Regarded as one of the grand hotels of the East, the resort is to this day frequented by members of the Royal Family. Written by Joy Greedy.

It is a known fact that an Elephant’s memory is legendary, Thai Elephants have been contributors to Thai Culture and Royal icons for many centuries.

The Centara Grand Beach Resort and Villas Hua Hin, Thailand have many of the excellent qualities of an elephant, after all, it is a symbolic feature of the Resort.

The former Railway Hotel now the Centara Grand Resort was built in 1923 by the State Railways of Thailand. Located adjacent to four miles of white sandy beach, enclosed by lush tropical gardens, a plethora of bird life, and manicured green swards featuring fabled topiary, the architectural style is Old World Charm, with elegant colonial features and furnishings.

Hua Hin, once a sleepy fishing village evolved into a fashionable leisure destination for the stylish upper class of Thailand, in fact, a resort fit for a King. The Official Royal Residence is to this day frequented by members of the Royal Family. The town itself is charming with lovely streets and day and night markets. It has one of the most delightfully maintained Railway Stations in all of Asia, complete with Royal Waiting Room, a photographer’s dream!

Centara Grand Resort has preserved its unique identity seamlessly merging the past with the present-day, and like an Elephant, they never forget a face. The service at Centara Grand is attentive and consistent. They are happy to personalize the needs of their guests be it room comfort, transfer services, day to day activities, excursions, or that particular villa or preferred room for their returning guests. Boasting 209 Lavishly appointed rooms and suites and 42 private villas set amongst the extensive grounds with options of outdoor jacuzzi or pools, Centara Grand can cater to each guest’s unique taste.

Overlooking the azure waters of the Gulf, the Resort also has three swimming pools convenient to each wing of the Hotel. With an abundance of daily activities, the resort is kid and family friendly with a kid’s club, E- Zone for teens, putting greens, tennis courts, fitness center, yoga and Tai Chi, martial arts, bike rental and a full range of outdoor massage services. Spa Cenvaree set in a colonial bungalow within the hotel grounds offer their guests a full range of luxurious body and face treatments as well as Ancient Asian therapies.

Golf is a popular pastime in Thailand, and Hua Hin is no exception there are several world-class courses. DestinationElite visited Black Mountain Golf Club situated in the foothills of Hua Hin, an award-winning course, with an impressive 27 holes and luxury facilities. Centara Grand Resort has a golf concierge on site to smoothly take care of all your golfing requirements.

We all know an Elephant likes to eat and guests are spoilt for choice at Centara Grand. We at DestinationElite love our food and can vouch wholeheartedly how lavish the breakfast at the Railway Restaurant is! As evening falls, they offer a delicious buffet menu. Coast Beach Club and Bistro is set in a tranquil beach setting with a rather cool bar. The cuisine is modern fusion featuring fresh seafood, pizza, and local Thai specialties. Hagi, a short stroll from the resort features impeccable Japanese delicacies in a modern Japanese setting. Housed in a whitewashed bungalow Suan Bua Thai restaurant serves up Thai specialties from the four regions of Thailand and have themed evenings with traditional Thai dancing. You can indulge in a traditional High Tea at the Museum Corner and enjoy Happy Hour and a nightcap with live entertainment at the Elephant Bar. There is also The Club bar available for guests to enjoy throughout the day.

As evening approaches the air is weighted with the heady aroma of Rangoon Creeper, the clink of ice cubes and laughter can be heard on the patio below as guests enjoy Happy Hour. But we at DestinationElite were about to be treated to an exceptional event. On the first Thursday of each month, you can enjoy a Dine Along the Beach, a collaboration between 5 sister beach resorts of Hua Hin. The evening is a celebration of signature dishes from each of the five resorts accompanied by the superb wines from the Monsoon Valley Vineyard Hua Hin. It is an enjoyable evening to remember always, with exciting food, wine, and entertainment plus an opportunity to make new friends while strolling along a beautiful beach in the moonlight, where else in the world could you experience such a wonderful evening?

After enjoying Monsoon Valley wine, we decided a visit to the award-winning vineyard was a must. Set in a scenic valley with lush hillsides of grape vines and olive groves the vineyard is a symbol of abundance. A former Elephant corral the valley has a mystical quality. You can experience a Vineyard tour, Elephant ride, and indulge in wine tasting and gourmet food at the Sala Bar & Bistro.

Perhaps the best validation of an excellent Resort is its return guest rate. At Centara Grand, the return guest ratio is very high at a remarkable 30% and amongst those, the average nights’ stay is 34 Nights, with International guests returning the same time each year often to the same room or villa. It has become for many a reunion of sorts reuniting with Friends they have met on previous occasions.

With that Elephant Theme in mind, the guests from Centara Grand also have many excellent qualities of the Hotel’s iconic Elephant talisman!

Besides never forgetting a face, an Elephant has remarkable recall and will know the routes to food and water resources

They locate and keep track of their companions

They are highly sociable and intelligent creatures.

So too are the staff and guests of the Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas.