The Standard Hua Hin, Thailand review
A favourite getaway for Bangkok residents, this coastal hot spot is gaining renewed attention thanks to The Standard Hua Hin.
You don’t need a five figure social media following to book a room at The Standard Hua Hin, but you’d be forgiven for thinking so.
There are Instagrammable moments in every corner of this achingly cool seaside hotel. And its designer-clad clientele – a mix of international tourists, well-heeled Thais and their equally pampered dogs (yes, it’s a pet-friendly hotel) – seem very practised in capturing them.
Designed by architectural firm Onion, Shelley Kwok Design and Studio Freehand, the 199 room resort just marked its first birthday, but Covid put somewhat of a dampener on the launch. The brand has since added a second Thailand property to its stable, The Standard Bangkok Mahanakhon, which opened in August.
Sharing plenty of similarities to The Standard’s Miami property (including its signature lemon yellow vinyl pool loungers) the mid-century modern aesthetic lends itself perfectly to the relaxing atmosphere of the beachside town.
It’s a pleasant walk from the brutalist al fresco lobby to the pool and restaurants; just follow the path between the hotel’s crisp white, curved compounds and lush tropical gardens towards the beach.
The location
The hotel is located on Hua Hin beach, an easy two-to-three-hour drive from Bangkok, (depending on traffic). The once sleepy fishing village is now the go-to weekend destination of the city’s affluent residents, having been popularised by the Thai royal family which still summers there.
During the day the beachfront is buzzing with activity, with kitesurfing, jet skiing and horse riding some of the popular sports.
Don’t be fooled into thinking the beach itself compares to the paradisial shores of Krabi or Phi Phi, though. It’s pleasant to walk – especially at dawn while the local monks collect alms from the many waterfront hotels - but you’re better off making use of the hotel pool.
The rooms
Let’s start with the rose gold mirror balls, suspended above the bathtubs in each of the hotel’s 28 villas. I’ve been told a key directive for The Standard’s interior design teams is to save flounce and flippancy for the common areas and keep accommodations as utilitarian as possible.
At first thought a shiny disco ball seems utterly superfluous, but after putting on a 70s club playlist and indulging in a vodka martini while submerged in a ridiculously bubbly bath lit by hundreds of mirrored squares, I fully endorse the idea that all luxury hotel bathrooms come with a ‘disco mode’.
The interior fit-out is sensational. Pale terrazzo and timber furnishings, clean white walls and diaphanous curtains give a serene, beachy vibe, contrasting with pops of unexpected colour in the bathroom via retro modern olive tiling, Matisse-esque prints and the aforementioned pink party starter.
There’s a trade-off between the upper villas and those on the ground floor. Book a downstairs villa and you sacrifice views of the lush gardens and beachfront, but you’ll also have your own private plunge pool. There are also two premium villas; one which offers relative privacy, the other with a pool and deck overlooking the beach bar and main pool.
Both are regularly booked out, with the latter a favourite of guests who like to be seen #livingtheirbestlife.
Each room is kitted out with full-sized products from cult Italian haircare brand Davines, portable UE Boom speakers and kimono-style printed bathrobes.
There’s not a lot to offer on the box, however it’s no issue; just open Binge or Apple TV on your phone and cast your shows to the Smart TV using the hotel’s free guest Wi-Fi.
While smaller, the rooms within the hotel’s larger compounds are just as well-styled, and a great option for guests planning to spend their days exploring the fishing village and people-watching by the Palm Springs-style pool.
The spa
While you can grab a decent foot rub for about 300 baht ($13AUD) at one of the half a dozen massage parlours across the road, none offers the aesthetic appeal of The Standard Spa. On the menu you’ll find the usual suspects – massages, facials and the like – under playful monikers like ‘Feet Treat’ and ‘The Quickie’, but the spa’s signature treatment is one you actually have to do yourself.
Part body treatment part postmodern art class, the 60-minute Paint Yourself Pure begins with a DIY body exfoliation within the lush confines of the spa’s outdoor shower compound. I can attest that it’s more fun to do in pairs, albeit extraordinarily messy. Once sufficiently self-scrubbed, my spa partner and I rinse off within a vertical Vichy shower before drying off and applying a choice of four coloured mud masks. There are no implicit instructions as to exactly the best way to apply, so we proceed to hand-paint our rose and mint-hued tubes of clay to our limbs and faces until we resemble poorly executed Picasso replicas. While I cannot attest to a dramatic improvement in my skin, it was thoroughly fun.
The food
There are two main restaurants within the hotel; Lido, which serves modern Italian fare, and Praça, a contemporary take on traditional Thai, plus a juice bar which serves up fresh cold pressed drinks and coffee.
If you’re partial to an evening glass of rosè (or three), arrive at Lido by 5pm for aperitif time; two hours of unlimited rosè and Italian grazing until seven p.m. Pile up a plate with local cheddar and a few grissini and watch guests conduct their final poolside selfie sessions before the light fades.
The best night-time vibe is found closer to the beachfront at Praça, in the courtyard of the property’s original heritage house. The food – a modern, sharable take on local cuisine dubbed ‘Thai izakaya’, doesn’t disappoint either. Each dish is light, offering the perfect balance of flavour. We start with rich, delicate cigars of minced pork spring rolls, lightly fried lotus roots and larb tuna served on black rice crackers to start, followed by a fragrant soft-shelled crab curry which, if not for decorum, I would have kept all to myself. I’m recommended a holy basil! – a mix of pineapple, run, betel leaf, galangal and lemon – to enjoy with the meal and as testament to its aromatic deliciousness, order a second before dessert arrives.
After dinner, it’s not necessary to leave the hotel in search of a nightcap. Just kick your shoes off and wander into Praça’s beachfront bar area. It’s quite possible that while you’re sitting and listening to the DJ you’ll also catch sight of the following night’s dinner being caught as wooden fishing boats trawl the coastline for fresh seafood.
For a taste of the local fare, its’ worth heading to the Hua Hin Night Market – about a ten minute tuktuk ride from the hotel located between Petchakasem Road and Liap Thang Rotfai. Follow your nose to the vendors grilling skewers of prawns and whole squid; they make the perfect handheld snack to sample while exploring the bustling market.