Thailand

Like all other guests of InterContinental Hua Hin Resort, Happy Hour Asia’s representative really enjoys savouring the superb service and being pampered by this ultra quality hotel brand. One always feels extraordinarily and genuinely welcome at InterContinental and its properties do not fail to impress when it comes to luxurious service and hospitality.

Next hotel in line to explore within the brand, and a highly anticipated stay, was their new waterfront destination in Hua Hin (opened in late 2009) – a design-oriented resort with the personalization and intimacy of a boutique hotel that must be a pilgrimage stop of sorts for brand followers. (This is a republished and updated review.)

This famous Thai resort destination established by the Kingdom’s royal family focuses on carefree relaxation and well-deserved respites from demands of one’s everyday duties, with golf and other gentlemen’s pursuits high on the agenda. Thais also invest in residences here or frequently visit for weekend escapes mainly because of such needs and the convenient short-haul distance from the capital Bangkok. These traditions are also interpreted and well incorporated into InterContinental Hua Hin. In a perfect blend of classic style and contemporary comfort the hotel conjures images of yesteryear when well-healed Thais started retreating to their seaside getaways here in the footsteps of the royal forerunners.

Today, trendy sunglasses, the latest beachwear, or tropical-colonial hats are all fitting apparels among the blend of guests at this both romantic and social setting.

InterContinental Hua Hin Resort: Colourful cocktail arrival

The daiquiri is vanilla-yellow, the pillow is marmalade and the ceiling at Lee La Bar has a fascinating backlit wood latticework with a pattern similar to antique wallpaper.

The arrival to the resort on a Sunday turns out to be an unusual first evening, as the arrival happens to be timed with a storm coming in over central Thailand from Cambodia… At the resort we see it approaching shore exactly when the saxophonist plays the evening welcome tune on the beachfront lawn. It turns out to be fairly mild by the time it “hits” Hua Hin and merely results in a brief thunderstorm. Nevertheless, as can occur in this type of countries where all electric cables are routed overhead, the storm hits a tree near the hotel that, apparently, falls over such a cable and immediately the electricity is gone.

For good and for bad: no air condition in the room so I end up in a comfy outdoor high-back armchair at Lee La Bar (next to the resort’s inner garden), part of the dining enclave featuring Felicita (casual Trattoria-style dining) and Pirom (Thai cusine) and get to enjoy the most spot on live-based DJ music I have ever across in a resort hotel – and, it has to be added, is also a rare occurrence to get to enjoy something like that at all in a hotel setting! The soundtrack is an eclectic and superb mix of nu-jazz, laidback summer tunes, bossa nova and other modern Brazilian stuff and including lots of covers and remakes for a perfect wine and dine/cocktail session. (Normally Lee La Bar offers cosy piano bar with live jazz music every Tuesday through Sunday evening while the DJ entertains at the beachside venue but had moved this night because of the weather.)

On top of that there is a late happy hour at 9 – 10.30 pm (also 6-7 pm upon this visit) offering all beers and unlimited cocktails one can drink during one hour and a half, for a fixed and affordable price.

I manage to try quite a few of the very refreshing drinks on the menu, where – paired with exquisite snacks – the martinis, the mojito, the signature cocktail The Local Pineapple (lots of it grown in the region), and exotic caipirinhas – such as the one with Pomelo citrus fruit (in my opinion Thailand’s most awesome with its pulp resembling grape fruit but in contrast having an entirely juicy, sweet taste), Lychee-Melon and Pineapple-Mint – are highly recommended.

Lee La Bar also offers an exquisite selection of single malts and cigars. Provenance Whiskey over 10 years, John Glaser’s Crafted Compass Blue and Islay Highland exclusive single malt can be found on the drinks menu.

Cocktails and whiskey are served in proper, burly glasses.

InterContinental Hua Hin Resort: welcoming of a special kind

Prior to this, earlier in the afternoon the Sunday Brunch was just about to end after check-in, where guests were enjoying pleasures such as sparking wine and live jazz music, overlooking the verdant garden and pool area.

An entourage of staff had awaited upon my arrival, under the supervision of Director of Guest Services, Juan Losada, who greeted welcome. He was often seen, along with butlers, ensuring that all guests’ comfort and needs were being taken care of. Their intuitive standard of service also plays a significant part in differentiating the level of service

These Butlers play a significant part in tailoring to an experience that differentiates in the level of service and enhances the personalised attention.

There is nobody better to fill us in on shopping and other Hua Hin than those in the InterContiental Concierge team, ready to point you in the right direction, and with a dedicated ‘In the know’ Hua Hin brochure giveaway.

