettles for making provided instant coffee. The rooms are spacious, and they do have small balconies, but there are no views to speak of, and there isn't any furniture to sit on outside. Interiors have beds with very firm mattresses and a few pillows with contemporary Thai style, plus there are small tables and chairs, along with desks, and rooms do come with free breakfast and Wi-Fi. The furniture and bathrooms are where the rooms show their age the most, and the small bathrooms have only basic toiletries (soap, shampoo, and shower caps) . The shower/tub combos are in dire need of an upgrade.

The Eurasia Cha-am Lagoon features two swimming pools right next to each other. One is a free-form pool, and one is of more conventional design so it's possible to swim a few laps. Both of these pools have sections for children to use, and are very family-friendly. The resort has a Cusine Thai Restaurant right next to the pool, with both an area under a dome roof and then a nicer outdoor area with gleaming white tables set in a long line next to some gnarled tree trunks and looking out towards the pool and beach. The restaurant serves free breakfast buffets in the morning, and then Thai dishes for lunch and dinner. The hotel also has a conference center for meetings and functions. There are no other facilities, other than of course the marvelous empty beach which fronts the pools and hotel, and there are benches along a terrace in the shade here where one can sit and enjoy the views.