FuramaXclusive Sandara Hua Hin

FuramaXclusive Sandara Hua Hin, Cha-Am Beach has rebranded itself from an old and rather staid Cha Am hotel, to a stylish and hip modern boutique-style resort. The entry to the hotel is inviting: part of the lobby is an open-air deck with sharp wicker day beds, and inside there are love seats with antique silhouettes and wildly contemporary shapes as well. Some furniture does show a bit of wear. The entrance from the lobby to the rooms runs through an outdoor corridor that has Polynesian-style statues set against an orange wall with water cascading over them. There are other cute little garden statuettes, plus planters full of lotus paddies and other greenery throughout. Much of the rest of the property consists of decks overlooking ponds or surrounding the swimming pools. The aptly named Stylish Pool, which takes up the hotel's central courtyard, is accessed either from the poolside rooms directly or via a set of steps down from the hot tub and pool bar. The entire property feels inviting and is well hidden from the road and beach, for peace and quiet, and it draws plenty of couples and families on holiday, from domestic Thai tourists to international guests.

The FuramaXclusive Sandara Hua Hin, Cha-Am Beach is located right in the center of Cha Am Beach. The resort is about as convenient as it gets for easy access to all of Cha Am's sights and sounds. The beach is just across the street and there are dozens of restaurants and bars surrounding the hotel, along with a convenience store right next door. It's a five- to 10-minute taxi ride up to the bus or minivan stations for trips to Bangkok, as well as the train station for passengers that want to travel by rail. The only downside here is that this section of the beach gets extremely crowded on the weekends, as thousands of Thais come down from Bangkok, and the entire central beach area can be congested, loud, and rather chaotic. The closest airports are back in Bangkok, which can take up to three hours to reach by car, though that depends on traffic.

There are 122 rooms to choose from at the FuramaXclusive Sandara Hua Hin, Cha-Am Beach. The Superior and Deluxe Rooms are pleasant enough, with safes, minibars, electric hot water kettles for free tea and coffee, flat-screen TVs, and DVD players. Both room categories have bright gold accent walls, Polynesian decorative masks, dark wood floors, and generic contemporary furniture. They aren't the largest rooms to be had in this area and only provide two wicker chairs for seating. The Deluxe Rooms do have balconies with fabulous beach views; but the best digs are in the newer Stylish Wing, where there are larger Pool View and Pool Access Rooms, both of which feature colorful patterned pillows, bright abstract artwork, cushioned sofas, and either large balconies with views into the pool or direct pool access. These rooms have black tile floors, dark wood furniture, and white walls -- they are far sharper than the lower category rooms. All rooms come with free Wi-Fi. Groups or families can opt for the huge two-bedroom Family Suite, which also looks out at the pool, and has a separate living room and kitchen area as well as two bedrooms. Bathrooms have contemporary fixtures and raised sinks, along with marble or granite vanities and dark tiled walk-in showers. Higher category rooms have whirlpool tubs as well. We did spot a bit of wear on some of the furniture. 

The highlight here is the hotel's fantastic array of swimming pools. The first is a small rooftop pool that gets plenty of sunshine and has great views of the beach and Gulf of Thailand. This pool also has a kids' section. Downstairs, there is the Slide Pool, which has a large waterslide, particularly appealing to kids, as there is a playground just adjacent to the pool deck. The Stylish Pool is sandwiched between two buildings in the hotel's Stylish Wing, some rooms in this wing have direct access to the water. This pool is suitable for swimming laps. Above this, there is also a hot tub, which sits right next to the Pool Bar and has bar seats in the water. In addition to aquatics, the resort has a small fitness center and a super modern children's play room plus a game room with a pool table, table tennis, and darts. The hotel is also popular with seminar and convention groups, as it has a small ballroom and meeting areas, and is well set up to handle functions and large groups. Wi-Fi is free throughout the property.There is a stylish restaurant, The Rest@Sea, that opens out to the street and beach. It serves free breakfasts and then does Thai and western buffets for lunch and dinner, as well as turning into the hotel's lone drinking spot once the Pool Bar has closed. There's a private karaoke room for eating, drinking, and singing that's just adjacent to the restaurant, which guests can reserve.