In this review, we compare the best luxury hotels in Langkawi, Malaysia. Four Seasons Resort Langkawi vs. Ritz-Carlton Langkawi vs. St. Regis Langkawi vs. The Datai Langkawi.
Located on the northwest coast of Peninsula Malaysia, close to the Thai border, Langkawi is a mystical island of wild scenic beauty and aquamarine seas. It is the largest in an archipelago of 104 islands scattered across the Andaman Sea, separated from the mainland by the Straits of Malacca.
Langkawi is a tropical island paradise in Northern Malaysia, with white sandy beaches, dense jungle, fascinating wildlife, and delicious food. As Southeast Asia’s first UNESCO Geopark, the geology and ecology are guaranteed to astound.
In terms of when to visit, the best discounts and special offers in and around Langkawi tend to be in the low season. Although hotels like the Four Seasons do not reduce their rates outside the main season, they tend to offer 3 nights for the price or 2 and 4 nights for the price of 3 type discounts, which can make a trip to Langkawi, outside the high season, much cheaper.
We have compared each hotel below and have then reviewed each hotel separately so that you get more of an idea of which is best for you. We genuinely think that all these hotels are great, so if you really can’t decide, why not try two or even all four and enjoy the best of all worlds! St Regis tends to be a little cheaper, although the cheap price is because, generally, this hotel isn’t as good as the other 3 hotels.
- Best For Luxury: The Datai
- Best For Beach: The Datai with no jellyfish or plastics washing up. Real fish swim up to the shore. The seawater is sometimes muddy, and there are reports of occasional litter at the artificial Four Seasons beach and St Regis beach
- Worst For Beach: St Regis
- Best For Look: The Datai. By comparison, Four Seasons feels Moroccan rather than Asian and a bit soulless
- Best For Families: Four Seasons, The Datai and Ritz-Carlton. Four Seasons has the edge for its brilliant kids’ club located very close to the family pool and a good choice of restaurants with kids’ menus. The Ritz-Carlton also has a superb kids club. The Datai has the best beach
- Best Beach Villa: Four Seasons beach villa vs. St Regis Sunset villa vs. Datai beach villa? Four Seasons beach villas are showing their age and are currently slightly musty. St Regis Sunset Villa is amazing and better than the Four Seasons Beach Villa, but the Datai Beach villa is huge and the best with great service
- Best Breakfast: St Regis. Breakfast can be taken near Kuah. the Eagle, and the jetty, which is a lovely setting
- Most Immaculate: The Datai and the Ritz-Carlton. Both have been recently refurbished and built respectively
The Andaman is often the fifth hotel that is considered by the luxury traveler in Langkawi. The hotel is very close to the Datai and shares a similarly excellent beach, but the hotel itself is not “real luxury” like the other hotels featured in this review, which is reflected in the price.
Rooms at The Andaman can be dated and small, and there are reports of bits and pieces needing fixing (and them not being fixed immediately). The reception staff can apparently be slow and clueless on occasion. All that said, this is a great hotel for families looking for a cheaper hotel with a fantastic pool area and a good beach. The monkeys in and around the property are fun, although the kids club has rather unmotivated staff. While this hotel is not comparable to the true luxury options, it is around half, and sometimes as little as a third of the price, so offers a cheap bargain on Langkawi.
1. The Datai Langkawi
The Datai is just 30 minutes from Langkawi International Airport, and we think this is currently the best luxury hotel in Langkawi. With its tropical rainforest setting and secluded, white sand beach on the Andaman Sea, The Datai Langkawi provides the ultimate escape. Choose from several room styles, including the luxurious Beach Villas, which feature separate living areas that flow effortlessly into a lush, enclosed outdoor garden, complete with a rain shower and 32-foot private swimming pool. Make time for treatments at The Datai Spa. Later, savor Thai specialties along with rainforest and ocean views at The Pavilion, local curry, and Indian specialties in a superb setting at The Gulai House, or a mix of Malaysian and Western cuisines at The Dining Room.
The Datai Langkawi is one of the best hotels in Langkawi.
2. Ritz-Carlton Langkawi
Ritz-Carlton hotels almost always offer the best club lounge in a city or a resort, usually with at least 5 food offerings a day, and the food is great! None of your snacks and continental breakfast. Ritz-Carlton breakfast, lunch, and dinner are the real deal and are of excellent quality. The volume is enough to fill you up, too.
Sadly, although Ritz-Carlton Langkawi is undoubtedly one of the best luxury hotels in Langkawi, it is one of the few Ritz-Carlton hotels that does not have a club lounge.
With its rainforest location and authentic experiences, The Ritz-Carlton, Langkawi specializes in the extraordinary. Step into a world where luxury takes the form of contemporary style infused with elements of nature and tradition. Here, you are as apt to explore the jungle as you are to indulge in fine cuisine or entrust your heart’s desire to the enchanted Walkway of Wishes. Additional amenities at this five-star Langkawi resort include:
- Accommodation with rainforest views
- Private pools in the villas
- The island’s only overwater spa
- Three pools, including a beachfront pool
- Four distinctive dining experiences
- Locally inspired activities
- Ritz Kids program
- Pillar-less Grand Ballroom
- VIP Salon and other meeting venues
- A selected number of soft drinks from the in-room Honor Bar replenished daily
- No executive club lounge
Book a stay here with our luxury travel concierge for extra benefits in addition to your usual Marriott Bonvoy status benefits and points.
3. The St. Regis Langkawi
Lavish is the word at The St. Regis Langkawi. How else to describe the exquisite overwater restaurant, KayuPuti, or the colossal Sunset Royal Villa with tempered glass floor panels in the living room?
Of course, the other 88 accommodations are equally elegant, with mahogany flooring, rainfall showers, and balconies that open to the jungle or Andaman Sea (and several include private plunge pools). The resort sits close to Malaysia’s first UNESCO Global Geopark, offering ample opportunities for nature walks and watersports. Reflect upon a Bespoke Ritual before a traditional massage at Iridium Spa.
The St. Regis Langkawi is one of the best hotels in Langkawi.
4. Four Seasons Resort Langkawi
Flanked by tropical rainforest, limestone cliffs, and the emerald waters of the Andaman Sea and tucked away within a UNESCO World Geopark, Four Seasons Resort Langkawi’s Malay-style pavilions and villas offer both quiet, romantic havens for lovebirds as well as versatile family-oriented retreats.
Langkawi is actually an archipelago of 100 islands, 30 km offshore in the Andaman Sea. The majority of travelers will stay on the large Langkawi Island, where the majority of the area’s 750 hotels are located.
The Four Seasons is located on the quieter northern side of the island, along a mile-long sandy beach in beautifully landscaped gardens. The resort feels secluded, yet the airport is only 25 minutes away, and the hotel is a short boat ride from the Klim Karst conservation area, where you can spot macaque monkeys, sea otters, and the unique walking mudskipper fish.
Wake up with a morning swim in your plunge pool before enjoying breakfast on the deck, then head out to explore the mysterious mangrove forests, winding rivers, and ancient sea stacks that create our unique landscape. Find some balance at The Geo Spa, then sit down for authentic Malay cuisine at Ikan-Ikan before toasting the spectacular, jewel-tone sunset with a cocktail at Rhu Bar. Tomorrow, there will be even more wonders to see.
Four Seasons Resort Langkawi is one of the best hotels in Langkawi.
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