Very nice. Had afternoon tea there last year on my birthday. Various afternoon tea menus, plenty of savoury and sweet accompaniments. I remember paying over 650 a person which was with the ++.
Took afternoon tea in their 'Library' room. Lovely area, great seating. Worth it.
is there a dress code? I ask, because I was refused entry several years ago for no apparent reason (wasn't dressed scruffy either). A friend who was staying there a few months ago was refused breakfast, because they considered his dress inappropriate - he was wearing a (smart) vest and shorts.
Loginbs wrote:I go in shorts and t-shirt with sandals, to the Museum where the Tea is held, nobody dresses to the nines there, shorts for everybody it seemed.
Tony
You are right, it is the museum room not the library room as I mentioned in my post.
I also thought it was still the Centara, not Sofitel. It was Centara when I stayed there last year.
Whichever and wherever I think it is a fabulous hotel.
Some history to the place and a film location for the Killing Fields'.
Loginbs wrote:I go in shorts and t-shirt with sandals, to the Museum where the Tea is held, nobody dresses to the nines there, shorts for everybody it seemed.
Tony
You are right, it is the museum room not the library room as I mentioned in my post.
I also thought it was still the Centara, not Sofitel. It was Centara when I stayed there last year.
Whichever and wherever I think it is a fabulous hotel.
Some history to the place and a film location for the Killing Fields'.
I stayed in Hilton next door some years a go to get parking in the centre of town and ability to explore HH town in the evening without needing a car to go there, we just didn't like the Hilton overcrowded with europeans on packadge tours, so moved back to Dusit Thani.
How was Centara/Sofitel with regards to crowds on holiday?
That's one reason a like Dusit so much btw, quiet, never crowded an usually only one or two other farangs in addition to myself, with their respective Thai wives and kids.
Loginbs wrote:I go in shorts and t-shirt with sandals, to the Museum where the Tea is held, nobody dresses to the nines there, shorts for everybody it seemed.
Tony
You are right, it is the museum room not the library room as I mentioned in my post.
I also thought it was still the Centara, not Sofitel. It was Centara when I stayed there last year.
Whichever and wherever I think it is a fabulous hotel.
Some history to the place and a film location for the Killing Fields'.
I stayed in Hilton next door some years a go to get parking in the centre of town and ability to explore HH town in the evening without needing a car to go there, we just didn't like the Hilton overcrowded with europeans on packadge tours, so moved back to Dusit Thani.
How was Centara/Sofitel with regards to crowds on holiday?
That's one reason a like Dusit so much btw, quiet, never crowded an usually only one or two other farangs in addition to myself, with their respective Thai wives and kids.
Would Sofitel be a Dusit Thani in cente of town?
Centara has security at all entrances including the beach. I found the place frequented mostly by residents and a few who came for dinner or tea. It is not cheap and has massive yet beautiful grounds, I never once felt it remotely over populated; in fact it was so lovely and peaceful I did not want to destroy the experience by stepping outside into Hua Hin proper.
I spent 24 hours there on my birthday and loved every minute. I will do it again for my 61st.
Big Boy, your friend was refused breakfast because he was wearing a vest. It was at one time an offence in Thailand (probably one of Pibulsonggram's decrees) for men to appear in public in vest and pants, which had become a common sight in Bangkok's Chinatown. Pibul was also the prime minister who decreed that everyone should wear a hat out of doors, because that's what they did in the West. He also ordered Thais to stop eating with their fingers and start using a fork and spoon, and changed the name of the country from Siam.
The hat law has thankfully been long forgotten, but even today you'll never catch a Thai man on the street in a tank top. I saw a policeman stop two Asians on a motorcycle on Petchkasem one day because they were wearing tank tops. Turned out they were Chinese tourists and the cop had taken them for Thais. Westerners get away with it here, as they get away with many things, but I've heard of people being turned away from Immigration and told to come back wearing a shirt.