5-Starhotels in Kedah, Malaysia

First, the pros: This hotel faces the sea and is backed by mountains, with every room being an independent bungalow (some are connecting rooms, two make up one bungalow). Each bungalow is nestled in the rainforest or perched over the sea. It truly feels wild; we saw dusky leaf monkeys and hornbills from our balcony, and large monitor lizards and colugos near our door and on the way to the restaurant. The mini-bar is all-inclusive, and yes, there's beer! Langkawi SkyCab is within walking distance. Now for the cons: 1> There are various types of sea-view rooms, but not many offer great views from higher up the hill. Most sea-view rooms have their views obstructed by the first row of overwater bungalows (we stayed in room 1239, see photo). It might be better value to book an overwater bungalow directly. 2> The bedding in the room was too damp and had an odor; those with sensitive noses might find it unbearable. 3> The breakfast was genuinely unappetizing. It looked plentiful, but most dishes didn't suit Chinese palates. 4> Hotel staff use motorbikes for transport, so you're guaranteed to be woken up by motorbike noise in the morning. Dining: We tried three restaurants. I recommend the Western restaurant at B&B. For the Thai restaurant, just go for the fried rice and noodles; the Tom Yum Goong and curries were quite mediocre. A main meal typically costs 150-180 RMB per person. Additionally, I left my Bluetooth earphones at the hotel. Due to battery regulations, the hotel couldn't ship them back, so I can't comment on that service. Summary: If you're looking for a relaxing experience immersed in the sea and rainforest, go for it. If you're particular about room details and hygiene, you might want to reconsider. I'd suggest booking a luxurious overwater bungalow or suite, or a more affordable rainforest room. Avoid the sea-view rooms, as getting a good view there is a gamble.

We had a wonderful time in July. I particularly want to highlight the friendliness and hospitality of the staff. It's so lovely when everyone smiles at you, always and everywhere. The few issues that arose were resolved incredibly quickly. However, there are a few things to consider when planning your trip. A significant plus is the long, expansive beach stretching to the left of the hotel. The beach is quiet and calm. It's not the most popular section of the beach; it's a more secluded part, which was a bonus for us. No hustle and bustle, no crowds. There are several surf schools here because this part of the coast has waves during the season. For us, having surfing available was a fantastic bonus. For 10 days, there wasn't a single day with a calm sea. Every day had waves of varying intensity. Because of this, the water was always (!) murky. In July, the sunset isn't over the sea, but behind a neighboring island, yet it's incredibly beautiful on a clear day. Many families with children stay at the hotel. The main pool is noisy. But a major plus is the 18+ infinity pool on the 5th floor. This is where you'll find relaxation and quiet. My main complaint about the hotel is the constant smell of food from the restaurant in the main pool/beach area, even by the sea. It's a persistent smoky, unpleasant odor of fried oil. This bothered me significantly. The hotel has absolutely no private grounds for walking, just a small lawn near the restaurant and that's it. It's a 5-minute walk to the lively street with amenities. No complaints about the room cleaning; it was spotless every day, and our housekeeper Salim did an excellent job. The breakfast was quite varied, with many Asian dishes and a selection of European options. The yogurts and fruits were delicious, but the pastries were weak and not very tasty. The freshly squeezed juices were great. The coffee was average quality. The hotel also has a premium restaurant, Lancava. It's luxurious. All the dishes were outstanding, and the service was polite, attentive, and pleasant.

The front desk staff were pleasant and welcoming, taking the time to explain the facilities and amenities available around the property. However, the check-in process felt somewhat disorganized, as our passports were collected and we were asked to wait at the side without much further guidance. The room itself was spacious, clean, and comfortable. We were pleasantly surprised to find the bed beautifully decorated with towel art, along with a complimentary dessert after we made a special request, despite having no expectations of receiving anything from the hotel. My husband and I truly appreciated the thoughtful gesture, it made us feel warmly welcomed. Unfortunately, the breakfast experience did not quite meet the standards we would expect from a 5-star hotel. The staff appeared somewhat inexperienced, and service was inconsistent. When we arrived, there were no available tables, yet we were instructed to enter and find a table ourselves. This left us feeling awkward as we stood around waiting for other guests to finish their meals. What made the experience more disappointing was that a family who arrived after us was promptly escorted to a table, while we were left to continue waiting, which felt unfair. We also had to repeatedly request utensils as some tables were properly set while others were not. While these may seem like minor issues individually, together they affected the overall dining experience and fell short of the level of service we would expect from a hotel that positions itself as a 5-star property. Overall, we enjoyed the room, hospitality, and thoughtful touches provided by the hotel. The stay had many positive aspects, but improvements in breakfast operations and service consistency would go a long way toward delivering the luxury experience that guests expect.

