Anantara Hua Hin Resort & Spa

Hua Hin allows travelers to throw down a towel on the Gulf of Siam without getting on another plane to Ko Tao or Ko Samui. The cosmopolitan beach a few hours outside of Bangkok is where Thai royals originally built their beachfront leisure residences, and it still attracts affluent Bangkok residents with its cosmopolitan beachfront vibe. The resort sits on 14 waterfront acres with low-rise buildings housing the resort’s 187 modern rooms. All are dressed with Thai silks and have floor to ceiling windows, overlooking jungle gardens and reflecting pools designed by landscape architect Bill Bensley. Lounges line the white-sand beach and the beachside swimming pool; activities range from Hua Hin market tours and fruit-carving classes to language and Thai boxing lessons.

Tranquil resort edging a culturally rich city on the Gulf of Thailand.

A lone resort on a virgin white sand beach (that is, what many travelers might think of when envisioning a Thai beach vacation).

You want to pair your Thai beach vacation with a city that, unlike much of Phuket, has a life beyond tourism.

Walking barefoot along the resort’s foot reflexology-focused paths, flanked by palm and heliconia gardens, to the Anantara Spa for an indulgent four-hands body treatment or active Thai massage.

Baan Thalia - Italian cuisine in a rustic setting Issara Café - Breakfast buffet on the terrace Sai Thong - Beachside restaurant with sandwiches and other fresh meals Loy Nam - Swim-up bar Lagoon Pool Bar - Freshly squeezed juices, detoxifying drinks, healthy spa cuisine and cocktails