The Meritus Pelangi Beach Resort and Spa is situated on the Malaysian island of Langkawi. It recently completed a multi-million dollar refurbishment program.
Review by Bryan T.
In 2012, the resort was voted one of the Top 25 Relaxation & Spa Hotels in Malaysia at the TripAdvisor Traveller’s Choice Hotel Awards.
Friendly Service and Facilities
The resort more than exceeded my expectations in terms of service and quality. From the very beginning, customer service is so friendly that there is never a hassle to ask for anything; no matter at what time or where. My wife and I were always greeted with a friendly smile and a desire to help with our every need.
Once we checked into our room, we were surprised by how spacious it was. Lights were all accessible with a universal plug built into the wall near the desk. It would be more convenient to have two plugs. The spacious bathroom was equipped with a bath tub and shower, which was controlled with a flip of a switch for both the rain and standard style. This made jumping into the shower after escaping the outside heat, no chore.
Breakfast Buffet
The breakfast buffet was something my wife and I looked forward to every night before we retired to bed. Their buffet caters to virtually all diet types, from Japanese to Malaysian, Thai, Chinese, European, and American. Everyone from meat lovers to vegans could have a very filling and pleasant meal. I could enjoy a cooked-to-order omelette or pho, make a fantastic salad, choose from around 25 hot and cold dishes, and gorge myself on all the sweets. The only drawback is that the fruit was not as ripe as it could be.
The resort surroundings were beyond beautiful.
Stunning Views
I was looking at views that I thought could only be found in iconic screen saver and advertisement pictures. The resort area always felt safe, whether it walking along the beach or through carefully paved walkways at midday or late night. .
Tranquil Beach
In early December, it was not crowded. At peak hours my wife and I would easily find a 50 metres stretch of private beach providing us with many hours of walking on soft, clean sand – and sea shell hunting.
Signs were posted along the beach on the dangers of jellyfish. Even though it was off season, we still found a couple sizable ones washed up on the beach. A cordoned-off area to enjoy the beautiful waters would be ideal. Nonetheless, we were delighted to have the option to play in one of the two giant pools equipped with small water slides and jets. They were not very deep – great for sitting, wading and splashing.
Location
The location was very central. Within one kilometre from the resort, we could find all types of shopping and food, from McDonalds to Mexican. We spent as much time walking around the one major road as we did in the resort. It was safe, very well lit, and lively. The prices of food and items range from a couple Malaysian ringgits (RM) to standard American prices. Note that one American dollar is equivalent to about three Malaysian ringgits.
In-House Tour Service
Through the resort tour desk, we booked a mangrove tour. Initially, we felt overcharged (US$100 for two persons compared to US$20 for outside booking). We got what we paid for – and travelled on the nicest boat through the mangroves habitat to view proboscis monkeys. We even lucked out with a private tour as five other participants cancelled out. The tour desk could provide guests with more tour price options rather than just one pricey package. If we were to do it again, we would definitely opt for the US$20 tour in the longer, slower, and more crowded boats.
Improvement on Guest Perks
The resort could offer more free in-house services to their guests. For example, free use of bicycle for the first hour instead of charging RM10 for an hour rental for a less than decent quality bike. Besides the small workout area, some board games, and two small sauna rooms, everything else was an extra expense. Even the two water bottles placed in our room were RM3 a bottle. Being a tropical resort, guests would appreciate at least complimentary bottled water.
Overall Experience
Overall we could not have imagined a better experience! We would have been happy to stay there twice as long. The tranquility of the resort made relaxing and de-stressing a breeze. When I think of a place to de-stress, the Meritus Pelangi Beach Resort is on the top of my list.
