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Siam Bayshore Resort & Spa This low-rise resort hotel has a great location right at the southern tip of Walking Street yet is large enough to be noise free when you need a good night’s sleep. The 20-acre site has covered walkways that meander through tropical gardens with fish ponds and streams shaded by banyan trees and tall palms. The rooms are a good size, with flat screen TVs and walk-in showers. Some have views of the ocean or the WHERE 559 Beach Rd, Pattaya, 038-428-678; gardens, and it’s worth trying for something on the ground www.siamhotels.com/siambayshore floor with direct access to the freeform swimming pool. The Lotus Spa provides relaxing wraps, massage and body scrubs and there are eight bars and restaurants, including seafood, Thai and Chinese. The Explorer Bar has a colonial feel, a large collection of antiques to browse and free wifi, which is also available in the lobby area.
Hard Rock Hotel Its ‘rock around the clock’ at this huge Beach Road resort with a bubbly holiday camp feel. Kids love the 2,000m ² lagoon pool, water sports and Lil’ Rock club (among many other activities); while adults enjoy the subliminal lessons in pop and rock history (500 pieces of music memorabilia, including one of Kiss’ Flying V guitars and a sparkly sequin suite worn by Smokey Robinson, are strewn about the colourful place) and late-night live music in the Hard Rock Café. Staff (‘rock agents’) patrol the resort, making sure everyone feels like a ‘star’. It’s currently being refurbished, but when completed by December will include upgraded city and seaview rooms, as well as family suites with bunk beds and x-box games, among other nifty add-ons. Some of these are already completed and now available at cheaper promo rates. One of the hotel’s biggest draws are its raucous Saturday night pool parties, when revelers, guests and outsiders alike, frolic in the foam while DJs spin until well past midnight.
Siam Bayview Hotel
WHERE 429 Moo 9 Pattaya Beach Road, 038-428-775; www.hardrockhotels.net
WHERE 310/2 Moo 10, Beach Rd, Pattaya, 038-423-877; www.siamhotels.com/siambayview
www.bangkok101.com
At 27 years old this hotel is longtime feature of the Pattaya skyline. The style is formal Siam, and as part of the drive to adapt to the rapid rise of the more recent competition the Bayview has recently opened six theme suites. The two rooms at the end of each floor of the main wing have been knocked through to form single bedroom suites that stretch the full depth of the hotel. There are six themes: Ban Chiang (with pottery from the ancient site in northeast Thailand), Carnival, Safari, Moroccan, Thai Tribal and Lai Kram – the one we stayed in, which is tastefully inspired by the blue Thai ceramics of the same name. The comfortable, separate room living areas include flat screen TVs, large plants in celadon pots, ample sofas and a dining table. All suites have wifi access, and the floor to ceiling windows open to a small balcony overlooking Pattaya Bay.
travel
august 2011
33