What is it? An eight-suite beachfront hotel and spa opened recently by Hyatt Hotels next to the Hyatt Regency Hua Hin, Thailand.
Swanky? And then some. It was designed by Thai architect and interiors expert Lek Bunnag, the man behind the Oberoi Mauritius, the Lanna Spa at the Regent Resort Chiang Mai and the Four Seasons Langkawi.
The style is mostly traditional Khmer, with a few other regional touches thrown in for good measure - meaning lots of curtains and carvings.
What's the set-up? There are eight residential spa suites in four two-storey villas. Stay downstairs and you'll have a verandah, plunge pool and garden while up top, each suite has a large balcony with ocean views. There are also 18 private spa rooms with outdoor pools, rain showers, relaxation areas and vanity areas. Double rooms incorporate a Vichy treatment room, complete with deluxe hydrotherapy treatments, and a steam room.
What is on the spa menu? Treatments are based on the elements of earth, water, air and fire. The Element Escape, for example, is a half-day treatment during which 'the element of your choice will be the director of your escape'. This includes a steam ritual, salt scrub with Vichy rain shower and bath ritual followed by an aromatherapy massage, all for 6,600 baht (HK$1,600). Alternatively, you can spend a full day on an ambitious-sounding 'journey of exploration to the inner sanctums of your mind', which includes most of the above plus food, a foot rub and more for 7,800 baht. Dozens of other treatments are available.
And the other menu? McFarland House was the 19th-century holiday home of Dr George McFarland, dean of Thailand's first government medical school, author of the McFarland Thai-English Dictionary and manufacturer of the country's first typewriter. King Rama VI gave him the land on which the house was built, along with a tidy pension. The new McFarland House, which incorporates parts of the original building, is The Barai's casual seafront dining venue, which serves light and healthy Thai and international dishes.