Hotel Review: SO Sofitel Hua Hin (SO Studio) - Luxurious Beachfront Resort with Family-friendly Facilities
Starting from 01 July 2022, the Thailand Pass registration scheme, as well as the compulsory health insurance requirement for foreign visitors, will be lifted. With the lifting of the face mask mandate, there is no better time than now to visit the land of smiles. If you are based in Singapore and you are still sitting on a pile of KrisFlyer miles, you should consider taking advantage of the existing award charts (which will change from 05 July 2022) to lock in your travels to Thailand (or anywhere else to be honest).
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Hotel Entrance
SO Sofitel Hua Hin
I have been back to Bangkok on multiple occasions this year, and since one trip was slightly longer than the rest, I have decided to head down to the SO Sofitel Hua Hin for a weekend for a break away from the city, and also to spend some time in a beachside resort. Even though the property does carry the name of Hua Hin, the actual location of SO Sofitel Hua Hin is along Cha-Am beach which is approximately 2.5 hours away from Bangkok on a car. The property can definitely arrange for a private transfer for you but if you wish to opt for a more affordable option, you may choose to book this yourself via Klook which will cost between S$80 to S$100, depending on the type of vehicle you choose, as well as the company you go with. If you are new to Klook, sign-up using my referral link or use my referral code ‘C2V45’ to take S$5 off your first booking.
Hotel Lobby
SO Sofitel Hua Hin
While this is not my first time visiting beachside resorts in Thailand, it was my first visit to Hua Hin (or more specifically, Cha-Am beach) and truth to be told, I did not even realise that it was actually so close to Bangkok which makes it possible for a weekend trip if you wish to extend your stay in Thailand for a bit. Most of us typically stay in Bangkok for three or four nights but if you wish to fully utilise the weekends, you should consider booking a stay at the SO Sofitel Hua Hin for an alternative experience.
Welcome Drink
SO Sofitel Hua Hin
The SO Sofitel Hua Hin has only 109 rooms and villas in total and the property features a contemporary architecture style with specially-curated artwork located throughout the grounds of the property. Once the car pulled up on the main driveway of the property, I knew I was in for a treat - while waiting for my check-in to be processed and for registration to be completed, a welcome drink with nutritional ingredients was served to me and without waiting too long, I was on a buggy to my room.
Bedroom
SO Studio - SO Sofitel Hua Hin
For this stay at the SO Sofitel Hua Hin, I was booked into a SO Studio which is one category higher than the lead-in room category (SO Comfy). Since the room inventory of the property is pretty small, there are only a handful of room and villa types here so make sure you book yourself into the one you want (instead of hoping for an upgrade if you have any significant status in the Accor Live Limitless program). If I am not mistaken, all of the SO Studios here at the SO Sofitel Hua Hin are located on the second and third floors of the property and they do not feature direct pool access from the balcony. With that said, the SO Studios are perfect for travellers who want to enjoy the fresh morning air or the cool evening breeze from their own balcony while looking out to one of the beautiful swimming pools on proerty.
Bedroom and Bathroom
SO Studio - SO Sofitel Hua Hin
Featuring 56 sqm of floor space, the SO Studios here at the SO Sofitel Hua Hin are already pretty big, to begin with, but the boxy layout makes them feel a lot larger. When the partitions are drawn open, there is a seamless transition between the bathroom, living room, and bedroom in this space. For the sake of clarity, smaller pockets of space can be created for privacy - the curtains by the side of the bedroom and the minibar area can be drawn if you are sharing the room with someone else.
Shower Area
SO Studio - SO Sofitel Hua Hin
Apart from the massive circular bathtub that you will find in the SO Studio rooms, there is also a large and separate walk-in shower area that is located right next to the bathtub. You will definitely notice the nature-themed design throughout the SO Studio which is even more apparent in the bathroom.
Bath Amenities
SO Studio - SO Sofitel Hua Hin
Bath amenities here are provided in the delicate bottles photographed above and they smell fantastic - most properties have started to migrate to bulk-sized amenities to reduce the wastage from single-use plastics so this should not come as a surprise to you. In case you were wondering whether a different set of bath amenities are provided by tub, they are not - so you will have to move them in and out of the shower area if you wish to utilise them both. Not a big problem obviously but I would have just preferred having another bottle of shower gel by the bathtub for convenience.