While waiting for the room to be ready tea was served in the library room, which turned out to be also the Club Lounge. Designed as a beautiful living room, this is a setting to admire from floor (bright hardwood) to ceiling for its meticulously detailed design and flirts with the local royal heritage.

As elsewhere within the property, it’s replete with bespoke interiors and furniture. Seating consists in brown leather armchairs and wooden, wide armchairs with wooden frames and bespoke upholstering in orange and beige hues. Walls are either latticework of black metal or a rusty kind of brick wall, with very thin slices pieced together.

Floor-to-ceiling glass-enclosed shelves with books and various Asian artefacts divide the lounge into sections. A comprehensive library is stocked with superb books borrow that constitute quality reading that will last for many weeks in fact! Pick your read among extraordinary books such as ‘The Heart of the World – A journey to the last secret place’ by Ian Baker, which spiritually explores the last unknown spot on the world map in the Himalayas; classics by Ernest Hemingway; or The Ultimate Holistic Health Book – Deborah McManners. Reflecting about the past is also possible via the antique encyclopaedia: The New Book of Knowledge from 1980.

And already in the lobby, design similar to the Club Lounge sets the ambiance of a sophisticated setting, and with warmth dominated by darker brown wood and a striking turquoise-green – as in the high-back armchairs with its stark green velvet upholstery, and the uniforms worn by the reception staff! Long, yellow lamp tubes are protruding through a brown latticework from the second floor above Also here there are glass cabinets with artefacts and encyclopaedias. The accompanying camera was by then already frequently being used to catch all the lovely details…

InterContinental Hua Hin Resort’s Ocean View Suite

The resort comprises a total of 119 rooms and suites that have ocean views and forty out of these also club lounge access. Ten deluxe rooms also have direct pool access and freestanding tubs. The resort’s top-end accommodation includes six executive suites and eleven deluxe ocean-view suites. Room 1510 belongs to the latter and is situated in the far end of the fifth floor in the hotel’s curved main building (in which all rooms step out to spacious balconies.) This architecture also results in bended walls on the window side of the rooms and with different angles.

It is an open-plan suite with a stylish bright design that stands the test of time, including floral patterns, woodcarvings, marble etc. The foyer has white wall panels, bright wood wardrobes, mini bar cabinet and a marble shelf for suitcases.

The generous suite comes with more white-painted wall panels in the spacious living room and dining areas (decorated with black and white motifs with Hua Hin motifs in large photo frames), appointed with slide doors to the bathtub and large marble-clad bathroom including separate rainforest shower. All this and an additional three pictures from the royal palace of the past very much signify Hua Hin’s local culture and what is commonly part of colonial architecture. Being a seaside destination is also reflected in the décor, including for example oversized shells.

The living area is furnished with a sofa sided by armchairs, all with bespoke beige-orange upholstery, and a round tea table in front. The wood flooring has a hue resembling marmalade, which feels brighter in the day and darker, cosier in the evening.

The ultra comfy bed is freestanding further back in the suite, with a headboard of wood latticework stretching up to the ceiling from which also the design bedside lamps hang, with yellow lampshades and silver metal.

Well-insulated slide doors lead to the mega terrace, which comes with automatic pull-downs for ultimate privacy and features a large daybed in one end and a Jacuzzi in the other.

Guests can also enjoy entertainment options such as 37-inch to 50-inch Samsung LCD TVs, Bose DVD players and iPod docking stations – all connected to a BOSE sound system. Toiletry is unsurprisingly from the premium L’Occitane brand. The pillar menu to accommodate your perfect sleep consists in no less then eight choices so try them out, for instance the Adjustable Health Care Pillow, and be confident you’ll find the favourite among them!

From the fruit basket try the maplang fruit, as part of the signature Thai selection.

The accommodation feels exceptionally suited for honeymooners or discerning couples holidaying on their special day, by the way!

Overview: Hua Hin’s heritage

As mentioned earlier in this review – and as many of its sister properties also do – the resort forms a nod to local heritage. This becomes evident already when observing the main building’s street-front façade with its many white and brown shutters and walkways with white railings, reminiscent of old-world mixes of Asian and European architecture. The design team has really gone the extra mile in interpreting Thailand’s heritage and design works here while meeting the expectations that constitute the new-world luxury of Asia.

The summer palace Wang Klai Kung Won built King Rama VII has inspired as the resort’s architecture capture flavours from Hua Hin’s aristocratic past in its design features, in particular the presidential suite, which, along with three other ultra-luxurious beachfront villas with private plunge pools and one presidential suite are a draw for many high-profile guests the likes of tennis players Victoria Azarenka and Serena Williams, and the former Miss World of 2012, Miss Yu Wenxia, to the resort.

