To begin this article, let me share how I usually select hotels for my travels. When heading to an unfamiliar destination, I first look for accommodations on the websites of Relais & Châteaux, Leading Hotels of the World, SLH (Small Luxury Hotels of the World), and Design Hotels™. I’m not a fan of the ordinary; I prefer the extraordinary.
I’ve mentioned Relais & Châteaux, Leading Hotels of the World, and SLH many times before. My recent favorite is Design Hotels™. Design Hotels™ claims to be the world’s most stylish design hotel alliance, requiring that each listed hotel boasts a unique style and distinctiveness. Anyone familiar with Iceland is likely aware of the famous ION Adventure Hotel, which is part of Design Hotels™.
The philosophy of Design Hotels™ is simple: “No design, no listing.” Currently, this alliance includes over 300 independent hotel brands across more than 200 destinations, all of which showcase exceptional design.
Today, I will write about the MASON hotel in Pattaya, part of Design Hotels™. Recently, I had to visit Thailand for work and took the opportunity to check out a hotel in Bangkok that I needed to promote. Embracing the “since I’m here, I might as well” mindset, I planned a little vacation by the beach in Thailand.
A flight from Hangzhou to Bangkok takes about 4.5 hours, and spending only two nights in Bangkok would be exhausting.
Pattaya is the closest beach destination to Bangkok. It takes only about 1.5 hours by car from Suvarnabhumi Airport to reach Pattaya, which is not significantly longer than the time it takes to get into downtown Bangkok. My itinerary was straightforward: direct from the airport to Pattaya for two nights, then back to Bangkok for two nights to complete my work before returning to the airport. This made for a five-day, four-night trip.
In Pattaya, I chose to stay at MASON, which I found on Design Hotels™. It did not disappoint. This is a unique way to enjoy a popular destination. MASON hotel is located on the serene Na Jomtien Beach in southeastern Pattaya, a well-known resort area. It is a boutique hotel with only 35 private villas, creating a comfortable and private vacation atmosphere. It’s said that many Thai celebrities frequent this place, and during my stay, I confirmed that by browsing Instagram.
Since MASON was included in Design Hotels™, its design must certainly stand out in some way. The hotel emphasizes the combination of stone and art, with many public areas and rooms resembling modern cave-like structures embedded in the hillside.
The sea view at MASON is fantastic. Due to the hotel’s gradual slope, most public areas and villas have excellent views of the ocean.
The hotel’s infinity pool offers an unbeatable ocean view as well.
MASON truly excels in creating scenic spots, utilizing varying elevations to construct several mirror-like viewing platforms. If you search for this hotel on platforms like Xiaohongshu (XHS) or Instagram, you’ll find that it is a favorite location for social media influencers to take pictures.
MASON has placed many seats at these ocean view points. The overall atmosphere of this hotel feels relaxed and easy-going, quite different from the typical vibe of Pattaya. It’s rather pleasant. While the bustling surroundings may be chaotic, I find my own peace within it.
The beach in Pattaya faces west, so as long as the weather is good, sunsets and evening glow are always a delight. Although it is said that it’s currently the rainy season in Thailand, during my two-night stay in Pattaya, it only rained in the evenings, and the days turned pleasantly sunny and a bit cooler.
Now, let’s talk about the room. MASON consists entirely of villa accommodations, each with a private pool. I stayed in the Duplex Supreme Pool Villa, which spans two levels and features a private pool, covering an area of 154 square meters.
The interior design of the room centers around a stone theme, embracing a sleek concrete style that I genuinely enjoyed. The bedroom, living room, walk-in closet, and bathroom areas are relatively independent. I booked this room at a rate of 2000+ Thai Baht per night, and honestly, the value for money was quite reasonable.
The welcoming fruits and pastries were generous as well. However, this may be due to a preferential treatment from the hotel to the travel blog, as different guests might receive varying offerings.
With a private pool, I, of course, opted for a floating breakfast (an additional 1500 Baht). MASON offers floating breakfasts and afternoon teas, not limited to just the private pool; it can also be arranged at the infinity pool in the public area. If you search on Xiaohongshu and Instagram, you’ll find countless photos, many featuring real people, confirming that this place is a hotspot for influencers.
The dining at MASON is noteworthy as well. I indulged in a nearly full hotel vacation, only visiting the Sanctuary of Truth and the floating market, so I had several meals within the hotel. Breakfast was served at the all-day dining restaurant ZILA, which offered a buffet style combined with a la carte options, and the selections were quite abundant.
However, a word of caution: if dining outdoors, be wary of birds stealing food. I stepped inside briefly to fetch a dish and found two little birds helping themselves to my meal upon my return.
For lunch, Zila Street Bistro & Bar serves Thai cuisine. Dining at MASON offers good value; the four dishes I ordered (salmon, cod, prawns, and mango sticky rice) totaled around 2000 Baht. That’s excellent pricing for hotel dining.
For dinner, I went to KROK-A-CAFÉ, which is the scenic restaurant by the infinity pool. You can enjoy coffee in the afternoon and drinks in the evening while taking in the sunset with a meal.
The prices are reasonable: one large pork knuckle, one dessert, and a drink cost less than 1000 Baht (approximately 200 RMB), and the food was delicious.
Dining while watching the sunset was incredibly relaxing.
MASON also features a BEACHSIDE BAR by the ocean, which opens every evening, perfect for enjoying the sea breeze with a drink.
Although MASON isn’t a large-scale hotel, it offers a variety of activities that keep the stay engaging. They provide free sunrise yoga in the mornings.
The hotel boasts a private beach and offers various non-motorized water activities for guests to enjoy at their leisure.
Other activities are typically chargeable.
Finally, let’s discuss the service at MASON. First of all, communication in Chinese isn’t an issue, as this hotel places importance on Chinese bookings. The front desk had a staff member who spoke Chinese, facilitating smooth communication.
