Ayrest Hua Hin Hotel

From the outside, the Ayrest Hua Hin Hotel shows a couple of different faces, and the first impression doesn't necessarily live up to the contemporary style of the rooms here. From one side, it looks like an apartment complex, as the rooms are housed in several external buildings. But looking at it straight on, the main building has a traditional Thai triangular roof, and a low key red brick exterior. Stairs lead up past large ceramic urns and into the rather small lobby, which mainly consists of a rectangular green-cushioned sitting area, topped with a large vase filled with an arrangement of dried sea grass. A few cute elephant figurines are placed nearby, but otherwise decor is pretty plain, which sets the tone for almost all interiors here. Expect to see pleasantly modern, even contemporary spaces, without little adornment. While it's not on the beach, that fact keeps rates low, and for the price it's rare to find a hotel in this area that's so up to date. Couples on vacation make up the majority of guests here, though families are also a common sight by the pool and at the restaurant. 

The Ayrest Hua Hin is located at the northern edge of Hua Hin, a five- to 10-minute drive from the center of town depending on the destination. The hotel sits off the main highway into the city -- which is heavily trafficked and noisy -- but it's set back down a side road, so there isn’t an issue with being disturbed. There's not to much of interest within an easy walk, and the beach will take at least 10 minutes to reach on foot. Keep in mind that the nicer beaches are toward the center of town, though, and not within walking distance. The Hua Hin Night Market, the railway station, the Plearn Wan shopping village, and the Klai Kangwan Palace are all about five to 10 minutes away by car. Overall, it’s a fine location for accessing all the main attractions of Hua Hin if you have your own vehicle or motorbike, or don't mind relying on taxis. In fact, most guests will arrive here by car, as the closest major airport is all the way back in Bangkok, which takes two-and-a-half hours to reach in good traffic, and far longer on weekends or during peak seasons.

There are 56 rooms at the Ayrest Hua Hin, set in two buildings and clustered around the swimming pool. Rooms are done in a neutral color palette that includes an abundance of tan and white plus sharp light wood laminate floors. Furniture, with a complementary light wood veneer, has clean and simple lines, and the few pops of color in the rooms are provided by green Thai silk pillows. Beds are made with white linens and sit under attractive upholstered headboards, but there's nothing else in the way of wall art. That fact, coupled with the restrained color scheme and spaciousness, make these rooms feel plain overall.

Standard amenities include flat-screen TVs, free Wi-Fi, safes, mini-bars, air-conditioning, and electric hot water kettles for making tea and coffee. All rooms also have balconies or terraces. Note that the Superior and Sea View Rooms don't really offer much in the way of views, other than neighboring construction and a few trees. The best rooms are the Jacuzzi Rooms, which come with hot tubs on the terrace. Some rooms, like the Jacuzzi Pool Deluxe and Premier Jacuzzi Pool Deluxe, have direct access to the swimming pool as well. The bathrooms feature mosaic-tile rainfall showers and sharp marble tiling around the long vanities. Fixtures are all contemporary. Premier Rooms have bathtubs as well. 

Ayrest Hua Hin's best feature is its outdoor swimming pool, which snakes around a garden courtyard that's set with beach chairs and umbrellas, along with a small children's pool right in the middle of the grounds. While the pool isn't ideal for swimming laps and is narrow, it's well suited for those who have pool access rooms, as guests in these rooms can jump right into the water. 

Other than the pools and garden, the other main facility at the Ayrest is its restaurant and bar, which serves free breakfasts to guests, and then does both a la carte Thai and Western dishes for lunch and dinner. It also has a bar. The breakfast buffet includes eggs, toast, Thai items, fruit, and coffee, but it will cost extra. Spotty Wi-Fi is free throughout, and there's a small meeting room for business travelers. The Ayrest does have a free shuttle bus that departs throughout the day for downtown Hua Hin, but it must be booked in advance and past guests have complained that it fills up quickly.