Sits among some of the oldest remaining
geology on our planet dating back to the Cambrian period between 500-600
million years. A luxury resort with the magnificent hills surrounds the Datai
Bay are known to have been the first part of the region to rise above sea level,
once belonging to the first great super-continent Pannotia that was located at
the South Pole. mylifestylenews checks
in to The Andaman, a Luxury Collection resort from one the Starwood hotel
groups’ properties on the mythical island of Langkawi could be just the tonic
you are looking for.
Continental drift and various tectonic
plate movements brought the island to its present location. Let us just add
that this magical location of rainforest and water in South East Asia is said
to have more species diversity than anywhere else on earth!
High Roman's pillars and long connecting high floors stairways create a magnificent ambience at the hotel lobby.
To have a Luxury Collection resort located in an idyllic tropical setting is the perfect scenario for a luxury break and each property of the collection has been curated for its unique spirit of diversity and genre. Subsequently, this resort has a story to tell.
For guests who are interested in learning
more about coral reefs, the resort has its own Coral Nursery, which every guest can gaze at with wonder, adults and children
alike. Due to the tsunami damage back in 2004, the resort is playing a key part
in rebuilding the coral reef, so this nursery is where they grow new coral and
where suitable, replant it back out on the reef.
Subsequently, they have
activities such as private guided snorkeling, coral transplanting, guided reef
walks and artificial reef building, which happen around the tidal variations,
which are a must do while you are in residence. Should this not exactly fit
your field on interest, there are also nature walks to discover the rainforest
flora and fauna and believe us, there is a lot to do in the immediate
surroundings of the resort.
Pool by night
The hotel main swimming pool are surrounded by tropical lush of green.
Water slide is another thoughtful to facilitate family holidaymakers.
Private pool for the newly extended wings
When you need to refresh the appetite,
there is a plethora of outlets to choose from, a total of 6 in all, and not
counting room service. Whether your tastes go as far as Japanese, Malay and
Western seafood or just comfort food, you will not be disappointed.
Breakfast is a relaxing buffet spread with
a number of dishes cooked a la minute at The Restaurant – the name is not
exactly original, but the food speaks for itself. The focus is on local and
international specialties, as the guest demographic is rather wide from what we
could spy. It covers all healthy and decadent options, depending on how you
like to start your day, including free flow French sparkling (hard to say no to
this when the rest of your day can be so lazy!).
Our particular favourite is Jala. This beach side venue serves delicious fish and
seafood with an exciting fusion of Malay and Western styles. To get into the
spirit of the evening, you are invited to leave your footwear at the shoe
concierge section at the restaurant entrance, as the floor of the restaurant is
all pure soft sand from the beach and we loved the feeling of barefeet in the
sand while casually dining.
Going bare feet is unofficially official at Jala Bar & Restaurant.
Tepian Laut aka By the Sea. It offers light snacks while with an uninterrupted views of the Andaman sea
Dine with the nature by the sea.
As a special treat, we were privileged to
have our own private beach dinner arranged on the following night, which
included our own butler to ensure the proceedings went smoothly. The tone was
set by a clearly marked part of the beach well away from the regular evening
dining locations, with a bonfire lighting up the occasion.
It was a decadent menu with an Italian emphasis as follows: <Carpaccio di Manzo> Thinly sliced raw beef with a delectable marinated mushroom and sun-dried tomato salad with shaved parmesan.
<Beef Tournedos Rossini> as the main, an organic beef tenderloin cooked to perfection and so tender, with seared foie gras, seasonal vegetables and truffle potato mash with a sauce Periguex (a classic sauce flavoured with Madeira and pungent, earthy black truffles, which are a specialty from the Perigord region).
Lastly, a regional German style cake dessert, <Mandelkuchen Von Westfalen> which is cornmeal almond cake with vanilla bean custard filling and a thyme-scented candied citrus zest. Need one say more? It was such a special evening, listening to the waves lapping the sand, while we dined on divine dishes that we could not fault for such unique experience that you may not get a chance to appreciate very often in one’s life.
The resort wellness
approach is marked by signs with the V Integrated Wellness sign and this concept is inspired by the ‘Tree of Life’, an
ancient metaphor for interconnectedness of all life, a sacred symbol of
awakening to harmonies, ecstatic and compassionate journey towards conscious
living.
The amenities throughout the resort keep
you entertained one way or another. Service was mostly to our expectation, with
just the odd bit of inconsistency here and there, but generally staff are
attentive to your needs. Although we expected a few more luxury elements,
giving that this resort is part of the Starwood Luxury Collection, but we
didn’t let this dampen our enthusiasm for what we experienced.
The location on Datai Bay is sensational, the aspect is superb no matter which way you look although don’t expect jaw-dropping views from your room, as the trees have matured so much and create a hedge effect between the resort rooms and the sea.
We were extremely comfortable in our well allocated room which had some partial sea views, so a very nice aspect providing tranquility and a touch of luxury as one would expect from this brand. We had an enchanting time.
Tried & Tested:
Location: 4.5/5
Design & Decor: 3.5/5
Food & Beverage: 4/5
Room Amenities: 3/5
Housekeeping: 3.5/5
Service: 4/5
Highlights:
Coral Nursery
Jala Restaurant
Flaws:
The Overall standard of the Luxury Collection
Room Size
Jalan Teluk Datai
Langkawi Malaysia
Tel: +6 04 959 1088
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