Grand Pacific Sovereign Resort & Spa

The Grand Pacific Sovereign Resort & Spa looks imposing from the outside. It's a high rise building that looms over everything around it. The spacious lobby area has a marble floor, and polished wood in the ornate lobby lounge, which has plush armchairs and colorful carpets alongside fine art statues. There is mood lighting throughout, with gold mosaic tiles on the walls, and dark wood beams supporting the low ceiling. Hallways are brightly carpeted, decorated with paintings, and brightly lit. Most of the building looks new and well-maintained, and it's a pleasant place to wander around. It's the highest priced hotel in Cha Am, and tries to bill itself as such, but they regularly fill up with large tour buses and group check-ins, which make the lobby an unpleasant place to be at times.

The Grand Pacific Sovereign Resort & Spa is located near a Gulf of Thailand beach about three miles south of Cha Am town. While it isn’t far as the crow flies, there are no other restaurants and bars around the hotel, and it sits in the middle of nowhere. Guests without their own transport will be at the mercy of taxis and the rare hotel shuttle. Additionally, the beach here isn’t that nice, as it’s small and unsuitable for swimming, and is actually across the street from the hotel, accessed through a small park. The closest airports are in Bangkok, which can take up to three hours to reach by car depending on traffic. Hua Hin is about 30 minutes south by road.

There are 224 rooms at the Grand Pacific Sovereign, the majority of which are entry level Deluxe Rooms. Rooms in this class all have the same amenities and decor, but get tiered differently depending on their views. The standard category is Garden View, moving up to Mountain View, Pool View, and Sea View. There are also larger Junior Suites and Suites. All rooms have wooden floors with carpeted entryways, plus relatively contemporary Thai style -- there are ornamental flourishes over the beds and heavy patterned fabrics on upholstered surfaces. Some of the rooms feature four-poster beds. There's also window-side seating on large love seats that are big enough to resemble day beds. All rooms include TVs (some of which are older tube-style TVs), electric hot water kettles, safes, a small balcony, and minibars. Bathrooms are spacious, with large bathtubs and separate rainfall showers, plus separate sitting areas for makeup and grooming. The Junior Suites feature an extra living room as well as two televisions. The rooms are pleasant, although the views really aren't inspiring. The worst thing about them is that they don't have any Wi-Fi access. 

The Grand Pacific Sovereign Resort & Spa features a wealth of facilities -- some of the best in Cha Am. Topping the list are the resort’s three swimming pools. One is the Villa Pool, located near the back entrance out to the beach, which is surrounded by elephants and other statuary, some set in the middle of the pool for an artistic touch. This pool has a nice swim-up bar as well. There are two other pools, one on the fourth floor, which is the best pool for laps and catching rays, and another on the third floor (both in the Tower Wing), which also has a swim-up bar, and is set just below the fourth-floor pool. Both pools have small areas for children, although they aren’t separated by anything more than some steps in the water. The beach is just across the street, although it isn’t ideal for swimming, and doesn't have lounge chairs. 

For dining, there are four restaurants to choose from. Fu Lue serves Chinese cuisine, with dim sum brunches. Celestino does Italian fare, with pastas, pizza, and a good wine list. Hamaya is a small Japanese restaurant, complete with a few tatami bamboo floor rooms, which serves sashimi and sushi, and all Japanese favorites. Finally, there is the main restaurant, the Bellevue Coffee Shop, which is where the breakfast buffet is served for a fee, along with Thai and international cuisine for a la carte lunches and dinners.

The resort also has a fitness center plus a large spa with sauna and steam room, and there is also a ballroom and meeting room for functions. There's a free Wi-Fi connection in the public areas that's hit or miss. The hotel has ample parking in a garage downstairs.