RAYONG RESORT (*****): We like this smart and quiet hotel, for many reasons: First
of
all, it is fairly well located: just a couple of hours from Bangkok.
Easily
reachable when arriving directly from Don Muang (Bangkok)
or If navigation is not your cup of tea, just "mai pen rai" (don't worry) as Thai people like to say ! Just observe the island and the blue sparkling sea from your bed: second main advantage of the resort, All its rooms and suites have their own balcony offering panoramic seaview. Few hotels in the region get this enjoyable particularity. Accommodation is first class, indeed. It has been made good use of local fabrics and rattan to create a very tropical atmosphere. On the balcony we found deep wooden chairs and table: ideal for enjoying a soft drink at sunset, looking the multitude of fishing boats invading the horizon. All amenities we were expected to find in a hotel of this highest category were available: satellite TV with in-house movie channel, piped-in music, complete toiletry set displayed in the lovely bathroom equiped with hair dryer, IDD telephone, and minibar. Last but not least, the hotel being an authentic resort, a private beach lays along the lush and fertile land surrounding the main building. The water is among the clearest and cleanest in Thailand: the Rayong Resort being ideally situated on Laem Tarn Cape, among 40 acres of lush woodland, in front of "Khao Laem Ya" National Park ! If you prefer to swim in a pool, note that there are three of them: most recently reshaped, they are among the most enjoyable along the all Rayong's Sunshine Coast. The resort has many restaurants : Captain's Table (reputed for its seafood), Cape Grill (for elegant dining), Admiral's Club (nice cocktails-room), and even a Waterfront Karaoke. The multitude of leisure activities includes a fitness center with sauna, jogging trail, tennis court, fishing and snorkeling. There is a children playground. Windsurfing and waterskiing are possible on Samet Island. Among
its
118 rooms (installed in the Main Wing, and in the distinguished Cape
Wing
and Beach Room), the Rayong Resort has 19 suites plus one Presidential
Suite. Average Internet Rate for a nice room is about US$ 85 - 120 (the
hotel charges hard currencies only). Suites are US$ 170 - 210. Extra
bed
US$ 20. Inclusive of government tax and service charge. Free boat trip
to Samet Island for those staying at least 3 nights.
The resort is very well equipped for incentive and meetings: with new convention and seminar facilities situated in an area apart from the main building: the Rayong Grand Ballroom can accommodate 600 people. The real alternative to Samui and Phuket for explorative travellers. RAYONG
RESORT: 186 Moo 1, Laem Tarn, Ban Phe, Rayong PURIMAS
BEACH HOTEL (*****): Located
approximately half distance between the bustling Pattaya and the remote
Rayong, Banchang is somehow the most appropriate place to escape from
the
tourists paths. The Purimas Beach Hotel is the best resort in town. A
ten
minutes drive Extremely intimate, the Purimas Beach Hotel is a very luxurious property. The lavish lobby, made out of fine marble and granite, is a sample of what guests are expected to find everywhere in the hotel. Rooms are large, and decorated with much personality: paintings on the walls reflect a strong Siamese influence. We enjoyed very much the fact that they are not wall-to-wall carpeted; our living-room section had a lovely tropical wood floor. It was equipped with a large desk and deep sofas. Comfort is confirmed with the twin queen size beds allowing four peoples to stay at ease in one room. This five star hotel is, of course, displaying all the facilities travellers may expect: minibar, satellite TV, in-house video, and multi-channel radio. There is also a safe in each suite. Bathrooms are actually first class: large, made out of marble, they are completed with hairdryers and telephone. The Deluxe Suites even have their private Jacuzzi ! We found the lovely swimming pool very relaxing, indeed: facing the ocean, surrounded by a green garden planted with a multitude of trees, swept by the sea breeze, it is the alternative to the sporting pools one may find in Pattaya. Relaxation can be extended with a steam bath, a sauna, or a hot tube in the SPA. What we would like to emphasize on, is the great quality of meals available in the Spice Garden restaurant. All Chinese and Thai courses are available; but we have been really amazed by the high standard of their European cuisine. Their Lobster Bisque and their Chocolate Mousse are simply delicious. And the place is that affordable ! A meal for four, with main course and dessert, would not excess THB 600. Open drinks at the pool side are only THB 70. Much cheaper than in any hotel of similar standard in Pattaya. Rooms also are actually affordable. A Junior Suite goes for THB 2,800 maximum. A Deluxe Suite goes for little bit less than THB 5,000. When in Pattaya, try to escape a couple of days for relaxation at Purimas Beach Hotel: you will be delighted by its atmosphere and its high level of Swiss trained staff. Our
best address in the Rayong
district. PURIMAS
BEACH HOTEL : 34 Payoon-Namrin Rd, Banchang, Rayong
THE
MOST LUXURIOUS HOTELS IN BANGKOK    |
U
Tapao (Pattaya/Rayong) airports. This is the closest resort to Samet
Island:
foreign tourists don't know that well this remote Paradise, with white
sand beaches, cristal clear water and coral reefs. Hotel's boat,
confortable
with its capacity of 80 passengers, departs from the Rayong Resort's
private
pier each morning, at 10.30 am. It comes back at 3.30 pm: allowing much
time for scuba diving, bathing, or trecking through the coconut
plantations.
On special request, the resort also organizes romantic and amazing
sunset
cruises around this island which remained more untouched by mass
tourism
than Samui or Phuket. 
from
the main Pattaya-Rayong road, across a picturesque tropical landscape,
it lays along an immaculate white sand beach. Its 76 Junior and 3
Deluxe
Suites, equipped with a large balcony, offer a splendid panorama over
the
Gulf of Siam.