Harbouring a rising refinement

The beach at Cha-Am is a favourite seaside spot for people who want maximum sun, sand, sea and seafood for a minimal budget. On weekends, a flotilla of buses can be seen docked on the beachside road. The people that arrive in them are catered to by dozens of food and souvenir stalls along the beach. Most of them stay in the low- to mid-range budget accommodations that abound locally. But nowadays high-budget hotels are on the rise, and with them chic restaurants and foreign tourists.

At the southern end of the beach road is the new Grand Pacific Sovereign Resort & Spa, which promotes itself as the first five-star hotel in this charming seaside resort. It has 204 guestrooms, most of which have full or partial sea views, and 20 suites. 

I stayed in a spacious Deluxe room decorated with Thai designs and hand-carved teak furniture. The  bathroom was impressive, with walk-in closet, bathtub and separate shower. But what I liked most was a living corner space fitted with a large daybed ideal for reading and relaxing. Some suites offer two storeys with an en suite bedroom on the upper floor and big living room plus extra bathroom on the ground floor.

The resort facilities include three swimming pools, the Spa and Fitness Club, four ballrooms for conferences and banquets, three five-star restaurants serving Chinese, Japanese, and Italian cuisine (Celestino may be the only place near the beach where you can enjoy authentic Italian cuisine) plus a coffee shop and lobby lounge where snacks and drinks can be enjoyed.

If you need a little luxury on your next holiday, and Cha-Am is not the first place that comes to mind, think again; the Grand Pacific Sovereign Resort & Spa may change your mind.

      At a glance

Grand Pacific Sovereign Resort & Spa at a glance

High Point: Spacious and airy rooms with bright, natural light. Freshly baked pizza and pasta dishes from the Italian restaurant.

Low Point: A lack of shady trees around the hotel. The "mountain-view" rooms offer little in the way of interesting scenery.

Find it: 334/1 Ruamjitt Road, Cha-Am, Phetchaburi

Pay for it: A single night starts at Bt6,000 for a Deluxe room with garden view, Bt7,000 for a mountain-view, Bt8,000 for a sea-view, Bt9,000 for a pool-view, Bt11,000 for a duplex pool-view, Bt12,000 for a junior-suite, and Bt28,000 for an executive-suite pool-view room. There's a special offer of Bt3,500 per night for a Deluxe room.

Phone it: (032) 709 899

Browse it: www.SovereignResortAndSpa.com