The room was comfortable overall, a little dated, but perfectly acceptable. The back door offered direct beach access, which was very convenient, though the water wasn't particularly clear, with lots of seaweed and broken shells. The hotel's natural environment was excellent, very refreshing with plenty of oxygen, and lots of monkeys around. It was a very relaxing stay overall.

Pelangi Beach resort is in a fantastic location. Prime walking distance to all restaurants and shops. The resort itself is beautiful. The breakfast buffets in both locations are great and the staff are super happy. However some things could be improved. The room , although comfortable and big with a great view of the island, has a lot of dirty stains on many of the e furniture and the door on the balcony needs fixed as it takes a lot of force to shut it tight. Also the buggy service is a disaster. Although convenient it takes such a long time to wait for this service- definitely needs a better system. I did appreciate the hotel providing birthday cake- I really appreciated it. Overall we had a great stay and would come back again.

The hotel is well-maintained, and the breakfast is consistently good! The fishing trip was a lot of fun, caught plenty of fish. However, I'd recommend booking the mangrove tour elsewhere (the hotel's mangrove tour didn't feature any bats). The beach is very clean, but there aren't many small creatures (like hermit crabs...). The front desk staff were very friendly and helpful. Choosing this hotel for our anniversary was definitely the right decision. All in all, it truly is one of Langkawi's top hotels.

The staff's attitude was generally good. Turndown service was provided in the evening, and there were welcome fruits. Since it was the Easter holiday, they even specially gifted chocolates shaped like bunnies and Easter eggs, along with a handwritten card which felt very ceremonial! The only area for improvement would be the restaurant's food, as the breakfast selection was quite limited.

The Rainforest Corner Room cost over 11,500 for two nights, which is worse than a 2.3k hotel in China. The service and everything else were just mediocre. Many hotels in Sanya totally outperform this one. I didn't experience any good service at all. I even extended my stay for two more nights, and in the new room I moved into, the cleaning staff just took all my snacks. I was hungry at 4 or 5 AM and had nothing to eat. That was absolutely speechless; I don't know what the staff was doing. The 24-hour room service food wasn't great for the three days I ordered it; the selection was pitifully small. The only upside was the oxygen machine, and the room decor was okay. Just very average, average, average.

The hotel's private beach was very clean and quiet. However, our family room had multiple patched-up water leaks on the ceiling, and the wallpaper was damp and peeling. The most concerning issue was a large clump above the headboard, at the junction of the ceiling and wall, which occasionally dropped small particles onto the bed. The hotel promptly addressed it, explaining it was a termite nest. They were very apologetic and offered a complimentary dinner. Still, it was quite worrying for a family traveling with children. Most of our meals were at the Sands restaurant, which had quite a few flies. We had to constantly swat them away during our meals. Hygiene definitely needs improvement. Most of the staff were friendly. Overall, the experience was okay, but many aspects could be better.

We had a wonderfully relaxing stay at The Danna Langkawi, and what really stood out was the team’s attentiveness. We had a very minor hiccup early on in our room, and the staff couldn’t have been more responsive and caring in how they handled it. They initially offered us a room change, which we politely declined since we were already settled in. But they followed up with us again, and ended up surprising us with an upgrade to a room with a beautiful sea and pool view, such a thoughtful gesture that we really weren’t expecting. Breakfast was great, the grounds were beautiful, and the whole stay felt calm and unwinding. It’s little touches like this that make a hotel memorable. We definitely felt well taken care of throughout our trip.