With the smart planning of the resort the main building forms a buffer from the noise of traffic on the street, and as all rooms are facing the sea – with well-insulated doors, it should be added.

Positioned in parallel, inside the resort is a lower building, likewise curved but in the opposite direction, turned towards the sea and embracing the resort.

From via the lobby or an elevated walkway, passing a narrow court, the gateway to the rest of the resort is a lobby-level passage through this building, and via the Lee La Bar and the two adjacent restaurants opening up to a terraced garden, featuring sunken dining ‘salas’ to the left and right.

There are three-storey semi-detached block of units slightly turned and forming wings towards the sea.

In-between sits the lovely landscaped resort garden consisting in a large open lawn and with parallel, curved walkways lined with frangipani trees both to the left and the right. The ladies from the spa can be seen picking flowers here in the early morning.

The first section in the vast pool area is an oval splash pool for kids followed by the main pool and after that a Jacuzzi pool area with sunken daybeds and bespoke mosaic tiles that glitter from the under-water spotlights after dark and with a cool colour-changing effect. There is also cascading water that is illuminated to enhance the appeal of the pool area for evening swims.

Also the shape of the main pool is designed with curves on the long sides, bended similar to the buildings in opposite directions. It forms part of the architectural symmetry.

By pools, paired with wooden terraces, there are also on-water cabanas with comfortable pairs of daybeds, and young palm trees. And the crowning is the sunken bar with the shape of a gazebo with bar stools in the water – perfect for lazy days and sunset drinks.

Then, directly beachfront and next to the pool the breezy all-day dining signature restaurant Azure Beach Grill is situated, an all-day venue with champagne bottles ready on ice. A large colourful oil painting of a traditional fishing boat on shore – a common sight in Hua Hin – covers one wall in the indoor-outdoor restaurant and furniture includes antique-influenced summerhouse rattan chairs.

It also hosts The Roof bar on its second floor, the ultimate place for a drink, overlooking the resort and the Gulf of Siam. This rooftop affair is open Thursday to Sunday where the in-house DJ also plays, weather permitting.

A draw for dining and drinking

No question, the stress is definitely on relaxation at InterContinental Hua Hin, with its gorgeous rooms and suites and at the spa, but also on offering fantastic dining and drinking, which is a draw not only among the well-heeled travellers the resort is counting but also for outside guests. The Hua Hin eating (as well as shopping) scene has never thrived as it is doing today and this resort’s dining outlets is a welcome addition.

Pirom is the choice for the first dinner where the hotel has set out to excel on local cuisine. Inspired by the Hua Hin Palace, Pirom emphasises local produce for the freshest, most authentic dining experience possible.

The salad Yam Som O (Spicy pomelo salad with pork, shrimp and Thai herbs), Talay Phad Cha (Stir-fried seafood with sweet basil, galingale and chilli), and Phad Pak Ruam (Stir-fried mixed vegetables with soy sauce) served with brown rice is a superb combination of authentic and delicious Thai dishes. The cooked fresh seafood (squid, scallops and shrimp) mixed with Thai herbs, and including fresh green pepper, is poignant and something for one’s taste buds! For drinks a healthy Pineapple juice with bubbles and mint leaves floating in the drink is among the options.

The open-kitchen restaurant’s interior includes wall panels made of patterned silk and carved wood; marble tables; leather- as well as marmalade-orange armchairs; and glass windows and slide doors with latticework and a mix of transparent and frosted mini-glass pieces.

Morning time…

The morning after that first evening’s many cocktails, an early start at the Techno Gym is part of the art of mixing self-discipline with self-indulgence; the need compensate for further treats (an calories) to come… The machines are of top quality and with glass windows overlooking the resort the workout is rewarding ahead of an expected delectable breakfast buffet.

Getting out of the irresistibly comfy bed at dawn is also rewarding in that one gets to enjoy the resort at its quiet best, with only a faint morning ambient music from the garden speakers and bird song as one’s soundtrack. Some guests also partake in making merit Thai style in the early morning blessing ceremony with the local monks from temples in Hua Hin walking along the beach.

Being among the first guests to the breakfast buffet with every food item nicely laid-out and untouched is also worth the early wake-up. Everything has just been cooked and one gets to admire the spread as it is untouched.

Many of the outstanding choices, and with different additions from day to day, make this breakfast even a notch above ‘five-star’, with the many home made items such as fruit compote, banana jam, bircher muesli, the many Thai mocktails (for example Amuser including apple juice, red apple and fresh ginger), and irresistible desserts such as Bread pudding with vanilla sauce. The miso soup is always a favourite and smoked red snapper always go down well.

Breakfast is rotated through AZURE, Beachfront Grill and Felicita and Pirom and feature lots of healthy choices.

