The Regent Cha Am Beach Resort

The Regent Cha Am Beach has a bit of everything. The hotel looks like a beach resort, with its sprawling swimming pools right next to the beach and its laid-back vibe. At the same time, it is a convention center and has large conference and seminar facilities, as well as an all-white wedding space, Le Vendome, with soaring ceilings and a modern industrial feel. The Regent is also the largest property in Cha Am. The lushly landscaped grounds are expansive, and the hotel has a hospitality school along with a condominium, plus several other hotels in the same complex. The main body of the resort occupies a modern, curved white building offset by tons of bright green palms, shrubs, and lawns. The elegant lobby has high ceilings, trendy rattan seats with tropical-print cushions, warm wood flooring, and hanging bamboo lights -- plus a stylish bar in the back decorated with more rattan and wood, and soft mood-lighting. The Regent Cha Am Beach is the most family- and kid-friendly resort in town, with a range of facilities available to kids and parents, though the resort also draws plenty of couples. 

The Regent Cha Am Beach Resort is located around six miles south of Cha Am town, and sits about a mile down a side road from the main highway to Hua Hin. It takes about 10 minutes to reach Cha Am by road and about 25 minutes to reach Hua Hin, the largest city in the area. The resort is right on the beach, which is not all that nice, though should hopefully be upgraded by an ongoing government reclamation project. There is a small village that's a 10-minute walk south of the resort, which has a decent selection of restaurants, bars, and shops -- such as Harry's Bar and Aroi Dee restaurant -- if one wants to eat or drink outside of the resort. The closest major airports are all the way back in Bangkok, which takes up to two hours to reach by car, though that depends on traffic. 

Most rooms here fall into Superior and Deluxe categories and occupy two elongated wings by the Main Pool and gardens. Deluxe Rooms have extra daybeds and a bit more living space, and all rooms have flat-screen TVs with excellent selections of cable movie channels, tea/coffee facilities, mini-fridges, safes, alarm clocks, and irons and ironing boards. Rooms are decorated in a simple yet warm style, with mid-tone wood or bolder parquet floors, writing desks, and large closets. Furniture is generically contemporary and comes in mostly dark hues, though some items are mismatched and we spotted beat-up desk chairs in some rooms. Soft beds are made with white linens and Igusa Rush pillows from Japan, and most rooms have attractive green or aquamarine accent walls, some with charming tree and bird designs. All rooms also have large balconies. Bathrooms are on the small side and have glass-wall showers or older shower/tub combos. Rooms lack Wi-Fi, although the poolside rooms can pick up a signal, and the resort does have fast broadband connections in-room, which one must purchase to access. Perhaps the best rooms at the resort are the Family Suites, which are among the most kid-friendly quarters available in Thailand and have a pastel-blue sea motif, beds designed as boats, and paintings and toys set throughout to make the little ones feel at home. Multi-room suites area also available. 

The Regent Cha Am Beach Resort's excellent facilities include two large free-form swimming pools. One is just off the beach and has an adjoining large children's pool, plenty of lounge chairs and umbrellas, and a playground nearby. The Regency Pool is surrounded by a garden and also has a large kids' pool. It sits near a large pond-style jetted pool. The resort has plans for an even more elegant swimming area to come. There is a small fitness center on site as well as a spa and the biggest kids' club in Cha Am. Some of the corporate impersonality of the resort's common areas can be chalked up to its extensive conference and ballroom facilities for weddings, seminars, and meetings, including the elegant Le Vendome, a former French restaurant frequented by the King and Queen that's now used for weddings and other suave events.

There are also several restaurants on site. Fluxo occupies a romantic position by the beach, and serves Mediterranean fusion fare, with outstanding gourmet offerings like wasabi tuna tartare, duck confit, and wood-fire oven pizzas. Sakuna is the resort’s main restaurant and serves sumptuous buffet breakfasts that are included with some bookings, along with lunch and dinner with Thai and international menu items in an indoor and outdoor dining area. For drinking, there is the Grotto Pub, which has karaoke facilities, a pool table, and live bands, while the lobby-located Breezy Bar plays live soft tunes and serves a selection of cocktails and wines.

The beach is right next to the resort, but unfortunately is not very pleasant. It's narrow, separated by a sea wall, and rather uninviting, with jellyfish during the summer and water that's certainly not as beautiful as elsewhere in Thailand. At present, the entire beach is under construction, with the Thai government doing a beach reclamation project, which hopefully will make the area look nicer. Improvements should be completed soon.

The huge kids' club has ongoing activities, including staff dressed as the club’s Koko mascot on weekends. Babysitting services can be arranged. There are also tennis courts and bike rentals, plus Thai cooking classes, all of which are available for a fee. Wi-Fi is only available in the hotel's common areas and it is not free. Shuttles are also offered throughout the area and to the airports in Bangkok, though there are fees attached as well.