Amazing Thailand
Completely updated Amari Pattaya Review!
Amari Pattaya takes pride of place on Pattaya Beach Road across the street from Pattaya Bay. It combines the facilities you would expect of a full-service resort with the stylish sophistication of a five-star urban hotel.
In This Post
Hotel Overview
The Amari Pattaya is one of Pattaya’s oldest hotels. It occupies a prime location across the street from legendary Pattaya Bay.
A five-star hotel, the resort has received a total makeover.
Not only has the original tower has been completely redecorated. In addition, a low-rise all-suite annex has been added.
Most importantly, the garden and swimming pool area has been totally redeveloped into a spectacular leisure zone.
Included is an Olympic-size swimming pool, a mini-water park, a kids’ club, a sunbathing area, and an outdoor food and beverage outlet.
Check out what’s taken place at this completely updated Amari Pattaya Review!
Onyx Redevelops North Pattaya Site
The renovation of the hotel is part of a massive project to redevelop the North Pattaya site.
In fact, the Onyx Hospitality Group has invested US$100 million in the scheme.
First of all, the Amari Pattaya has undergone a complete refurbishment programme! The hotel now has two distinct wings, Amari Tower and Amari Suites.
And each wing has its own distinct personality.
Renovation of its existing hotel, the Amari Pattaya, began in mid-2017.
To start with, all of the 297 rooms and public spaces in the tower were completely renovated.
And that included the food and beverage outlets, the fitness room, and the spa.
Keep reading for more in this completely updated Amari Pattaya Review!
In addition, a low-rise all-suite annex was added. The seven-story structure has 49 one to three bedroom suites.
While first-floor suites have direct access to the swimming pool and gardens, suites on floors two to seven all have balconies.
Together, Amari Tower Wing and Amari Suites Wing have a total of 346 guest rooms and suites.
In between the tower and the annex sits a spectacular leisure zone. This area was was completely re-thought and expanded.
Facilities include swimming pools, sun-bathing areas, a food and beverage outlet, a water park, a kids’ club, and other facilities.
Next step in the project is an entirely new property, the OZO North Pattaya. When it opens in early 2020, the two properties will have a combined total of 752 keys.
I have now stayed at Amari Pattaya twice. White I stayed in Amari Suites on my most recent visit, I stayed in Ameri Tower on my first visit in 2018.
I have incorporated my original review into this post.
Amari Suites (September 2019)
I visited the Amari Pattaya for the second time in September of 2019. I stayed for two nights in a one bedroom suite in the newly opened annex.
My Arrival …
Following several days in Bangkok, I booked a trip to Pattaya on Uber. The trip from the Lancaster Bangkok took about 90 minutes.
When I arrived in the hotel’s main lobby, which is located in Amari Tower, I was told my room was in Amari Suites. A buggy was arranged to take me to the annex.
After checking in, I went to room 3605. It was a spacious one bedroom suite. It measured 67 square meters.
First, I was greeted by a decadent chocolate mouse cake. While I don’t usually eat sweets, I decided to make an exception. To be honest, it was absolutely divine!
The Living Room …
The living room had a dining room table with four chairs, a large sofa, a round coffee table, and a flat-screen television.
With beige tones reminiscent of seashells and aquamarine accents, the suite has a distinctive nautical feel.
The Kitchenette …
There was a kitchenette near the front door. It had a sink, a coffee maker, an electric thermos, and a small refrigerator.
The kitchen was stocked with snacks and refreshments. Except for the wine, everything was complimentary. And that included the beer!
I was asked if I would like a microwave oven, and I said yes.
The Bedroom and Bath …
The aquamarine walls of the bedroom continued the nautical theme. The room had a king size bed.
In addition, the room also had an armchair, a dressing table, a closet, and a flat screen television.
What I liked most was the dressing room linking the bedroom to the en-suite bathroom. For example, there was a bench to put your suitcases on.
The bathroom was finished in off-white marble.
The View …
The balcony had a view of the swimming pools and garden. In addition, you could see the ocean across the street.
In En-suite Breakfast …
On the first morning, I had breakfast in the Executive Lounge of Amari Tower. It was suggested I have breakfast the following morning in my room.
When my breakfast arrived, I was blown away! OMG! There were pastries, croissants, donuts, and bread.
And it didn’t stop there! In addition, there was fruit juice, fruit, and other breakfast treats.
I had it set up on my balcony, where I enjoyed a leisurely breakfast overlooking the garden and the swimming pools.
In fact, there was enough food to feed an army! Consequently, I could not possibly finish even half of it. So I packed it up, and took it to my next hotel.
I didn’t want the yummy food to go to waste. And I didn’t expect the next hotel to be so generous with the edibles.
Amari Tower (January 2018) …
I stayed in Amari Pattaya for the first time in January of 2018. I spent two nights in the original tower.
