Boutique Hotel In Cha'am, Thailand

A former fishing village catches up with Hua Hin as a great resort.

Aug 12, 2007

For long, Cha'am has been overshadowed by its neighbour Hua Hin, but now with The Veranda Resort and Spa, the former fishing village looks set to join the high flyers.

The number of hotels in the little town of Cha’am on the Gulf Coast of Thailand, just 2 hours from Bangkok testify to its popularity with visitors. For many years however, it has attracted mainly week-enders from Bangkok, but now, with the opening of its first boutique hotel, The Veranda Resort and Spa, well-heeled overseas visitors are being attracted to the region for its peace and tranquillity.

The hotel is situated right on the beach and all the exquisitely decorated rooms give magnificent views of the sunrise which comes up over the Gulf of Siam, bathing the sea an opalescent pink in the early morning.

The town has long been a Mecca for those in the know from Bangkok who flock here for the great seafood, served in the many restaurants which line the long, white sandy beach. Despite the attraction of these seafood outlets however, the food in the resort is of such an exceptionally high standard that planning an evening out becomes difficult. As well as the excellent food, visitors are loathe to move when they settle into the sand bar for pre-dinner or post-dinner drinks!

The best way to describe the décor is “hip” I think, but despite the designer style there is a cosy ambience in all the rooms. The executive suites have a novel touch in that the adjustable TV can be hidden so that the scenic view to the sea is available, and the balcony has a day bed. Such hedonism!

The trendy pool villas which have private pool and outdoor bath, also feature a loft and glass walls which afford a full view of the sea and there are beachfront pool villas affording extreme privacy.

Recently some 80 million baht was invested in the resort to develop more luxury rooms and villas, adding 18 more spacious sea-view rooms and three sky-pool villas in a seven-storey building adjacent to the existing hotel. The special attraction of these rooms is that they offer mountain views formerly only available in southern destinations such as Phuket and Koh Samui. Certain of the rooms have jacussi tubs on the balcony, the bathrooms are something very special and all amenities are of the highest quality.

The staff at this hotel are known for their friendliness and charm, and Executive Resident Manager, Khun Panit, is always on hand to make sure that everything runs smoothly. The Veranda Resort and Spa is one of only two hotels in Thailand that are members of Select Hotels and Resorts International.

The existence of this hotel is already have an effect on Cha'am and many of the beachside restaurants are upgrading their seating etc. Anyone wanting to get the effect of the "unspoiled fishing village" should head that way now before they upgrade themselves out of all recognition!

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