Fancy an idyllic, luxurious hotel stay on a private beachfront in an island comfortably nestled in the Andaman Sea? The Westin Langkawi Resort & Spa situated just about one kilometre away from the Telaga Harbour Park on Pulau Langkawi, fits the bill quite nicely.
Earlier this year, I had the good fortune of spending some time at this hotel and enjoy its comforts.
It was my first stay at the hotel, and also a first staying on the Kuah side of the island. I’d been to Pantai Cenang in the past and while I had visited the marina and Jetty Point shopping mall, I never got to experience beach life in Kuah, which turned out to be lovely. The hotel is really close to touristy sites like the Eagle Square and tropical gardens at Lagenda Park so you can hop on over when you’ve had enough of the pristine waters and sandy beach.
The Westin Langkawi has 221 guestrooms and suites, luxurious private one- and two- bedroom villas and one very exclusive, five-bedroom private villa (which I will happily dream of going to someday). All the private villas have their own pools, which make them a hit with tourists who value their privacy.
The hotel is very breezy and welcoming, its staff friendly and helpful, the amenities clean and user friendly. It features six pillars of of wellbeing – feel well, work well, move well, eat well, sleep well and play well – all supporting the Westin brand philosophy “For a better you”.
Indeed from Day One, we were treated to a relaxing and comfortable stay, fed with some awesome, not to mention healthy food, and given the opportunity to exercise in comfort as well.
I was one of a group of journalists who were given the pleasure of experiencing “The Scents of Arabian Nights” which transformed The Westin’s beacfront patio eatery, Tide, into The Ritz Carlton Dubai’s acclaimed restaurant Amaseena. Westin had specially flown in staff including Amaseena’s Chef de Cuisine Hussam Al Hariri to make sure the century old Arabic favourites stretching from Magreb to the Arabian peninsula were all authentically recreated. Indeed the cultures, flavours and spices that filled the restaurant throughout July and August were a big hit, especially among guests from the Middle East who are big draw at this time of the year.
When they say “eat well”, they mean it and have gone the extra mile to ensure meals are healthy and choices are aplenty. The breakfast spread at the Seasonal Tastes Restaurant is chock full of Western, Asian and Middle Eastern options, and there’s even a juiceria, where you get loads of fresh fruit.
Then there’s the Breeze Lounge Terrace Area where we had cocktails in the evenings while a live vocal outfit entertained us, and an impromptu lunch by the bar. The Splash bar by one of the four pools was also great for drinks and hanging out.
There are other more private areas for dining including the Anjung Damai cabana and Float which is on a jetty in the middle of the ocean and doubles up as a great photo opportunity for guests.
If you’re not already spoilt for choice here, you can walk over to St Regis Hotel, which neighbours the property and choose from the numerous options there. One in particular that you must visit is Kayu Puti, the brainchild of Bangkok-based, Harvard-educated architect Bill Bensley. The decor inside this charming dining haven is elegantly quirky and in white and natural hues (hence its name, kayu putih), the food out of the ordinary, and the views magnificent.
Back at Westin, you’ll not be disappointed with your accommodations – the beds are heavenly – seriously, the beds and mattresses are called “heavenly sleep” (manufactured exclusively for Westin hotels) for good reason. You’re also give a little vial of sleep well lavendar balm, which I adored.
The rooms have all the essentials, wifi, TV, minibar, shower rooms with handles, hairdryers, and all the ports for charging your devices. I got an ocean view room with balcony which was extra nice too.
Don’t forget there are four pools to get your laps in too. You must also not miss the opportunity to go for a treatment or two at the Heavenly Spa, which offers a range of treatments and techniques from Malay, Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Turkish, Swedish and Indonesian.
One of the things I enjoyed most was that you could work out while you relaxed here. The hotel steers you toward a healthy, refreshing holiday. There’s the fitness studio just a short walk away from the main building which offers a good selection of equipment. Access to the gym is available 24 hours on a complimentary basis.
There’s also a cool service thanks to a collab with New Balance. For a nominal charge, the hotel will deliver New Balance gear to your room (shorts, shoes and T-shirts) in case you forgot to pack your gym gear! How cool is that?