Bedroom
SO Studio - SO Sofitel Hua Hin
All of the SO Studio rooms come with either a king-bed or twin-bed configuration so depending on who you are traveling with, you may wish to secure the right bedding type at the time of reservation (especially since there are limited rooms available). All of the rooms also feature a sleep menu with different pillow options so you can be sure to enjoy a great night’s sleep.
illy Coffee Machine
SO Studio - SO Sofitel Hua Hin
Coffee is extremely important to me (since I drink at least four cups a day on average), so having my very own illy Coffee machine as well as a selection of local tea was a nice touch. Most luxury properties in Asia provide a Nespresso machine (which I am grateful for) but obviously, no one does espressos like illy so this was a huge plus in my books. The items in the in-room private bar are complimentary (i.e. snacks and non-alcoholic beverages) so feel free to raid them if it pleases you - these are also replenished daily when housekeeping comes in to make-up your room in the morning.
Welcome Amenities
SO Studio - SO Sofitel Hua Hin
I received a bottle of sparkling wine and some beautifully-plated snacks as part of my welcome amenities - fruits and wine are my favourite kind of welcome! If you plan to spend a lot of time in the SO Sofitel Hua Hin, an Accor Plus membership can go a long way since you get up to 50% off your total food bill across participating restaurants in Asia-Pacific. Signing up for an Accor Plus membership through The Shuttewhale will get you an extra group dining voucher for 50% off dining (for 4 pax) at one of the participating SO/ and Sofitel hotel restaurants in the region.
View from the Room
SO Studio - SO Sofitel Hua Hin
if you are traveling with family, the SO Sofitel Hua Hin has plenty of activities that adults and children can enjoy (most of them are complimentary) - the Wibit Adventure Float in the Signature Pool is Thailand’s first Wibit inflatable obstacle course in a five-star resort. The Wibit Adventure Float is recommended for children aged seven and up and for safety reasons, the pool starts at depth of 1.2 meters and continues to 1.7 meters but life jackets are available in various sizes, with lifeguards present during pool hours. The SO Studio room that I was staying in looked out to this pool and as you can imagine, it does get pretty during the day with families but if you need a bit of peace and quiet, closing the balcony doors should shut out most of the sound.
Sofa and TV
SO Studio - SO Sofitel Hua Hin
The SO Studio also comes with a separate seating area and a massive TV (which is Chromecast-enabled) where you can stream your favourite content on. The TV is mounted on an adjustable swivel which makes it possible for you to angle the TV towards the living area, bedroom, or even the bathtub, depending on where you would like to enjoy your favourite shows from. Located behind the TV is a wardrobe where you will also find things like yoga mats (which I highly recommend that you take to the beach or a vinyasa practice) and a large beach bag which will hold all your personal belongings while you are out.
Beachfront Property
SO Sofitel Hua Hin
As mentioned earlier, SO Sofitel Hua Hin is located along Cha-Am beach in Phetchaburi which is famous for its white and sandy beaches - this is also a popular spot for Thai families to visit on weekends and during the holidays. The weather was perfect during my visit and I love looking out to the clear blue waters while enjoying a drink in the evening.
Complimentary Bicycle Rental
SO Sofitel Hua Hin
There are plenty of free activities to do in the SO Sofitel Hua Hin but if you wish to get a workout in, or you wish to rent one of the professional-grade bicycles, you may rent them from the Kids Tent at either THB 120 per hour, or THB 400 for the whole day - just make sure you make your bookings early as they are quite popular. Now depending on your appetite for an adventure, you may opt for the longer 16.5 km cycling route from the hotel (where you will discover Cha-Am’s countryside and coastline, or you may opt for the shorter 2.2 km Cycling Track which goes around the property.
There is a SO/ FIT fitness center located in SO Sofitel Hua Hin which features state-of-the-art equipment from Technogym but you should definitely consider incorporating some of your workouts by the beach instead (I mean, you are in a resort afterall). I took the opportunity to do a little bit of yoga by the ocean and it was a fantastic experience when you get to enjoy the natural breeze as well as the peace and quiet from just being there.
Drive to Nayang Bat Cave
Cha-am, Thailand
While staying at the SO Sofitel Hua Hin, I highly recommend the Nayang Bat Cave experience - for THB 500 per person, the hotel will arrange a van transfer, park entrance fees, a selection of snacks, as well as beverages for you to witness something unforgettable. The ride to the vantage point will take you approximately 15 minutes but the trip is completely worth it.
Nayang Bat Cave
Cha-am, Thailand
While I have never really been the type to leave a resort to go do something, I was completely humbled by the experience - apparently millions of bats leave the Nayang Bat Cave every evening after sunset to look for food and witnessing this firsthand is truly an eye-opening experience (and honestly a steal at just THB 500 each).
