Red rising: Thailand’s The Barai spa grows into a full luxury hotel in Hua Hin

Thailand’s coastal resort town of Hua Hin, a historic royal retreat about three hours by car from Bangkok, has plenty of luxury hotels along the sand but few have a spa that’s quite like The Barai. Its 18 treatment rooms are centred around a striking ochre-and-burgundy arrival area designed by Thai architect and hospitality specialist Lek Bunnag.

Since opening almost 20 years ago, The Barai has also had eight suites for guests who want to fully immerse themselves in Thai wellness, while benefiting from the full hospitality service at the neighbouring Hyatt Regency. “It’s a hotel within a hotel,” says general manager Marco Avitabile, who looks after both. “But not everyone knows that The Barai has these rooms designed by Lek Bunnag.”

The same Bangkok family owns the two beachfront properties and an expansion of The Barai into a fully fledged hotel with an additional 90 keys is nearing completion. The extra rooms are in the spirit of the original design and in keeping with the low-rise architecture. A new arrival area for check-in will mirror the courtyard at the spa and will open this summer. The Barai’s grill restaurant, McFarland House, is inside a 19th-century beachfront pavilion that overlooks the Gulf of Thailand. A fish restaurant, The White Cottage, is being added in another renovated building.

These days, Hua Hin is a popular winter spot for Europeans and a year-round getaway for affluent Thais, a holiday habit often formed in childhood. The Barai is one of Thailand’s most iconic hotels. The Narai, one of the first luxury stays in Bangkok, is another; it is expected to reopen in 2028 after being demolished and reimagined by UK architecture firm Heatherwick Studio. There has been a flurry of major hotel openings in the country this decade and plenty more are in the pipeline.
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