The Arrival …
The Amari was the fourth and final hotel I stayed at on a seven-night visit to Pattaya, Thailand, in January 2018. In fact, the tower was under renovation during my stay.
I had the bellman at my previous hotel, the Golden Sea Pattaya Hotel, flag down for me a taxi, which drove me to the Amari.
As is often the case in Thailand, the taxi driver didn’t have any idea where the Amari was located. This was even though it is perhaps the oldest and most established five-start hotel in the city!
He asked if I could tell him how to get there, which is always a bit scary. And I said, “No”.
“Am I going to get taken on a wild goose chase?” I wondered.
It was reassuring that the bellman had already negotiated the fare in advance. So even if the driver did get lost, it would be no skin off my back.
The Welcome …
It was a pleasant surprise to be informed that I had been booked into a room on the executive floor. Therefore, I could check in in the executive lounge!
I was escorted to the executive lounge, which is located on one of the five-star hotel’s highest floors. There were picture windows affording sweeping views of Pattaya Bay.
I was served two very tasty welcoming drinks to sip while the formalities were taken care of. So I assume they were expecting me to be traveling with a travel companion.
My Room …
Measuring 49 square metres, my room was spacious and very tastefully furnished. It had sweeping views of the ocean through floor-to-ceiling windows.
There was also a small balcony, which was a convenient spot to hang clothes out to dry.
There was lots of closet space, a mini-bar, an iron – the usual things you would expect at a five-star hotel.
I particularly liked the spacious workstation and the complimentary wi-fi. The power outlets were also universal, which seems to be a growing trend at better hotels.
In the not-to-distant future, it might not be necessary to pack adapters, but it would be a bit reckless to take this for granted for the time being, at least.
The Bathroom …
My room had an open-plan bathroom with a large bathtub and a walk-in shower. There were two sinks. It was finished in pale beige marble. Italian, perhaps?
The Food and Beverage Outlets …
The building housing the highly acclaimed Mantra Restaurant and Bar was under renovation during my second visit.
I had dined there during my first stay at the hotel, and I absolutely loved it!
And I must say, I was a bit disappointed to learn that the Mantra was no more. I thought the decor was gorgeous. More importantly, the food was absolutely delicious!
However, judging by the other changes that Onyx has carried out, I’m sure that whatever replaces the Mantra will be sensational!
Anyway, the hotel had two food and beverage outlets during my second visit.
Amaya Food Gallery
Amaya Food Gallery is an all-day dining restaurant. It serves both Thai and international dishes. There are several live cooking stations.
This is where most hotel guests have breakfast. In fact, the breakfast buffets are highly popular.
Because I was was staying in a suite, I was entitled to have breakfast in the Executive Lounge.
And I have to be honest. I prefer the exclusive atmosphere of executive lounges to hotel dining rooms.
Aqua Eatery & Bar
In addition to Amaya Food Gallery, the hotel has a food and beverage outlet adjacent to the swimming pool.
However, unlike many of the F&B outlets at the hotels I’ve stayed at in Thailand, this one was actually staffed and fully functional!
While homemade pizzas were the star of the show, the menu included all kinds of light bites. For example, there were sandwiches, wraps, salads, and desserts.
Heartier options ran from fish and chips to chicken fillet, spaghetti seafood, and penne four cheese.
For those with a sweet tooth, there were five desserts.
Regarding beverages, there were freshly squeezed fruit juice, fruit smoothies, teas, coffees, and soft drinks.
Not surprisingly, there were also beers, wines, and spirits. In addition to standard cocktails were some house specialties.
I settled on the Blue Aquatini. It consisted of Pampro Rum, Malibu, Blue Curacao, pineapple juice, and lime juice.
In fact, I liked it so much, I decided to have another!
“See you tomorrow,” I said to the friendly mixologist as I headed to the Executive Lounge for dinner.
The Swimming Pool and Gardens
The hotel’s old swimming pool was lovely, but it had a major flaw. Unfortunately, it sat in the shade most of the time. As a result, the water was uncomfortably cold.
Therefore, I was thrilled to learn that the entire leisure area had been entirely rethought since my first visit. Basically, it is now divided into two areas.
First, there is an area targeted primarily at adults. And next in an area targeted primarily at families with children.
In between the two is the outdoor food and beverage outlet.
The first area has a large free-form swimming pool, which you can do genuine laps in.
Despite is irregular shape, in fact, one section of the pool is actually as large as an Olympic size swimming pool. And lines are embedded into the floor to serve as a guide!
The second area is an aqua park with a wading pool, tree-themed water slides, water cannons, and other amusements.
The Kids’ Club …
The Treehouse Kids Club sits beneath the water slides. And it offers a full programme of daily activities for children.
Some of the activities take place indoors. And other take place outdoors.
