Finally we were on our way to Langkawi! Penang to Langkawi is only a 40 minutes flight and we flew on Firefly Airlines.
A propellor plane, hopefully it won’t be a rough flight
A driver from the hotel was waiting for us at Langkawi Airport and the Tanjung Rhu Resort was a 30 minute drive away. The resort is situated on the Northern part of the island and is quite isolated from the rest of the island. Surrounded by lush greenery with a large beach fronting the property.
We arrived around 2pm shortly before check in. The lovely lady who checked us in said would be mind an upgrade to a beach view and larger room. How polite, of course how could I refuse.
There was a separate living room plus a small balcony overlooking the beach, how wonderful is the view?
On exploring the resort we realised that only half is open to visitors, the other half is sadly beyond repair and closed up. We found out that the hotel is now owned by the bank. There seemed to be no overseeing of the staff. We did experience long waits for food or not turning up at all, and everyone blaming the next in line!
The deserted beach and beautiful pools did a lot to make up for these oversights. Being so far from everywhere else in Langkawi there was nowhere else to eat but at the resort.
Even though we were told the hotel was full we couldn’t see any evidence!
It seemed like we had a private pool anytime we were there. The perfect antidote for recuperating, nothing but rest and relaxation.
This was the five star restaurant that we visited for two nights of our stay. The food was excellent as was the service.
There was also a pizza restaurant that put on a BBQ buffet one night that we ate in also.
This resort is good for day visits to get away from the busyness of the rest of the island, although it was wonderful for our three night stay.
It’s definitely a five star location and our room was five star, but with the restaurants that were open and only serving a limited menu definitely not a five star rating. The staff while extremely friendly seem to be working under different rules. Some were busy and others just standing around chatting. The website needs to be updated as one of the restaurants is closed to guests that are not on a package, the spa is also sadly derelict and the sunset pool bar is no longer open.
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The pandemic has left some strange footprints when it comes to the hospitality industry, sounds like your resort was one of those affected. Not an excuse for poor attitude of staff though huh!
Yes I see how Malaysia has really suffered, but still charging 5 star prices!
A perfect place for relaxing, and he’s looking better all the time, Alison.
Thanks Jo, was pretty perfect
The resort looks idyllic Alison but you should have been informed prior to booking that it was not fully open. I suppose they kept quiet about that as they obviously wanted people to come. We visited Langkawi a long time ago on a three night stopover package with Malaysian airlines staying at the Berjaya when the island had only a handful of hotels. Good to see Anthony looking recovered.
Thanks for your comments Marion
Yes the website needs to reflect the true story especially when paying 5 star prices
Wow. The room looks amazing. Sad about the service and restaurants.
Yes room and views were fantastic
Three days was enough 🙂
A beautiful setting and I love those pools, but such a shame about the poor service at times and the closed facilities. The latter can be blamed on the pandemic but there’s no excuse for staff not even trying! Still you seem to have enjoyed your stay, which is the main thing 🙂
Thanks Sarah
Not such big complaints really but when you consider the high price that is charged it is annoying
No complaints about the setting though!
Looks a great place for R&R, shame about the closed facilities and hit and miss service…
Thanks Sue 😊
What a wonderful setting in which to relax and recover! It is unfortunate that the beautiful resort is not being run up to par. We have found that lots of things, have changed in lots of places since 2020, especially poor service. It appears that you had a nice time there, and that is all that matters. Thank you for sharing!
Thanks for your comments 🙂
When everything finally gets back to normal I think everyone will have to pick their game up
Yes, I hope so. I think it’s the same all over the world. Businesses, especially restaurants, here in the US are practically begging for workers.
There are signs on every Cafe we pass in Penang and Langkawi for workers also
Seems like you found a paradise hotel on a paradise location. My goodness, those views of the water are just beautiful!
The views, beach and pools did make up for the bad service
It does look lovely and it sounds like you had a nice time there.
Thanks Carol, very relaxing
Thank you for taking us along on this very satisfying visit to Langkawi. It’s been ages since our last beach holiday, and it was so lovely to sit on that beach with you both!
Thanks for your lovely comments Ju-Lyn 🙂
Aside from the oversight and some bad experiences… this seems like a perfect few days of getaway!
Pretty relaxing 😌