Special feature: Sea Sand Sun Resort and Spa, Pattaya

I recently had the pleasure of staying at the Sea Sand Sun, a luxury resort and spa near Pattaya. Did I say “luxury”? That’s an understatement! This place is superbly luxurious. If I could write this review in one word, that word would be WOW! But you luxury travellers are going to want a bit more information than that, so here’s the heads up on this hidden tropical Paradise, which is only about 30 minutes’ drive away from the hustle and bustle of downtown Pattaya. It’s easy to get to via the main East Coast highway, and is clearly sign-posted from the main road (Km 163 on the seaward side of Highway 3) so you should find it easily enough – now you know where to look. On arrival, we (my husband came along with me to carry the bags) were greeted by smiling staff who checked us in promptly, handed us a refreshing coconut drink, and loaded our luggage on to an electric buggy. The resort is quite large so if you don’t want to walk around, you can phone reception and ask for one of their buggies to take you from A to B. It was such a beautifully landscaped place that we preferred to walk everywhere, except on arrival and departure when we had luggage to shift. The words “large resort” may conjure up an image in your mind of loads of people milling about, along with all the accompanying hubbub and bustle. Nothing could be further from the truth in the case of the Sea Sand Sun resort. The space was used to provide seclusion and privacy. There are only about 50 units of accommodation (some with two bedrooms) here, and it’s quite easy not to see other people if you prefer the peace and quiet of your own company. Our accommodation was gorgeous. We had a secluded villa with a private pool which could also be used as a jacuzzi. We had every facility one could ever want from a luxury break. I could tell you about every little detail (actually, I was very taken with the design of the shower taps) but I’ve been told to write a review, not a book. The villa was wonderful with no attention spared to detail and comfort. Of course you can see the accommodation itself on the Sea Sand Sun’s own website. The resort is laid out in a very convenient and sensible way too. Although we were given a plan of the resort, a quick glance was all that was required to orient ourselves. Basically there is a main path running along the centre to all the facilities with branches off the path, left and right, leading to the villas. The reception is at the top, then at the foot you can find the spa, the free-form infinity pool with jacuzzi area, and outdoor restaurant. Oh yes, and the private beach. Unlike Pattaya’s main beach where people are just about sitting on top of each other, there was no one to be seen on this one! I knew the resort had a private beach, I never expected to get the whole beach to ourselves. (No deckchairs reserved by someone else at 6am here!) We were treated like VIPs by the staff. They know how to make guests feel valued and indeed they’re even used to royal visitors, as some members of the Thai Royal Family holiday at the Sea Sand Sun too. If you really want seclusion, there’s also the option of private dining in your own villa, but we enjoyed visiting the restaurant, which serves terrific Thai food as well as international choices. There’s live music every night by Jay and Kookie who are really fun people and excellent entertainers. Additionally, the resort has a very attractive meeting room which can be used for their corporate clients. If you have to attend a corporate meeting, I can’t think of a nicer environment to do it in. This place was an amazing getaway from the stressful pace of life. After a two-night stay we left completely rejuvenated and relaxed. As I said in my first paragraph – WOW! As the resort itself says, it’s “so near, yet so far away from hassles”. PS: We are pleased to be able to offer our readers a 10% discount if you’d like to stay at the Sea Sand Sun. Just mention A Luxury Travel Blog when you book with them.