Admittedly, I was crazy excited about my first-ever trip to Langkawi but I honestly had no idea what was in store for me when I took the short 5 minute taxi ride from Langkawi’s teeny tiny airport to Meritus Palangi Beach Resort & Spa.  At first glance, you enter into a magnificent traditional Malaysian home … ornamental hard wood everywhere and cosy chairs.  Then you quickly discover that you’ve actually stepped into a perfect paradise on the island’s very 1st five star hotel.  What awaits every guest on this pristine strip of beach is a genuine feeling of being at home with new friends who are always happy to see you, incredible food that will knock your socks off, and pampering of the body and soul 24/7 that will leave you wanting to return sooner than you’d think!

Why You’ll Love Meritus Pelangi Beach Resort & Spa Langkawi

• It’s the perfect balance of feeling at ‘home away from home’ and 5-star luxury and pampering … and it ensures your holiday is a completely blissful experience.
• The new Meritus Club offers an exclusive ‘members only’ experience for suite guests or as an add-on and it’s absolutely a must-have!
• The pristine white sandy beach sits on a quiet and remote piece of gorgeous coastline.
• The spa serves up amazingly original services at a quality level that actually lists them in my TOP 5 spas in Asia.
• 4 Ringgit Carlsberg from noon ’til 9pm!

The Property

Meritus Pelangi Beach Resort & Spa was the very first 5-star luxury hotel built on Langkawi in 1989, and to this day they continue to renovate and innovate and wow all of us who are lucky enough to call it home for a while.

In addition to the endless beachfront chaise lounges, there are two pools with amazing service (a call button at every chair!) and a swim up bar.

There offer hip-swaying/toe-tapping live music 7 nights a week, and a cultural show every Friday night.  The main beach bar Cba has a lively rock band belting out tunes from the ’60s on up, and the lobby lounge showcases a talented duet that performs mostly chilled 70s, 80s, and 90s tunes with modern songs mixed in to keep it current.  And on Friday nights, a festive dance troupe puts on a cultural show that is entertaining and engaging.

Room 303

Although I did tour the suites, I wouldn’t have changed a larger suite for my lovely Beach Front Room with its private balcony leading onto the white sandy beach of Cenang.  Located at the farthest end of the property, room 303 is a twist together of modern lines and prints with traditional Malaysian woods and soft lighting.  It marries granite and local decorative pieces.  The bathroom is elegant, and best of all, the room showcases an ocean of beauty right at your feet.

I was on the 1st floor with hardwood floors and assured by the team that the guests on the 2nd floor enjoyed wall-to-wall carpeting.  I was worried about the noise and had mentioned that I had earplugs with me and they waved me off very sweetly and told me that I wouldn’t need them … and they were right.  In fact, the only thing I heard in the mornings was birds, and that was a nice welcome change from my urban jungle life.  Do check out my video for a full tour 🙂

My one complaint is that they don’t have a traditional turndown service and the first night I had to remove that crazy towel and flower origami animal from my bed, sort out the curtains and blinds, and turn off several lamps … which oddly their staff had come into my room to turn on when they delivered their nightly sweets.  I’d have loved for them to replenish my towels and handled the above bits over dropping off dessert to be honest (although it was yummy, don’t get me wrong).

Meritus Club

Instead of buffet breakfast or room service, how about a lovely à la carte experience in a quiet lounge (and wonderfully kid-free every time I was there!).  Well, with Meritus Club you’ll enjoy that and other VIP services to round out a perfect stay:

• Breakfast also includes lots of yummy pastries and fruit to nibble on as you wait for your breakfast, prepared by one of the skilled chefs at Meritus Pelangi Resort
• Afternoon Tea with lovely little cakes, cheeses, canapes, and nibbles served daily from 12 – 5pm
• Happy Hour with ice cold beers, wine, and a full bar for cocktails or whatever floats your boat, from 5pm – 7pm daily

Meritus Club is available for all suite guests, and as an add-on for only MYR 120 per person / per day if you’re in any other category of room.  It’s an absolute steal so don’t miss out.  Honestly, happy hour alone pays for itself but the serenity and comfort of the lounge is priceless.

Food & Drink

Who knew I’d be in for a weekend of Cuban-fusion cuisine with big, tender lobsters and lemongrass mojitos but that’s just what I got … and I’m sooo sooo soooo thankful for it.  Foodies will fall in love hard and fast with the newly renovated restaurants at Meritus Pelangi.  And party-goers will find their cocktails and bar ambiance perfect for whatever mood hits … Cba for when it’s time to let loose after dinner or Pelangi Lounge for when it’s time to chill.

On the culinary side, in addition to room service and Meritus Club, guests have three choices.  My favourite is Cba, with amazing seafood, unique fusion dishes all served à la carte, and an unparalleled view of the Andaman Sea that makes all the other F&B options play second fiddle to Cba.  The second is the Spice Market, with an Asian-focused food stall concept that serves a tasty combination of Malaysian, Indian, Chinese, and other cuisines.  Last is the lobby café, with pastries and goodies along with a juice bar and killers coffees.

Must-Trys @ Cba

• My #1 Favourite (1st pic below) >> fresh vegetable rice roll – Vietnamese spring roll, graated vegetable, chilli, corriander dressing
• Gratinated Lobster (new on the next menu launching soon!) – crushed herb potato, sea grapes, beurre blanc

Pelangi Spa

After reviewing close to 50 spa around Asia, I can pretty much tell within one minute if a treatment is going to be a good one or not … and I could tell straight away that I was in for something special.  My therapist was so skilled and performed everything with such symmetry and perfection, it was a joy to be in her capable hands and I honestly didn’t want to leave.  I experienced:

• The memorable Mandi Bunga, which is a traditional Malaysian bridal ritual that purifies the body and soul by replacing negative energy with good and leaving the skin smelling like an exotic flower (and something I wish I could do every day…it was very special, check out the video for more).
• A 60-minute Urut Melayu, which is a massage that uses long and deep kneeding strokes for an overall ‘leaves you like Jello’ feel at the end of it.

#FunFact >> I visited the spa twice and both times there were two beautiful black butterflies that found me once I entered into the spa garden and followed me a few feet along the pathway to spa building.  The first time I thought it was a happy coincidence but when it happened again I realised they didn’t want to leave either!

Connect

• For more information or to make a reservation, visit their website.
• And be sure to follow their newly re-focused Instagram account for a daily dose of pure Langkawi travel inspiration, or their Facebook page to stay up-to-date on upcoming events and fun things going on around the resort.

XOXO Angela

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