The Datai Langkawi

Lynn Perry

Visiting The Datai is a very special experience. From the minute you step into the hotel you are looked after. The rooms are super comfy and very well equipped and cleaned to the highest standards. There are several restaurants with the Beach Club offering lovely views in the evening as sun sets. During the day you can sit on the beach, lovely sandy beaches and you can walk along the bay. There are activities that you can do. We did the Bird watching tour, walk through the jungle and kayaking into the mangrove. During the day we had some lovely fresh fruit beautifully prepared on skewers and handed out down the beach, afternoon saw some ice cream and miniature cocktails in shot glasses. Please note that there are no shops or restaurants near-by to walk too but who needs that when you have wonderful wildlife and scenery to explore in the the hotel itself. I forgot to mention breakfast! Oh my what a feast with lots of variety offered. The best bit was the Salted caramel croissants.......very yummy. I had an absolutely fantastic holiday there. Thankyou Datai for such a memorable holiday for myself and my husband.

Alexander D

Been twice and never fails in delivering 5 star service. The experience of living in a jungle with incredible birds and monkeys. The villas with pools are amazing. There are two main pools. The reception/lobby bar areas are incredible for welcome drink. Truely a special place to holiday with incredible food and service.

Pedro Simko

Our stay at The Datai was truly wonderful from start to finish. We stayed in a beach villa that was beautifully appointed with everything we needed for a comfortable and relaxing experience. A particularly thoughtful touch was the curated book selection in the room, including a great book on Kerry Hill, the architect behind the property. From the moment we arrived, we felt warmly welcomed and genuinely cared for. Every day we had a lovely tea time arranged in our villa by Debra, complete with fresh fruit. A special mention goes to Danish, The Datai’s trainer, with whom I had three private strength sessions. He is knowledgeable, passionate about health and wellbeing, and an absolute pleasure to work with. Dining was very good - the fresh fish at the Beach Club was delicious, and we thoroughly enjoyed the buffets at both Gulai, the Malaysian restaurant, and the Beach Club. The overall quality of the food was excellent, with chefs making a real effort to accommodate guests’ preferences. There are gluten and lactose-free options available, though somewhat limited. It would be wonderful to see more healthy choices introduced such as coconut yogurt at breakfast, as well as more fiber-rich options like ground flaxseeds or chia seeds, or even a dedicated healthy menu in every of the 4 restaurants. The service across the resort was excellent - kind, attentive, and genuinely hospitable. At the spa, the massages were very good, although the facial did not quite meet expectations. Looking ahead, it would be fantastic if the hotel considered adding wellness features such as an infrared sauna and a cold plunge. The natural surroundings are simply stunning. The 1.2 km beach is perfect for peaceful walks, and the flora and fauna are exceptional. The sustainability team and guided nature tours were a standout experience - so passionate and informative. Dev, the leader of the team, is truly inspiring. Thank you, Dev, for sharing your knowledge and enthusiasm with us. We were also touched by Kartik’s thoughtful gesture of sourcing wonderful teas for us after learning about our passion for tea. As a small suggestion, while the fruit basket in our villa was beautiful and regularly replenished, it would be even more aligned with the hotel’s sustainability ethos if all the fruit were local and in season. Guests visiting Malaysia would surely appreciate the opportunity to enjoy more local varieties. Thank you, The Datai, for such a special experience. We will most certainly be back.

A G

The Datai Langkawi was the perfect setting for our couples retreat, a tranquil, secluded haven where rainforest meets pristine sand and sea. From morning walks on the quiet beach to peaceful moments surrounded by jungle, it was exactly what we needed to unwind over a short weekend escape. Our days were a blissful mix of tennis, golf and paddle, with world‑class facilities keeping us happily active before returning to our serene room. The food was consistently exquisite, beautifully balancing local Malay flavors with refined Western dishes, and every meal felt special. We left completely refreshed and are already planning our next stay.

Anastasia Sokolovskaya

We carefully planned our visit to Teluk Datai beach. Aware of the access restrictions, we specifically booked a stunning room at Villa Huntan Datai — a magnificent place with breathtaking views — precisely to be legitimate visitors to this area. This isn't about us being random tourists; we are paying guests of a neighboring, high-end property. The reality we faced was shocking and unfair. Upon reaching the beach, hotel security informed us that the entire safe, clean, and usable shoreline was reserved exclusively for guests of The Datai Langkawi. For us, they pointed only to a tiny, muddy patch in the mangroves that floods at high tide, making it both unpleasant and unsafe. The message was clear: we were second-class visitors. This policy is illogical and discriminatory. We are not talking about a mass-market hotel with hundreds of guests. There are only a couple of small, private villas like ours in the area, with very few guests. The idea that 10-15 extra people sharing a small section of this vast beach would in any way "disturb" the privacy or experience of The Datai's wealthy guests is absurd. Their beach was half-empty. Their likely excuses about "protecting nature" and "guest confidentiality" ring hollow. How do they decide we are less worthy of nature? And privacy can be maintained without monopolizing the entire beach. The feeling is humiliating. We are forbidden from walking towards their part of the shore, while at the same time, their guests are free to — and constantly do — stroll right past our designated, miserable mangrove patch. It's a blatant display of wealth-based segregation. The Datai Langkawi isn't selling luxury; it's selling arrogance and social division. We left deeply disappointed, not by the natural beauty, but by this man-made injustice.