Some ten minutes south of town, this hotel is a few minutes' walk from the Hyatt Regency Hua Hin. Although many high-end Thai hotels have added impressive health facilities, this one, whose name means Haven of Life, is one of few conceived expressly as a health resort. It has received numerous international awards and accolades.
A long road winds up from the highway to the hotel, where arrivals enter an elegantly understated lobby, peacefully decorated with potted plants, floral displays, ceramic jugs and Buddhist statuary.
Healthy meals are taken in an emerald-green dining room, during the day health juices, herbal teas and snacks are served in the seafront restaurant, Taste of Siam. The hotel has no bars or nightclubs, but serves wine and champagne after 6 pm in the restaurant, cafe and lobby lounge in the evenings. In the lounge, pianists and traditional Thai musicians perform nightly.
Guests pursue other interests in the library, music room, arts-and-crafts center and gardens, where staffers cultivate a surprising range of fruits and organic
vegetables. True culture seekers enjoy the Thai cooking lessons.
Private health and wellness consultations are made when you first arrive at the resort, and a program diary is prepared to help guests meet their targets and goals. The active can take advantage of a pool only steps from the beach, a gym with Cybex training machines, electronic bikes and rowing machines, and dance studios offering complimentary aerobics classes. Kayaks and beach bikes are also offered.
The spa features an exercise pool, multilevel steam room, 70 treatment rooms, and yoga and tai chi pavilions. The staff dotes on guests, offering cold towels by the pool and tropical drinks for new arrivals. Golf and tennis facilities are off-site, along with a manicure room, boutique and bookshop.
The resort regularly welcomes visiting consultants and renowned practitioners in the healing arts. Courses which can last up to two weeks include subjects such as crystal therapy, healing reflexology, yoga, and life coaching. The library accommodates 25 people classroom-style, but mobile phone 
use is not permitted onsite, to maintain a peaceful environment for other guests.
Accommodations are in the water-view hotel block and Thai pavilions arranged around tropical gardens, lakes and waterfalls connected by a series of undulating bridges. All rooms are simply designed and thoughtfully constructed of natural materials, such as wood and marble.
Standard amenities include area rugs over polished teak floors, hand-glazed ceramics, whitewashed walls, TVs, DVD players, stereos, queen beds and sliding shutters that open to garden or sea views. Thick duvets and pillows are brightened by plenty of natural light pouring into the rooms.
Baths are spacious and well stocked with toiletries. Recent renovations have touched up any worn edges and replaced soft goods with fresh fabrics. The hotel's newest accommodations include 17 pavilions in the same style as the popular older ones; set amid tropical gardens, they feature large windows that open onto an artificial lake.
Rates include three spa meals daily, personal health and beauty consultations, a choice of daily massages, and most fitness and leisure activities. Rooms are cooled with air conditioning units and fans. Pavilions are well worth the modest additional cost. Room service is available, but does not serve alcohol before 6 pm. The resort does not allow children younger than 16.
Security is tight and can even feel onerous. The open-air nature of the property does not lend itself well to solid soundproofing. Smokers are ushered outside, as the interior is completely smoke-free. Turndown service arrives nightly with services like flickering candles and fresh flowers.
The sterling staff is among the best outside Bangkok, making every effort to please a clientele that ranges from harried Thai businesspeople to vacationers from Europe, Australia and North America. This excellent property breaks the traditional resort mold here. For experienced spa-goers, this hotel cannot be beat, but the Anantara comes close.
