"From the minute we arrived we knew this was a special place. Sitting by the magnificent lily pond watching the frogs whilst we registered and had a welcome drink set the tone beautifully. Our room was to die for, calm, spacious, huge bed, big bathroom full of candles and bath salts, and a gorgeous terrace overlooking the rainforest. Cheeky monkeys visited a couple of times especially when housekeeping were around! Our favourite restaurants were Gulai House and the Beach Club and our favourite time of day was sundown at the beach bar on the stunning beach sipping a gorgeous cocktail and chatting to friendly bar staff. We were invited to the General Managers cocktail party down at the beach club and it was relaxed and friendly with non stop fizz and beautiful canapés. We spent a lot of time talking to Stephane who was so passionate about the hotel and had giggles with Azhari and other staff. The adult pool was blissful with the comfiest sunbeds ever and staff bringing constant iced water and cool treats to keep you refreshed. Really admired the hotel’s commitment to sustainability which was a genuine pledge and shone through at all times. In summary, the Datai is a piece of heaven set in a magical rainforest surrounded by lovely friends (the staff!) We will definitely be back! Thank you"

"This was our third visit and totally lived up to our expectations again. We only had 3 nts this time and this was far too short!! All the positives that others have said are absolutely true. I have been lucky enough to stay at some very nice hotels and the Datai remains my favourite beach hotels in the world. Staff are attentive without being overbearing, food is delicious, beach and pools are lovely - we will be back"

"This review may well get lost in the volume of outstanding reviews but echoes our traveller experience. Positives, location is breathtaking, hotel hides itself in the forest and nestles in unnoticed. Facilities are again superb and every inch is maintained immaculately. Staff service is world class, ask for anything and they will do their best to provide. It’s expensive and that attracts a certain clientele including self important and arrogant guests who believe they have an entitlement to be there, sadly the hotel indulges these at the expense of normal guests. The ‘hoorays’ are obnoxious and spoil the experience, Datai should realise all guests come here for the first time once and equality should not be judged by what villa they occupy. We stayed for four nights in the main building room 301, be aware these ground floor rooms have no/little view, the interior is excellent but if you’re able book rooms at the top level for a view of the bay/grounds. Multiple posts highlight restaurant availability, we met guests who had booked there restaurants months in advance which seems unfair, Datai please restrict bookings until guests are on site. As titled this review will be lost in the gushy positives but is an honest appraisal. Good not excellent, annoying cliques of guests and restricted restaurant availability"

"We stayed at the Datai for 7 nights in January and had a magical holiday. The Datai is a truly special place. The location is incredible, the food and service are fantastic but I’m writing this review because when I was planning my trip I noticed that there weren’t many reviews from people with young children so I wanted to share how we found our stay for those considering a trip with small children. From the moment we arrived, my son (age 3) was treated so wonderfully by every member of staff we met. The gifts in the room instantly encouraged my son to look for animals. Yasin made every ride on the buggy a fun experience for him. Mal was brilliant showing my son the sea life and how to sail. The team at the nature centre were fantastic - the sessions offered for both adults and children were excellent. My son has been talking about everything he learnt since arriving home, and is now very interested in plankton after his marine biology session! While there are some guests at the hotel who clearly preferred the days of the Datai being an adults only hotel, the majority seemed to enjoy seeing a young child enjoying nature and new life experiences - with many stopping to ask us for tips on how we’d found various things so they could look into bringing their own grandchildren. We would highly recommend travelling to the Datai with young children if you are looking to make family memories to last a lifetime."

"We stayed at The Datai Langkawi for six nights at the end of our holiday. It’s undoubtedly a beautiful property in an extraordinary setting, though our experience had a mix of highs and some minor issues. On arrival we were checked in at the lobby bar and offered a welcome drink, which was a nice touch. We arrived around 1pm and our room wasn’t ready (normal check in is 3pm), so we spent the time at the adults-only pool. The pool area is peaceful and well designed, with very comfortable loungers. There is also a family pool down by the beach, which looked equally appealing. We were pleased to see the adults-only policy being enforced, which helped maintain a calm atmosphere. We stayed in Room 508, a spacious and comfortable room surrounded by rainforest. It felt private and tranquil, although the view was directly into dense greenery. If we were to return, we would likely upgrade to a first-floor room for a better outlook. We had an issue with the fridge not being cold enough. Reception arranged a replacement promptly, but unfortunately it didn’t improve the situation and we decided not to pursue it further. The sliding doors to the balcony are a bit tricky to close properly, I struggled to lock them and I can imagine anyone elderly would really have a problem. We were on a half-board basis. Breakfast in The Dining Room overlooked the adult pool and offered a good selection of the usual options expected at a hotel of this standard. Before arrival, I had read that restaurants book up quickly, so I emailed to secure reservations in advance. On arrival, only three bookings were showing on the system, fortunately I had kept the confirmation email. A revised confirmation was later sent to our room but contained errors, which meant another call to concierge to correct it. While eventually resolved, it wasn’t the smooth start we would have expected. Our dinner at The Pavilion (the Thai restaurant) was a bit of a disappointment. Service was very slow and the food arrived cold. We raised this after the meal and asked to move a future reservation to the Beach Club to avoid repeating the experience. An apology was offered and we were told the issues were due to a managers’ drinks event and late-arriving guests to the restaurant who had earlier bookings, although this hadn’t been communicated to us so we missed the event and it still didn’t entirely explain the level of disruption. We dined twice at Gulai. The first evening was enjoyable, but the second visit was less consistent in both food and service. It seemed like only one person could serve drinks and take orders which made it very inefficient. The Beach Club was the standout for us. We visited three evenings for dinner and also had lunch there daily. Food and service were consistently good, and it noticeably appeared better staffed. We didn’t dine at The Dining Room in the evening due to the long-trouser dress code for men, which didn’t suit us on this trip. On one occasion in the beach club, a guest took a FaceTime call on loudspeaker in the restaurant despite the guidance in the app about device etiquette, it would have been helpful if this had been addressed to preserve the atmosphere. What truly sets this hotel apart is the setting. The bay, rainforest and wildlife are genuinely breathtaking. Seeing monkeys and hornbills in such a natural and peaceful environment was a real highlight. We even saw a python on our last day! Don’t worry the staff were keeping an eye on him and were planning to move him somewhere further away. Overall, the location and natural beauty are exceptional and make this a very special place. However, the inconsistencies in dining and some service issues meant the experience didn’t fully match the hotel’s reputation, so I hope management addresses this constructive feedback. That being said, we would definitely return in the future and look forward to doing so."