Sala Huahin top-down view — the rectangular pool framed by a deck that shifts from coral and pink to yellow and blue, with parasols, loungers and sofas on either side

Sala Huahin interior design — 1,200 sq m of café, bar and poolside spaces for a hotel in Hua Hin, designed and furnished by Gratitude Design and completed in 2020. The concept, A Colourful Escape, states the intention in a line: Palm Springs spirit, Hua Hin ease.

Sala Huahin reimagines the property’s shared outdoor spaces as a vibrant setting for holiday life. Drawing inspiration from the playful resort aesthetic of Palm Springs and the relaxed coastal character of Hua Hin, the design brings colour, greenery, and sociable spaces together around the simple pleasure of slowing down.

Project facts

Location — Hua Hin, Thailand
Typology — Hotel café, bar and poolside spaces
Scope — Interior design and FF&E
Area — 1,200 sq m
Completed — 2020
Concept — A Colourful Escape
Client — Sala Huahin
Photography — Panoramic Studio

A Connected Journey

The concept turns the journey from arrival to café and pool into a connected experience. Bold floor patterns, pastel terraces, and distinctive seating areas introduce moments of discovery, inviting guests to explore, gather, and find their own place to unwind.

Sala Huahin — garden path past the shaded dining pavilion to the pink terrace, round stools, blue tiled wall and pink bar pavilion, under frangipani trees

Colour as Architecture

Colour becomes part of the architecture. Coral pink, sunny yellow, turquoise, and blue define platforms, steps, and gathering spaces. Bands of shifting colour extend across the ground, connecting different areas and giving the outdoor setting a lively visual rhythm. White furniture and slender structures provide a light counterpoint, while striped parasols introduce a familiar holiday motif.

Sala Huahin interior design — pool deck painted in stripes of blue, yellow, orange and pink with a sun-circle motif, striped parasols and loungers between the hotel wings, Hua Hin

Sala Huahin from above — the pool, deck painted in stripes and half circles of blue, yellow, orange and pink, striped parasols and a white platform of pink deck chairs

Painted pool deck at Sala Huahin — a circle of orange, pink and yellow stripes on blue boards, with palm shadows and lounger frames

The Social Centre

The café and bar form a welcoming social centre. A pink pavilion creates a clear focal point, with counter seating and adjoining terraces supporting everything from a morning coffee to an evening drink. Nearby, an open pavilion offers a shaded setting for conversation, while smaller seating pockets accommodate quieter moments among the planting.

Sala Huahin café terrace — a pink geometric floor with round pink stools, a shaded white dining pavilion, a blue tiled wall and the pink bar pavilion, Hua Hin

Sala Huahin bar pavilion — a coral pink box with breeze-block side walls, three rope bar stools at a pink tiled counter and a geometric tiled backsplash

Coral pink breeze-block wall at the Sala Huahin bar pavilion, with a cycad in a white pot and a blue tiled planter

Shaded dining pavilion at Sala Huahin — a white table with rope chairs under a pleated fabric canopy, framed by white breeze blocks and frangipani trees

Round pink stools and a yellow-sided bench against a blue tiled wall and the pink breeze-block bar at Sala Huahin

Greenery and Texture

Tropical greenery balances the graphic surfaces. Palms, broad-leaf planting, and trees soften the surrounding buildings and frame views between spaces. Integrated planters and planted edges give each seating area a sense of enclosure without losing the openness of the overall layout.

Sala Huahin lounge terrace — white and pink outdoor seating on a pink geometric floor under a white canopy, with the painted pool deck and shower wall beyond

Navy glazed tiles beside a coral pink breeze-block screen at Sala Huahin

Sala Huahin outdoor shower — pink and yellow glazed tiles, a coral breeze-block screen, a curved white pergola and a geometric tiled floor beside the pool

Around the Pool

Around the pool, raised lounging platforms, colourful paving, and shaded seating create different ways to enjoy the day. Curved edges soften transitions between areas, while patterned screens add texture and visual interest to the surrounding façades. The pool becomes the centre of a broader leisure landscape, connecting swimming, resting, dining, and socialising.

Sala Huahin pool — striped loungers and parasols on a deck painted in blue, yellow and pink, pink deck chairs on a raised platform and the hotel beyond

Sala Huahin — pink canvas deck chairs on a white platform under striped parasols, before a blue, pink and yellow tiled outdoor shower wall

Black and white woven loungers under striped parasols on the blue and yellow painted deck at Sala Huahin

Sala Huahin — the tiled outdoor shower wall in navy, pink and yellow, pink deck chairs under striped parasols and loungers on the painted deck

Sala Huahin — a poolside lounge with parasols, loungers and white sofas on a coral and orange striped deck, before the hotel building

Sala Huahin — loungers and parasols on a white platform at the pool edge, white sofas with blue cushions and a coral striped deck, breeze-block screens beyond

Sala Huahin — pink deck chairs on a curved white platform under striped parasols, the blue painted deck in front and palms behind

Sala Huahin celebrates the cheerful side of escape. Through expressive colour, simple forms, and generous planting, the design creates an approachable place to spend time together — where a coffee, a swim, or an unhurried afternoon becomes part of the holiday experience.

A COLOURFUL ESCAPE — Palm Springs spirit, Hua Hin ease.

Planning a hotel or resort project? Start a conversation with our studio.

Commissioning Sala Huahin design

Hotel café, bar and pool design in Hua Hin

1,200 sq m of shared outdoor space for a hotel in Hua Hin, completed in 2020. Gratitude Design’s scope was design and FF&E: the bar pavilion, café terrace and dining pavilion, the painted pool deck and raised lounging platforms, the tiled outdoor shower, the breeze-block screens, and the outdoor furniture, parasols and planters were planned and specified by the studio.

The hotel buildings were already in place. The work here was to give the ground between them a character of its own — using colour on the deck, platforms and pavilions rather than rebuilding the architecture, so that the pool and café became the reason to come down from the room.

Related work

More hospitality design from the studio: La Miniera Pool Villas and River Kwai Village Floating Villa. The full record is on the portfolio, and the studio’s approach is set out under hotel interior design.

Sala Huahin