New Sheraton Hotel

[Alabobby]

I have booked it for 3 nights during New Year. How is it? Is it really 30 min far from downtown?

[Stu-Pot]

I think you will like it. I have heard lots of good things.

It's new, so it is still nice & shiny.

The beach is not the best, but ok

max trip from centre of town is 15 min,

[Chas]

Reality check: The Sheraton "Hua Hin" is actually in Cha Am. (There is a bit of false advertising for you.) Look on the HHAD maps of Hua Hin and you won't find it.

Their website lists "Klai Kang Wan palace (somewhat north of the town center) as 5 km away and Palm Hills as 8 km away, the "summer palace" as 9.6 km away and San Paulo as 9.7 km away. when the hotel is actually not that far from the summer palace.
(Their list of distances is all screwed up, but then try to find an accurate map of ANY place in Thailand. . one with such details as scale!)

I live opposite Palm Hills ( in Cha Am) and the Sheraton is well north of me (3 to 5 km I would say) Driving to the center of town takes me about 20 minutes if there is no traffic. Double that if school is in session or if its a holiday or a weekend or a merge for some reason( we just don't' "merge" very well here)

Bottom line. Yes the property is new and pretty, plenty of sun and sea and sand, but you will not be staying in Hua Hin and the tuk-tuk drivers will give you a royal fleecing to get out there and back.

[dtaai-maai]

I used to live in Cha-am, and I always thought Palm Hills was in HH...

Mai bpen rai, I suppose you are where you think you are.

[Chas]

DM the town line passes right through the airport, actually the tunnel is on the dividing line ( according to the maps I have seen) with the line taking a dip south as it heads toward the ocean and north (to include Stamford & Palm Hills) as it goes inland.

But I have yet to see an accurate map of Hua Hin, one that has a proper scale, is not simplified ( every road is a perfectly straight line? Yeah, Right.) and redrawn and messed with to suit the artists fancy (There is not a cartographer in the entire country.) All the highway maps we had back in the US were just terrific (those published by AAA especially) and detailed enough to show every turn in the road, every side road, every bump . . .and you could measure precise distances with a ruler.) The maps I have of Bangkok are as useful as a map of Cleveland, Ohio! I swear the Bangkok mapmakers have the wrong city entirely because nothing on the ground matches what is on the maps.

OK rant over.

It is one thing to think you are someplace.
(One of my favorite sayings is, "Wherever you go, there you are!" )And certainly if you want to believe you are living in Venice or Paris while actually living in Hua Hin, that is totally up to you. I agree.

But it is quite another thing to intentionally deceive the public through false advertising. As a tourist, I would not want to visit Venice or Paris and find out that I am miles away from the Grand Canal or the Eiffel Tower.. .and paying top dollar for the privilege as well. The Dusit is also at fault in this deception, and it is much closer to Hua Hin.

I guess the question is, how far can you be from the town center and outside the town line and still legitimately claim to be "in Hua Hin".

In my opinion, the Sheraton is being deceptive and if I were coming to Hua Hin as a tourist, and if money considerations were not part of the mix, I would not pick the Sheraton. Would you?

The following is cut and paste from their website. Note that they are 9 km from both San Paulo and the summer palace. How crazy is this?
___________________________________________________
Local Attraction

* Klai Kangwon Palace 5.0 km/3.1 miles
* Palm Hills Golf Course 8.0 km/5.0 miles
* Royal Hua Hin Golf Course 8.0 km/5.0 miles
* Hua Hin Temple, Khao Krailat 8.0 km/5.0 miles
* Rashnee Thai Silk Village 8.0 km/5.0 miles
* JWS Motorsport Go Cart Track 9.0 km/5.6 miles
* The Summer Palace, Maruekkhathayawan Palace 9.6 km/6.0 miles
* Sing Toh Island 10.0 km/6.2 miles
* Khao Takiap Vantage Point 22.0 km/13.7 miles
* Khao Luang Cave 25.0 km/15.5 miles
* Pa La-U Waterfall 44.0 km/27.3 miles

Corporate Office

* San Paulo Hua-Hin Hospital 9.7 km/6.0 miles
_________________________________________________________

This is a good survey question.

As residents of Hua Hin who know this town well, what hotel would you recommend to the first time tourist? What about for your family or friends when they visit? I bet a beer that none of you would come up with the Sheraton as a first choice.

[buksida]

Another culprit of this false advertising is the "Evason Hua Hin Resort and Spa" which is actually in Paknampran around 30km away from Hua Hin.

Offering a "free shuttle bus" is no substitution for being actually at the destination you're trying to sell to fill your rooms!

[Chas]

Buks I forgot about Evason. . I dont get south of Hua Hin much. That really IS deceptive if it is 30 km away.

Of course, if all you really want as a visitor to Hua Hin, Thailand is sun, sand, sea and massage . . .and good food a few steps from your room, then these places are just fine. But it seems so sterile to me and so non-Thai/non-Hua hin. At a place like that, you could be in Florida, Hawaii, Bali or any other tropical destination with sun, sand, sea, massage and nearby good food.

I wonder how many guests at these out of town places are surprised when they get here at how far out of town they actually are.

I return to a question I asked. . .and the OP of this thread might be interested in replies as well, now that he knows where the Sheraton is.

What hotel would you recommend to a good friend of yours visiting Hua Hin for the first time?

[Phyton]

I recommend the Hilton. It is in the middle of everything in walking distance.
We came 6 times to the Hilton.

Cu
Phyton

[john bell]

the hilton op sofitel for me, both the locations are perfect

[Chas]

To participate in my own survey, I would recommend the Marriott ( spouse works there and I know it well . . . and am naturally biased! And if money were an object, one of the smaller hotels that line the streets within a block or two of the temple. You can be sure that I would ask here first and probably do some checking on the ground.

But I would certainly want to be IN Hua Hin and able to walk around the town and see its main attractions without relying on taxis!

[chelsea]

Stayed at the Sofitel and could not fault the place, location and facilities were good, rooms good size and also private upstairs balcony in the one I stayed in.
Food, Drink and Room service prices very reasonable. Gardens are 1st class and tea room contains a lot of interesting history about the hotel and what has happened there

Only looked around the Hilton, is more modern, ate in the Chinese on the top floor. Could not fault it.

But for me the I think I would choose the Sofitel again if I was looking at that class of hotel