Taking the health holiday a step further

And if one wants to enhance a healthy direction SPA InterContinental also awaits with further relaxation, pampering as well as rejuvenation.

This magnificent mood spa is situated on the second floor, with its lobby enclosing the opening that stretches down into the hotel foyer. This spa is a sanctum of soft lighting with subtly lit corridors from the flickering of candles placed on the floor and with marble-clad Jacuzzi rooms – where women will love to ‘spa’ in a pool of flowers – and other cosy treatment rooms.

Upon arrival, and while selecting your treatment, Bael Fruit Tea is served. This is the stone apple bringing various health benefits – rich in phosphorus, calcium, carotene, iron, riboflavin, thiamin, and niacin vitamin.

This high-end spa offers a variety of treatments unique to the region. Signature treatments involve a cohesive integration of age-old Thai therapies. Among the high-end spa’s Signature Rituals find the ‘Oriental Signature Massage’, 90 minutes. ‘Spare a moment to RECHARGE, DETOX or a day to RELAX’, this treatment is introduced.

There is also Detox: green tea detoxifying body wrap. Recharge with a ‘After sun cooling body wrap’, or Relax with a ‘Jasmine rice smoothing body scrub.’

Discerning dining part of the good life

During an InterContinental visit one cannot get too much of the good things in life (it’s part of the purpose isn’t it!), so the dining exploration continues.

At beachside Azure Beach Grill restaurant the Grilled rock lobster & mango salad (with balsamic, extra virgin olive oil, roasted tomatoes and organic greens) followed by Lemon tart with beetroot sorbet is the perfect early-afternoon ‘lite bite’, as an interlude from book-reading by the pool. With this dessert we can begin to notice that there are in fact a wealth of Thai-specific ingredients abounding in the resort’s dining and bar outlets. At dinner, Azure presents grilled seafood and prime cuts, some served tableside and accompanied by an exclusive boutique wine list. There is a signature “Thaipas” menu as well, as the perfect pairing with drinks.

Whiling away an entire afternoon is easy by the pool, an forms the perfect appetizer for more dining adventures. Next up comes Felicita Restaurant, which offers contemporary, casual Trattoria-style dining specialising in light salads, antipasti, pizza and pasta. Its décor reflects roman times, with faux residues of columns on multi-storey shelves along one wall and framed mirrors one would find in a castle forming a wall at the far end side. Felicita features a signature pizza oven and open kitchen allowing guests to experience up close and personal interaction with the chefs.

Temptations such as the seafood-oriented Tagliolini al nero di seppia con la polpa e le chele di granchio (handmade black ink angel hair, crab claw meat in a light spicy tomato sauce), or the genuinely local Italian dish Risotto alla Vogherese (Risotto Vogherese, red peppers, taleggio cheese and porcini) are recommended from the menu.

Roasted king prawns, asparagus risotto, with a lemon juice dash is another seafood delight.

Pan fried seabass fillet (Filetto di branzino), butternut pumpkin gratin, parma ham and basil is a hit and there are Antipasti such as Pan-roasted gout cheese and beetroot salad served with red onion marmalade, tomato comfit and pear puree, or Warm seafood salad of prawn, calamari, scallop and mussel served with green leaves and lemon herbs dressing.

There are plenty of Italian and New World wine, prosecco cocktails as well as superb smoothies to go with the meal. The Pineapple Guava with pineapple, guava juice and yoghurt is just awesome!

For dessert the Semi freddo al coccolato bianco con riduzione di hon espresso, White chocolate parfait served with espresso sauce, was too tempting to resist… Those with appreciation for sorbet or Liqueur and Cognacs can also have their yearnings fulfilled.

Exceptional Thai cuisine

Last but not least back to Pirom, the Thai restaurant set out to excel on local cuisine. With chef Pichit P. at the helm the interpretations of Thai cuisine is exceptional, adding to the epicurean highlights at InterContinental Hua Hin. Pla Prao Duen + Gaeng Khiew Warn Talay is: Deep-fried whole sea bass with wok-seared Hua Hin seafood green coconut curry and vegetables. Goong Rad Sauce Makham is Deep fried prawns with tamarind sauce is equally beautifully presented and awesome for the taste buds.

Dining can of course also be had in the intimacy of the one’s room / suite / villa for ultimate privacy.

The resort definitely has many social spaces and a casual vibe, and an interesting versatile and well-travelled mix of guests who expect and appreciate beauty, quality and excellence.

In Asia’s new world luxury scene it is fair to say that the InterContental brand and the property’s owners have raised the bar in Hua Hin for five star establishments.

One leaves with a yearning to return back.