Loligo lies nestled in an alleyway close to the beach with views of the sea, with great proximity to Cicada and Tamarind night markets. Acquired and Renovated 4 years by the Lets Sea’s Hotel, Loligo is a hotel that is situated in the more recently fashionable hamlet of Takiap Thong Village. The name Loligo is borrowed from Latin and is the name for a kind of squid widely found in the waters off of Hua Hin Beach. We were invited to experience all the hotel has to offer, although it was admittedly during Thailand’s third COVID wave, there was still plenty to see and do in Hua Hin as well as the hotel.
The welcome was warm and relevantly, very safe. Loligo is a hotel that is taking the utmost in safety protocols in terms of hygiene and guest safety. Their aim is a balance of hygiene with happiness. which they name H2. Upon checking in and being shown to the room a small touch that I noticed was the nutrition bars and chocolates upon arrival. Whilst perhaps a little more unusual, the nutrition bars were locally made, extremely tasty and healthy to boot, and did a great job of staving of hunger until the next meal. Loligo Resort Hua Hin contains 47 spacious accommodations with ample balcony room. They have the following bedroom types, Deluxe Balcony Room, Mini Suite Garden Balcony, Mini Suite Pool Access Balcony, & Mini Suite Sea & Horizon Balcony with checkins starting at 3pm and checkouts at noon.
The hotel is quite popular with foreigners, in particular those from Europe, Australia and also Pan Asian. However in these Loligo has had to rely on the local Bangkok weekend market, which has actually been fairly busy. The rooms themselves are big and spacious, with an option of 4 different room types. We were fortunate enough to stay in the corner room, which is quite a delight as it lets in plenty of light and has fantastic views of the ocean. Overall it is a nice design with big balconies, it is replete with ceiling fan and plenty of ambience from the large open space of the room. The business originally started with the restaurant ‘Let’s Sea’ 19 years ago, and since has gone from strength to strength with the addition of the ‘Lets Sea Hotel’ and finally ‘Loigo’ hotel.
The local area is very much an up and coming location in terms of visitation. As well as the local markets you have a plethora of handicraft shops, including rattan shops. There is an abundance of cheap delicious food which makes for a great lunch away from the hotel. Wander and explore chic dessert shops and tasty local noodle restaurants. I’m told there are some great local Jazz and other bars. although we were not able to experience them due to the third wave. You also do have the option of spending time on the beach, which is in total 5km long, and quite peaceful at this particular end. Go further afield and you can enjoy bicycle rides and see the monkey, or ponder upon the real life of fishing village, or take in some Buddhist culture with visits to the local temples.
The Breakfast is 7-11am, and is a buffet but ordered item by item, for COVID safety reasons. There was more than sufficient choice to whet anyone’s breakfast desires and ensure that you had a full belly for the start of your day’s adventures. Lunch is also until 5pm with happy hour 12pm – 5pm, and then 8-10pm for every kind of beverage.
‘Lets Sea’ Restaurant
As stated the hotel has it’s humble beginnings from the ever popular ‘Lets Sea’ Restaurant, so we could not help but experience what was the genesis to this humble empire.
In some ways ‘Lets Sea’ presents itself as simple food overlaid with an artistic touch that blends seamlessly into it’s surrounds. The ambience is undeniably superb, full of grassy plots in amongst wooden pathways and huts. Trees providing abundant shade and the soft drifting of music intermingled with the ebb and the flow of the waves in the background. One can tell that the team had put in a lot of effort into the appearance, presentation and delivery of both the venue and the food. And truthfully, the hard work had paid off.
Our first night was a Thai menu. We started with the Moo ping, succulent and tender, with no fatty excess. Perfectly balanced with a sauce (Jaew Sauce Thai Spicy Sauce) with a bit of a bite to balance out with some sweetness. Additionally we were treated to Tang Mo Pla Haeng – Classic Watermelon with Aromatic Crispy Salmon. Juicy balls of water melon with scrapped salmon meat, which was very refreshing. The salmon fillets are scrapped with a little sugar added and then lightly baked. Next was the Duck red curry, this was quite an exotic dish, duck with lychee and local pineapple, swimming within a red curry. This was a unique take on an old favourite, definitely a dish for the foodie in the group. We then moved to the Sea bass which was atop an authentic green mango salad. The sea bass is local and caught in the very seas of which we had a pleasant view. It was crispy with fried garlic, thoroughly delicious and highly recommended.
The next night we moved on to the Western menu. It begin with a classic, onion soup. Thick chucks of caramelised onion, cast adrift in a sea of soup. With a toasted layer of mozzarella cheese on top. Next we found ourselves munching on a Mascarpone with Parma Ham & Rocket Pizza, utter lightly delightful! They have pursued a unique take on traditional pizza, utilising a unique process to create a super thin base, that is actually two layers with mascarpone in the middle, on this is placed the Parma ham, rocket and a drizzle of truffle oil. It’s certainly a recommendation from us. We also indulged in the fish dish, which we must say was tenderly cooked to just the right amount, with an accompaniment of potatoes and spinach. I must admit all this left us quite full, but very satisfied, once again the proximity to the sea was the star of the night, allowing the enjoyment of waves softly crashing against the sand.
Nor did we stop at dinner, it was decided to follow up with a breakfast at Let’s Sea, to discover a totally different light and mood for our enjoyment. Au con·traire, we started healthy with a salad from in-season local produce, seeds and edible flowers. The location we found was bathed in the early morning serenity of minimal guests and jazz in the background. Absolutely jolly way to begin the day ahead. Next we enjoyed poached eggs with Hollandaise sauce and salmon, the delicately poached eggs sitting atop of 2 sliced English muffins gave much satisfaction and when combined with a large mug of coffee and some fo their delightful juice concoctions, we were pretty much stuffed.
If your idea of a getaway to Hua Hin involves great food with a nice stay close to the beach, then this could be the ticket for you! Or should you happen to live in Hua Hin, treat yourself to a splendid meal at ‘Lets Sea’ Restaurant, you know you deserve it!
For hotel information and bookings – http://www.loligoresort.com
For restaurant information and bookings – https://www.letussea.com/dine_al_fresco