We were greeted by this beautiful sight from the reception lobby, when we arrived at Devasom Hua Hin Resort at 2am after a 2+ hour (195 km south) car ride from Bangkok. The serene picture completed by a full moon floating in a pitch black cloudless, windless, quiet night.
Check in was done in a jiffy and we were ushered to our rooms steps away.
The air conditioned room was spacious and welcoming.
Luxurious en suite bathroom with bathtub and overhead rain shower.
A quick refreshing wash and we retired for the night collapsing on to those thick, firm comfortable mattresses.
We slept so well it was already sunny and bright in Hua Hin when we got out of bed the next morning.
Breakfast was served in Deva Bistro in the big building where the reception was located. There were al fresco as well indoor air conditioned sections.
Over there beyond Devasom Hua Hin beach was the Gulf of Thailand.
I love Victorian era inspired tropical architecture, white and pastel colours, and plants as just looking at them makes me feel cool and relaxed 😄
I started with sunny side up as the beautiful yolk always makes me happy. The staff will ask you how you like your eggs done once you are seated - it's like Devasom's signature welcome. We have to get our beverage ourselves through.
Deva Bistro has 14 different breakfast buffet menus which is rotated every day. Devasom Hua Hin is popular with long stay and repeat guests. The idea is to give long stay guests a different menu every day for 14 days.
But me? I am a creature of habit and comfort. That's why I rarely go to buffets 😂
Devasom Hua Hin owner Khun Rasri Atirak (lady in white blouse on the right) loves to mingle with her guests.
Over breakfast, Khun Rasri shared with us the story of Devasom Hua Hin Resort.
It's a story of love and hope.
All her life, Khun Rasri and her husband were in the engineering field, heading groups of successful companies. Life suddenly changed when Khun Rasri's husband was diagnosed with leukaemia over 10 years ago. The doctor gave him 1 year to live.
Khun Rasri and her husband decided to leave the corporate world to manage the illness and make the best of his remaining life. They slowed down, meditate, travel, enjoy quality time with family and friends. They had the time of their lives. Three years later, the doctor informed them that the cancer was in remission.
At the 10 year point, the cancer returned, more virulent. This time, Khun Rasri's husband had to undergo bone marrow transplant. He passed away peacefully 3 years later.
Khun Rasri became depressed but she was blessed with a caring, supportive family.
One day, Khun Rasri's sister brought her to this beautiful Hua Hin beachfront site and suggested that she could develop a resort here. "It's supposed to be my mum's therapy", said Khun Rasri's younger son Ath Atirak.
And thus, Devasom Hua Hin Resort was born. Khun Rasri went into property development and hospitality with no background in either. Construction was completed in 2 years and Devasom Hua Hin Resort opened in 2010.
The bare beachfront site was completely transformed except for the tree in Khun Rasri's phone which is still there. The heart shaped tree became a symbol of love and hope at the centre of the resort.
Devasom means Angel House in Thai. Khun Rasri envisioned that everyone in her resort are angels.
The architecture of Devasom Hua Hin Resort was inspired by the design of Mrigadayavan Palace of King Rama VI in Hua Hin.
There are just 24 accommodation units (rooms, suites, villas) in Devasom. Khun Rasri treats the resort as her home and the guests as her personal guests. Khun Rasri lives in one of the units.
Khun Rasri's younger son Ath Atirak is the General Manager and she is a permanent resident 😄
At Devasom, most of the staff are from Hua Hin itself, so there is a certain homely earnestness in the service at the resort.
Khun Rasri envisioned her resort to be a circle of love. She loves her staff, the staff loves the guests, the guests loves her, and the never ending circle of love continues.
Khun Rasri supports the local community and as far as possible uses local products like these insect repellent and bar soap. The bar soap is made in the village using local tangerine and honey.
After breakfast, we went for a walk at Devasom Hua Hin's pristine sandy beach.
I love the sight of small fishing boats returning to Hua Hin with the night's catch from the Gulf of Thailand.
A dip in the pool to forget the world for a while.
Soon, it was our lunch appointment with Khun Rasri.
What is better than eating Thai food?
Eating Thai food by a lily pond.
Fresh seafood from the Gulf of Thailand.
Simple Thai style fried pork with kaffir leaves was so delicious.
I love tom yum kung, especially this at Devasom. It was sweet gently spicy with savouriness from the mildly salty dried fish inside.
Our Thai lunch was paired with Thai wine from Monsoon Valley vineyard located right here in Hua Hin. I am no expert in wines but I enjoyed this white shiraz which complemented the Thai dishes well.
Thai style fried banana fritter with vanilla ice cream.
After lunch, there are so many ways to enjoy the afternoon at Devasom Hua Hin Resort.
Chill out at the library.
Rediscover the special pleasure of curling up on a couch to read a real book.
Sitting quietly here, you can see birds and squirrels playing. It's quite therapeutic.
Enjoy the sea breeze. Listen to the music of creaking wood as the chair rocked on the wooden patio and the muffled splash of lapping waves on the sea shore.
Fell asleep on that rocking chair and woke up to dusk at Devasom Hua Hin.
Sauntered back to the main building for dinner 😄
Candle light and romance in the air in Deva Bistro.
Grilled salmon steak with Thai green curry sauce.
Beef tenderloin steak.
Grilled tiger prawn with tamarind sauce.
We had a sweet tasting Moscato from Spain from Deva Bistro's collection of old and new world wines.
Information for you 👌 If you do not like crowds (like me), then do consider a beachfront boutique resort like Devasom Hua Hin. It is a beautiful idyllic retreat, well furnished, well kept, lovingly run, exclusive yet is competitively priced. Why go on holiday and stay in the same type of hotel as when you are on business travel.. right? 😉
Restaurant name: Devasom Hua Hin Resort
Address: 1446/23 Petchkasem Road (Km.207), Hua Hin, Hua Hin District, Prachuap Khiri Khan 77110, Thailand
GPS: 12°39'38.1"N 99°57'26.2"E 🌐 12.660587, 99.957289
Tel: +66 32 442 789
Date visited: 24 - 26 Apr 2019
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