Devasom Hua Hin
To properly describe how much I love this place, I think all you need to know is that merely 6 days after leaving, I am back again. I’m currently sitting on a plush lounge chair listening to the sound of the water overflowing from the infinity pool while subtle waves crash gently on the shore 10 meters in front of me (and yes, I use meters now). The Devasom Hua Hin is a perfect hideaway in ways that words simply can not properly describe, and I am definitely thankful that I was able to find this gem. Read on to learn why I love this place so much.
Location: B+
About a two hours and change drive from Bangkok, the Devasom is the perfect place to escape the city on a weekend. Hua Hin is known in Thailand as a beach town catered to families, and is historically the original beach holiday destination in the country for locals and royals alike. You’ll find the main town of Hua Hin just a 10 minute drive down the road, and the Devasom provides multiple free daily shuttles to and from the town center. The immediate local area doesn’t have much aside from a trusty 711 at the beginning of the entry road to the hotel, so not many options within walking distance, which is the only knock against the location here. But with that said, this isn’t a hotel you come to for exploring Hua Hin. This is a place you come to for pure relaxation and blissful disconnection, so in a way, the lack of sights and restaurants and subsequently people in the immediate vicinity lends itself to a heightened feeling of privacy and seclusion which makes the Devasom such a unique gem within an earshot’s distance of the hustle and bustle of Bangkok.
Rooms: A-
We stayed in a Beach Villa and I simply can not stress how worth it this room is. It’s called a villa, but it really should be called a cottage. The room is 80 square meters (about 800 square feet) with a beautiful four-poster bed (which was incredibly comfortable), a nice little couch in the window sill, your espresso machine and accompanying snacks, a stunning stand-alone tub which comes with bath salts and oils and flower pedals to enhance your bathing experience, and then my favorite part of the bathroom, a sunlight extension which housed the toilet and shower in one space - a design move I found to be very successful. The interior design with the paintings, tiles, and ubiquitous attention to detail was thoroughly appreciated. But all of that aside, the real winner of this room is that you have a wonderfully cute porch with two rocking chairs just a few steps away from the pool and beach area. The views every morning were simply stunning and the ability to walk within a few steps from our villa to the beach to the pool to the lobby and back was amazing. The only two problems I would say i had with this room, and why it gets an A- instead of an A+, are the lack of privacy, as we felt like people lounging or in the pool could easily look into our room, and the sink area was quite cramped for the two of us. But overall, this is one of my favorite rooms I have ever stayed in - I’d actually put it into the top 10 (a list of which i will make later on).
Food and Drinks: A-
The restaurant on-site is first of all super cute - perfectly sized with great furniture and just an overall fantastic flow. When it came to the actual food though, we were mostly limited to eating in our room thanks to COVID. Breakfast, which was included, was a massive highlight of our day each day. Every afternoon we would chose between American, Continental or Asian style breakfasts for the next day, and at the time we wished, the staff would deliver one of the most immaculate breakfast platters I have ever seen. There was so much food on these platters that we basically had no room to actually eat the food! While the flavors of the breakfast were fantastic, I must say that it was a bit of a bummer that more often than not our food was delivered a bit cold, limiting our enjoyment ever so slightly. But hey, they make up for it with a ridiculously photogenic presentation.
We also were treated to afternoon tea, which was served with a nice selection of Thai snacks along with a hot tea and cold Thai Lemon tea (which was absolutely bomb). The presentation of the afternoon was also super nice, which I thoroughly appreciated. Definitely a nice option to have as a late lunch - you won’t necessarily be full from the food here but you will easily be satisfied.
Then there’s the picnic by the sea, which I LOVED. Skewers of fruit and meats along with juices and coconut water are laid out in a lovely, super aesthetic setting right by the water’s edge. You also get a couple of sparkling waters, because why not. I was really not expecting much from this but I was truly blown away by the set up here. The creme brûlée in a jar - divine. The pasta potato salad situation - ideal. Plus you get a little hat to wear to spice up that Instagram photo. Suffice to say, I loved this experience put together by the hotel.
As amazing as everything else was here, they pale in comparison to the Dinner by the Sea. This experience may be one of the most romantic dining experiences I have ever had. It takes the staff the better part of an hour to set up a wonderful table for two one the water’s edge, where you have your choice of a 5-course Thai or Western meal. We both chose the Thai options (and the staff was very flexible with dietary restrictions), which was just all so so delicious. The Tom Yum soup, while it did not look it, was one of the most flavorful Tom Yum soups I have had in Thailand. Everything about this meal was just perfect - the setting, the food, the service, all of it. PLUS, a free bottle of sparkling wine? Yeah, it was a good night. For a romantic evening with your special someone, this is almost impossible to beat.
Other than these experiences, we had a few other meals at the hotel as well. There was some mixed seafood dish with fried noodles and gravy that was a specialty of the chef, and was something I had not had in Thailand before but absolutely loved. The mixed grilled seafood platter was also great, as was the duo fish (which had one of the best presentations I have seen from a hotel entree). I WILL say though that the burger was a bit below what I would have hoped for, but really, that was my only complaint in terms of the quality of the taste from the food we had. All in all, you will be eating good at the Devasom.
Just had to throw in another photo of this seaside picnic because once the sun set - just sublime colors
Amenities: B+
This is a tiny hotel. There are all of 24 rooms. Walking from one end of the property to the opposite end took less than a minute. So in terms of amenities on site, there really is not much. You have a cute little lobby with a tiny shop, one restaurant with a little pop-up bar, a wonderful library complete with games, and then the pool and beach. The pool is wonderfully designed, with a massive, heart-shaped tree in the middle. There are multiple depths for wading, lounging or swimming, and even a wonderfully unassuming swim-up bar (for when COVID is eradicated eventually).
Additionally, there are plenty of activities on the beach. You can rent jet-skis, go banana-boating, or horseback ride on the beach. Horseback riding during low tide is really stunning, and these horses (which seem to be well taken care of) are super cute and responsive. Hua Hin has come to be known for horseback riding on the beach, and the Devasom can arrange that experience for you here as well.
The intimacy of this hotel lends itself creating a simple experience. There’s no spa, no gym, no options, but the hotel also doesn’t need it. The identity here is in its intimacy, and if there was a large selection of amenities and options, I feel like the hotel would lose a bit of that intimacy, so while there could definitely be more amenities here, the lack thereof is not necessarily a negative in the slightest. If you want amenities, stay at the Sheraton or the Intercon or the Marriott.
Service: A
As I’ve said, this place is tiny. Which means all the staff know you, and which room you are staying in, creating a much more personal and streamlined experience in dealing with the staff. They all always had a great smile on their face and repeatedly would go above and beyond to cater to our needs. Someone always seems to be around to help you, but at the same time, it feels like no one is around to bother you. A great balance of professional and personal, so I can not knock the service here in the slightest.
Scene
There’s a nice vibe to the hotel here. It’s not in-your-face posh where you feel that snobby environment of some hotels. But it’s also a classy environment which has a aura of refinement. You’ll find couples, friends, and families all staying here, but it generally speaking is a hotel tailored to couples given all the privacy and romance you’ll have at the Devasom. The vibes of this hotel are seriously immaculate and just fit my desires to a T.
The Devasom is close to Bangkok, reasonably priced, and the most ideal escape from the city you can imagine. Hua Hin itself is great (I’ll probably write something about the city soon), which I can’t wait to experience when things are back to normal, and provides a nice weekend option. The vibes, the food, the romance, the pool, the beach - all of it makes for a perfect hotel. I absolutely love the Devasom and I can’t wait to come back (which I write as I am literally back).
Wake up for sunrise - it’ll be worth it
Horseback riding on the beach, even if its for 15 minutes, is a great way to start the day!