Alfresco Seating Area
White Oven - SO Sofitel Hua Hin
There are two main restaurants at the SO Sofitel Hua Hin - Beach Society and White Oven - and I decided to enjoy my dinner at White Oven (where breakfast is also served) during my stay. If you have been to the SO/ Bangkok, you might notice that the White Oven sounds rather similar to the Red Oven which is located in Bangkok - the naming of the restaurant is apparently deliberate. The beach restaurant offers a selection of fresh seafood with both indoors (air-conditioned) and outdoor seating by the terrace.
Premium Thai BBQ
White Oven - SO Sofitel Hua Hin
I opted for the Premium Thai BBQ (also known as Moo Kra Ta) set menu at White Oven and it came with all-you-can-eat vegetables and sauces. If you are feeling hungry, the Australian & American Beef & Seafood Set (at THB 2,099++ for two) is fantastic as it comes with a good amount of fresh ingredients. This is available daily at White Oven from 4-10 PM but be sure to make a reservation to avoid any potential disappointment as it does get pretty popular.
Outdoor Seating
White Oven - SO Sofitel Hua Hin
If your room comes with a breakfast-inclusive rate, it will be served at White Oven (the same place where I had the Thai BBQ) and I really recommend going slightly earlier so you can settle down in one of the nicer seats that overlook the pool (you will also have a more peaceful dining experience since the crowd typically comes in from 8:45 AM). Self-service buffets are allowed in Thailand so you can simply help yourself to most of the dishes there - for the egg dishes, simply take note of your table number and pass one of the order sheets to the staff.
Breakfast
White Oven - SO Sofitel Hua Hin
Nothing excites me like local dishes at breakfast as I always see it as a great opportunity to sample new dishes and try out new food - the breakfast selection at White Oven is pretty extensive and the selection spans over both the indoor and outdoor areas of the restaurant.
One of the things that I love (and look forward to) most about Thailand is the quality of fruits - I love having sliced fruits in the morning and honestly, I can’t think of another country that does it better.
Swimming Pool
SO Sofitel Hua Hin
There are a handful of swimming pools here at the SO Sofitel Hua Hin, and one of them is located right next to White Oven where it sits between the restaurant and the beach - this pool is significantly less busy when compared to the Signature Pool but it does feel a little strange to have a dip when everyone else is having their meals. With that said, it is the perfect spot if you wish to swim between 10 AM to 12 PM since White Oven should be relatively less busy by during then.
SO/ SPA
SO Sofitel Hua Hin
No weekend retreat or beachside vacation is complete with a visit to the spa and honestly, the SO/ SPA in SO Sofitel Hua Hin was probably one of the nicest ones that I have ever been to in Thailand. All of the treatments here are inspired by local tradition and it features products from Italian Modern Plant Chemistry™ skincare by Skin Regimen. There are five treatment rooms here and there is even a Socializing Area in the middle which is stunning.
Lap Pool
SO Sofitel Hua Hin
Located directly in front of the SO/ SPA is a smaller but quieter swimming pool - this is perfect for those wanting to work on their tan, or enjoy reading during the day.
Beach Society
SO Sofitel Hua Hin
If you are looking for a beachfront restaurant, Beachside Society is definitely the spot to be at - I love the abundance of natural daylight and that amazing view here. This is also a great place to grab a beer or two in the evenings as they do have a number of local craft beers on offer. Once again, an Accor Plus membership can really help you save quite a bit during your stay as members will be able to enjoy 15% off drinks and up to 50% off dining at this restaurant.
There is a pretty good selection of food on offer here at Beach Society ranging from premium steaks, healthy options and bar bites. I opted for the Atlantic Salmon Poke Bowl and it was a great option since I wanted something lighter that afternoon. If you are feeling hungry, there are also larger main courses like pizzas and seafood which are suitable for sharing.
Beach Society
SO Sofitel Hua Hin
Located on Cha-Am beach, the SO Sofitel Hua Hin is a great way to escape the hustle and bustle of Bangkok’s city life. Since the resort is only 2.5 hours away by car, you can definitely make this a pit stop when you next visit Thailand - I would probably not recommend anything more than three nights at the resort but I do think spending a couple of nights here is a great way to sneak in a beach holiday while you visit Bangkok over the weekends.
SO Sofitel Hua Hin
115 Moo 7 Tambol Bangkao, Bang Kao, Cha-am District, 76120, Thailand
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