The Standard, Hua Hin feels like a proper escape the moment you arrive, despite being just a three-hour drive from Bangkok. We arrived with plans to explore the surrounding area, including Hua Hin’s night market, but have no shame in admitting that we never left the hotel’s beautiful grounds.
What’s the deal?
Part beach resort, part design statement, this offering from The Standard has the brand’s familiar sense of play but softens it with a slower, more wellness-oriented rhythm that makes it easy to settle in for a weekend or linger for longer. Whatever your itinerary, this is exactly where to stay in Hua Hin.
The open-air lobby flows seamlessly into the entrance to the main courtyards, creating a sense of uninterrupted greenery. Walk across tree-shaded courtyards and down leafy paths and the scene opens up to a pool area bordered by a lawn and dining venues. Beyond that lies the soft sands of the seven-kilometre-long Hua Hin Beach, famed for horse riding and water sports.
Opened in 2021, the landscape architecture was designed by Bangkok firm Shma Designs around existing trees, preserving the forest ecology and tropical luxe atmosphere. Rooms and suites are beachy and bright, with mid-century modern furniture, rattan accents and pops of yellow. The wide balconies feel like fun throwbacks to 1990s childhood beach resort holidays – with a little extra gloss. Opt for a villa and you’ll also have your own pool, shaded by trees for extra privacy. Travelling with a furry friend? Villas are pet-friendly. They also make The Standard one of the best places to stay in Thailand for multi-generational families or large groups, as an entire cluster can be sealed off from the rest of the resort with its own gate, creating a chic private village within an already intimate property.
Why stay?
There are no duds among the dining options, with Lido serving all-day Italian fare, Lido Bar offering poolside cocktails (hello, strawberry frosés) and light bites, and The Juice Café rustling up coffees, juices and healthy snacks. For special occasions, there’s Praça: a Thai izakaya concept serving shareable plates, including a dedicated vegan menu, and cocktails in a heritage house-style setting overlooking the beach. It’s a beautiful spot on a clear, starry night. We loved the spicy pomelo salad, grilled eggplant with crispy leek and blue crab dumplings with aromatic kanom jeep sauce. As for dessert, we couldn’t get enough of the purple sticky rice with mango mousse and coconut ice cream. There’s even a cigar menu, if that’s your vibe.
Wherever you dine, any dietary requirements are easily taken care of by the warm and attentive team, and there’s enough variety across venues to enjoy something different at every meal over a long weekend.
The Standard Spa was the highlight of our stay. The hotel’s wellness programme brings its signature creativity to classic spa treatments. We tried a session of contrast therapy – alternating brisk cold plunges with time in the sauna – and the endorphin rush was addictive. We also enjoyed the highly recommended Traditional Thai Massage – available for 60 or 90 minutes – in tranquil lemongrass-scented treatment rooms. You can turn things up a notch with more cutting-edge therapies, such as a cryotherapy facial.
The gym is tiny, so it can feel crowded during peak times, but we were still able to perform a full workout using its assortment of free weights, machines and mat areas. In the spirit of rejuvenation, we also participated in the early-morning fitness classes, including a yoga session on the lawn and a Muay Thai taster. Getting a sweat on, then showering and sitting down to the international buffet breakfast at Lido, set us up perfectly for the day.
Cathay editors say…
“The Standard, Hua Hin makes the perfect sister property to The Standard, Bangkok Mahanakhon. The former, a laidback, boho beachside resort; the latter, a funky, maximalist urban hotspot. A couple of nights at each makes for the perfect long weekend.”