The Regent Chalet Chaam

July 18, 2014

A Review: The Regent Chalet Chaam

The resort is located 20 km from Hua Hin and likely to be one of the oldest property around. Set in tranquil greenery, the resort covers 100 rai of tropical garden and just a few minutes’ walk away from the beach.

Getting there was quite straight-forward. However, the failure of having a clear signage of where exactly the resort is located caused us precious time. We mistakenly thought that the resort is located at a different place when we saw a sign that says “Regent Chaam” without mentioning that The Regent CHALET Chaam is also located within the same premise. Not knowing any better, we drove on thinking that The Regent Chalet is just a little far up ahead and by the time we realised it isn’t, we have almost drove into Hua Hin.

It took us 2 u-turns to relocate the place and. as we drove into the road with Regent Chaam signage on it, there was a discreet sign farther ahead within the same road that confirms Regent CHALET Chaam is located there. Sure we could have so easily figured THAT one out. Duh.

We booked ourselves into the only available 2 bedroom Rimsone Suite. It was equipped with a fridge that stocked up 4 bottles of free water a day, a small pantry, a living and dining area as well as 4 balconies that are attached to the bedrooms and living area. It was spacious and nicely cosy.

We got the room on the 2^nd floor and with no elevators, walking up and down the stairs is inevitable. Being on the higher floor with no safety locks on the balcony doors had me a little paranoid – we had to constantly remind the kids sternly that under no circumstances are they allowed to open the door to the balconies, especially the ones in their room without letting us know or without our supervision.

The front door has several locks on them and in true Thai fashion, the bolts were strategically placed at a height that are very accessible to kids below 1m of height. Within minutes of setting ourselves up in our temporary home, Spud managed to figure out how to unbolt the door. I got by with the faith and the trust that our kids would adhere to our rules and not to open the doors without letting us know.

The bathrooms are equipped with really basic toiletries (toothbrush not included) and I would advise that if you ever intend to book yourselves in this resort, I would strongly encourage that you bring your own. I made the mistake of thinking that since “Regent” is quite a well-known brand, the chance of having some decent quality shower gels, shampoo and hair conditioner is high. I couldn’t be more wrong.

The staff are generally friendly and accommodating. My only gripe is that the service at the restaurant was too slow and we had to wait for at least an hour before food arrived – more than enough time for the kids to get unbearably antsy prior to their mealtimes.

A short walk away on the beach from the resort stood another seafood restaurant if you want some variety. However, service there was just as slow – if not slower as we had to wait for more than an hour before we could feed the kids their dinner on the day we arrived.

Otherwise, the resort offers a pleasant stay with spacious room all around. It is family and kid-friendly and if you drive, it is quite easy to get to several places of attraction to while away your time.

Price-wise, I find the pricing to be quite reasonable, although do expect to pay a little more during the high season.

I really do love the greenery surrounding the area, and for a property that seems a little old, I must say that it is quite well-maintained.