Liked as on the beach but apart from that not much to cheer about. A big big hotel so doesnt feel friendly and staff care but not as much as in a smaller hotel. Room average and stairs everywhere.

Don't think we would stay here again unless we need to be this close to the beach but probably other hotels that are better.

After spending a great week in Bangkok my wife and I headed South to Hua Hin for a week at the beach. We were expecting Hua Hin to be a sleepy little beach town, and while compared to Bangkok it is little but far from sleepy.

We arrived on 12/31/11 for our stay. We were early for check in but the staff had our room nearly ready to go. After a beverage at the bar we returned to the open air front desk, received our keys and were shown to our room by a very pleasant staff member. Our bags had been delivered while we had our beverage so all we had to do was settle in and get comfortable.

Other reviews mention "small rooms" I suppose that depends on your expectations. Our room was large by New York and European standards, tiny by Las Vegas standards. Either way it was adequate for our needs, very clean and comfortable. Decorated well and plenty of storage/closet space. The bathroom, however is small by any standard and is strictly a "one at a time" bath.

After a quick change into swim wear it was off to the pool for sun. The pool area is layed out well, about a 90 second walk from our 5th floor room and well situated for sun with plenty of umbrellas for shade. If you are an all day pool lounger you may want to get there early for a good spot or opt for the beach garden a hundred yards toward the water. The beach garden is quieter than the pool (no kids here or parents yelling at them) and just steps above the beach. There are bathrooms betwwen the pool and beach garden as well as showers for getting the sand off of your feet. Poolside and garden beverage service are good with a slight edge to the garden as it's closer to the bar.

It was now lunch time and we opted for the Thai themed restaurant overlooking the beach. We had a few communication issues here and there seemed to be some confusion among the staff as to who was doing what. We got things sorted out and had an OK lunch. After enjoying the food in Bangkok this was a bit of a letdown.

Off to the showers to clean up and change for NYE celebrations. The hotel had a celebration set up that looked very pretty. After checking it out we found that it priced out at $200 USD per person and did not include beverage. It might have been a great party but we passed on it thinking the price a bit steep. We wandered over to the mall to check out the party there. They were setting up a beer garden and food lines that looked pretty good. Had it not been for the Thai "boy band" providing entertainment (complete w/moonwalking and robot dancing) we might have stayed. Instead we wandered into the mall and were dissapointed by the food choices available. Pretty standard mall stuff but the Thai's seem to like it. We headed North along the main drag a few blocks to an open air market and enjoyed some good street food here. (An aside- do not be afraid to eat from the street vendors. This is where many Thai people eat on a regular basis and we found the food to be consistanly good. In two weeks in Thailand we experienced NO gi trouble nor had any issues with street food)

After dinner we headed back to the beach about 11:pm and waited for midnight fireworks to ring in 2012. As we waited on the beach we saw a very amazing and beautiful sight. The local people and many visitors had sent up "hot air ballons" thes are rice paper ballons with a flaming heat source at the base. You light the heat, wait for it to fill the paper bag and then send it aloft. The effect is several thousand of these glowing, soaring paper baloons flying along the beach and lighting up the sky, a great prelude to the fireworks that lit up the beach starting at about 11:40. Rang in the new year and up to bed for a great nights sleep.

For breakfast opt for the buffet- absolutely everything you could want and it will keep you going as you explore Hua Hin.

The area- As you walk onto the beach take a right and head over to the shack set up there for beverages, snacks etc. At the resort you'll pay 200THB for a small beer, at this shack you'll get a large Singha for 100THB. Decent little shack and the people are friendly. You are also now standing right next to a beach front massage set-up. Sit down, take a load off and get a foot massage for 200THB. I don't know if this is the greatest massage in the world but it worked for us. At high tide you can't walk North toward the fishing pier- you'll need to save that for low tide. So continue South if you wish and you'll pass other hotels and resorts. As you do you'll notice that the set up at the Marriott is pretty darn good compared to these others. You'll probably want to turn around or exit the beach as you get to the Beachside restaurant.

Head North again towards the Marriott and time it so you get back for a really satisfying lunch at the resort's Italian themed restaurant. Beautiful setting, good service and some pretty good food. Be careful what you order-the bread that they'll bring you is phenomonal and you may find yourself filling up on that and not be able to enjoy any of the entrees on the menu.

We enjoyed our stay at this Marriott resort and would return. We found the staff to be very good, the location perfect for us and the accomodations very comfortable and satisfying.

Staff here provide an impeccable service with the famous Thai smile. The hotel is beginning to look a bit frayed around the edges and could do with some refurbishment. Our room was not big but adequate. It was clean and comfortable and we had great views over the Gulf of Thailand. Breakfast was excellent with a vast array of hooves to suit most tastes and cultures. We were there on Christmas eve and the staff transformed the beach not a Christmas wonderland. Food was superb as was the ambience. We would definitely stay here again, especially if some updating is carried out.

Marriott Hua Hin is not a new place, it's not modern, it's not fancy but also not old, not "out of style". It's like your favorite shirt that you'll always come back to.

Solid, with perfect service, great location, just exactly what you need to wind down (a nice room, nice bed, great breakfast and just perfect when it comes to beach/pool area".

Within a perfect taxi distance from Bangkok airport without the hassle of flying, going by train, bus, boat or whatever we came to Hua Hin. Perfect welcome at the reception with a nice arrival procedure (of course Marriott platinum status helps but still...).

Nice clean room but with a solid atmosphere facing the ocean. I'm picky with bed and pillows but got what I wanted.

The breakfast covered everything from classic british to asian including the belgian waffles with chocolate sauce (no need for lunch...).

Hua Hin is most likely the perfect get away if you're not interested into partying, excessive beach life or similar. Just winding down, good food, great resort to stay at and close to BKK.