The Monttra Pattaya

“Unlike anything else in Pattaya, a nature lovers sanctuary”

On my third trip to Thailand and I would say this was by far my favorite place to stay in the country. Lush greenery, infinity, pool, and a very nice beach for morning swims. Delicious Asian+Western breakfast in the glass house restaurant. The grounds are IMO stunning. Reminded me of some beautifu… more

On my third trip to Thailand and I would say this was by far my favorite place to stay in the country. Lush greenery, infinity, pool, and a very nice beach for morning swims. Delicious Asian+Western breakfast in the glass house restaurant. The grounds are IMO stunning. Reminded me of some beautiful locations I’ve stayed at for meditation retreats in California like Esalen. Staff- very polite twenty-year olds, for the most part- made me feel comfortable and welcome always, while at the same time remaining unobtrusive. For context, I was there as a solo Eurasian American woman getting away from the bustle of Bangkok as I prepped for a conference at the tail end of my digital nomading through Southeast Asia. I am mostly an introvert & not looking to be too social, love nature within eco lodge type settings and prefer low key service (as opposed to the type of lux service that tries to anticipate your every need; that in-your-face energy actually stresses me out). I’m from San Francisco and while I have a nice comfortable life, I’m not into flaunting, pretensions or hierarchy. So the Thai brand of hospitality really works for me: kind, friendly but not overly obsequious. My suite was spacious, with glass-paneled French doors that led out onto a balcony overlooking a massive tree filled with birds. I identified at least 10 species of tropical birds. Plenty of butterflies, of course the geckos on the outside walls at night, and even a juvenile monitor sighting. My last morning I was blessed with a tropical thunderstorm and spotted a few frogs as well. Since they’re only 23 units on the small property, it felt like you had the place to yourself. Especially once the weekenders checked out. I could see returning for an extended period of time to work remotely. Since I was there for about a week, I did venture out at one point beyond the private beach to the one around the band beyond the yacht club. There it reminded me of the main beach of Phuket: umbrellas for rent, peddlers, and mostly Russian speakers plus unfortunately more trash in the water. So needless to say, I was quite happy to return back to the resort and doubly apwhole vibe. Luxury here is about exclusive access to some pretty pristine looking nature, a beautiful cove of a beach, and solitude that makes the rest of Pattaya feel far away both physically and mentally. Really there is nothing else like it in the area. After my little excursion, I was never tempted to leave the resort just enjoyed staying put until I checked out. Only minor complaint is I wish the bed were a bit softer. Other than that, it was pretty close to perfect for me.

less