In addition to the kids’ club, the hotel has other facilities targeted at the younger set.
For example, there is a special check-in desk for families with children. It even has a gumball machine with vacation surprises.
In addition, the spa has a special treatment room for kids!
The Spa …
The Breeze Spa offers a full menu of spa treatments in sumptuous surroundings.
.Treatments start with a refreshing welcome drink. Secondly, a foot bath follows. After the treatment ends, tea and cookies are served.
If you like the products used, they are on sale at the spa’s well-stocked gift shop!
The Fitness Room …
With all that yummy food, you might want to burn off some calories. So it’s a good thing that the fitness room in well equipped. In addition, it is open 24 hours a day!
The Executive Lounge …
The hotel’s executive club is called the Horizon Club, and I can only assume that has something to do with the view, which stretches to the horizon.
The lounge is spacious, with comfortable seating and sweeping views of the ocean.
Non-alcoholic beverages and yummy snacks are available throughout the day.
Breakfast at the Executive Lounge …
Breakfast is served every morning from 6.00 am to 10.30 am. Not only was there an extensive breakfast buffet.
In addition, you could order entrees from an a la carter menu. This is what I liked most.
Cocktail Hour at the Executive Lounge …
The executive lounge serves Happy Hour with hors-d’oeuvres and complimentary drinks from 5.30 p to 7.30 pm. And alcoholic beverages are included.
What I liked most was not just the variety of the dishes. Most impressive was that the menu changed each day!
In addition, the lounge is a child-free zone. Children below the age of 12 years of age are not allowed. Call me politically incorrect, but I think that’s a great policy.
I have nothing against kids, but I think they are (and I am) happier if they are left in the kids’ centre while their parents enjoy some down time in the lounge!.
The Dress Code …
The lounge also has a dress code. Guests wearing bathrobes, sleeveless shirts (singlets), athletic or training gear, or ripped clothing are asked to change into something more appropriate.
I do think it looks a bit tacky to show up in the executive lounge wearing a bathrobe!
When staying at posh resorts, it’s always a good idea to pack some attire in the “smart casual” category.
Other Executive Floor Privileges …
Guests staying on the executive floor are entitled to have a complimentary suit pressing on the day of their arrival. They will be charged if they wish to have their suit pressed on subsequent days during their stay.
I didn’t realize that an unpacking and packing service was available. If I had, I would have tried it. I’ve only tried this service twice in my life, both times at hotels in Bali.
The first time I tried it, I was amazed at how much stuff the well-trained staff were able to stuff into my suitcase, and everything was truly very neat and orderly.
The second time I tried it (at another hotel), it was a disaster. Obviously, staff at the second hotel hadn’t received the same kind of training that staff at the first hotel had received.
They couldn’t fit everything into my suitcase and put the overflow into plastic bags. In the end, I removed everything and re-did it myself, managing to stuff everything into my suitcase.
Wake-up calls are followed by a complimentary morning drink which is delivered to your room a few minutes after your wake-up call. A shoe-shine service is also offered.
The Location …
The Amari Pattaya is located at the corner of the main road leading into town Pattaya Beach Road in North Pattaya.
The hotel is 1.9 kilometres from the Pattaya Bus Terminal, 4.5 kilometres from Bali Hai Pier, and 125 kilometres from Bangkok’s impossible to pronounce Suvarnabhumi International Airport.
Minimarts, day spas, a major shopping mall, food and beverage outlets, and numerous boutiques are all just a hop, skip, and a jump away.
How to Get There
Pattaya is roughly a two hours’ drive from downtown Bangkok. Unless you want to drive, you can travel to Pattaya by shuttle, bus, or taxi.
If two or more of you are traveling together, I would recommend going by taxi – providing you can get the fare negotiated in advance.
If you are going directly to Pattaya from overseas, the good news is that it’s relatively close to Thailand’s busiest airport. And another airport, which is even closer, is starting to attract international service, as well.
Pattaya is just 90 minutes from Suvarnabhumi International Airport and 45 to 50 minutes from U-Tapao / Rayon / Pattaya International Airport.
A third option is Don Mueang International Airport, which is considerably more distant. The drive takes about 2 hours and 30 minutes.
Suvarnabhumi Airport is served mostly by international airlines as well as domestic airlines flying to foreign travel destinations.
U-Tapao was traditionally used for travel to domestic travel destinations, but it is starting to attract major airlines flying to international destinations.
Qatar Airways launched service to the airport in December 2017, and other airlines are sure to follow suit shortly. This will make Pattaya an even more attractive travel destination for overseas beachgoers.
Don Mueang is used mostly for domestic flights and by budget carriers.
Where
Amari Pattaya – 240 Pattaya Beach Road, Pattaya, Thailand. Tel: +66 0 3841 8413.
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