Rainforest above Datai Bay, on Langkawi’s north-west tip: 121 rooms, suites and villas and a path down to the beach.
A week here, month by monthThe Datai suits couples and families who want rainforest and sea together, with resident naturalists: from 1 May 2027 one night taken alone started at RM 2,938 for 2 adults, the lowest price any seller showed on Google. Little is within reach without a car, so weigh that up if you want shops and restaurants close by.
Official siteWould you go?
Keep it among your hotels and see it on the budget globe, month by month.
I would ask for a Canopy Premium room: 63 square metres with balconies over the rainforest, the main pool and the Andaman Sea. A guest writing in November 2022, on a 3rd stay, chose the premium canopy rooms for a change.
In the calendar read on 13 October 2026 the lowest week is 28 June–4 July 2027: one night taken alone ran from RM 2,938 to RM 3,060. The dearest, 29 January–4 February 2027, ran from RM 4,410 to RM 6,280 for one night taken alone.
The resort’s Early Bird offer, valid for stays until 22 December 2026, starts at RM 2,700 a night for a Canopy Deluxe with breakfast, plus 10% service charge; booked 30 days ahead it takes 10% off, and a cancellation is charged in full.
The Dining Room needs a reservation 24 hours ahead and serves dinner from 7pm to 11pm by the candlelit pool. At dinner there is also a degustation menu, paired with wines from a cellar of more than 700 labels.
The Datai opened in 1993 on Langkawi’s north-west tip; the main building stands on a forest ridge 40 metres above the sea and 300 metres back from the beach, and in 2001 it won the Aga Khan Award for Architecture (official site). A restoration closed it on 4 September 2017 (press release); the reopening, announced for July 2018 (March 2018 release), came as a soft opening on 29 September and in full in December (Luxury Travel Advisor). It belongs to The Leading Hotels of the World and in June 2026 received Condé Nast Traveler’s Triple Crown (press release); the MICHELIN Guide gives it one Key.
The 121 units come in 3 groups. In the main building, the 66 Canopy units: 63 m² rooms with balconies, 11 suites of 109–125 m² and the Datai Suite, which the site gives as 258 m² on the collection page and 378 m² on its own page. In the forest, 41 villas on stilts: 123 m², or 175 m² with a 7.6 m pool, plus the 5-bedroom Estate Villa (Rainforest Collection). On the sand, 13 villas of 350 m² with a 10 m pool and one of 750 m² (Beach Collection).
Official rates start at RM 2,700 a night for a Canopy Deluxe with breakfast, booked 30 days ahead (Early Bird), plus 10% service and, for foreign guests, a RM 10 nightly tourism tax (Booking.com). On Google Hotels, read on 13 October 2026, the cheapest night was RM 1,849 on 18 October, below the official rate: the card also lists rates for Malaysian residents only, and does not say which one that was.
We read the latest 500 Google reviews with text, from August 2021 to September 2026. Of the guests who mention the setting, 85% are happy with it; of the rooms, 86%; of the staff, 83%. Those who find the price fair talk about the beach, the rainforest around it and the food; the bill also carries the 10% service charge and extras charged one by one.
Lumina Guide 2027
The Datai sits inside the rainforest above Datai Bay, on Langkawi’s north-west tip: 121 rooms, suites and villas, some on stilts along a stream, and a path through the trees down to the beach.
Distinctions
What we found reading the hotel’s own pages, one thing at a time.
Forest down to a 1.5 km bay on the north-west tip; 33 km and 40 to 50 minutes by car from the airport, 45 km from Kuah.
Opened in 1993, Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 2001, restored in 2017–2018; a team of resident naturalists.
63 m² rooms in the main building, villas on stilts of 123–175 m², beach villas of 350 and 750 m² with a butler.
4 restaurants, Malaysian, Thai, a 10-course tasting menu and the Beach Club; The Dining Room keeps a cellar of more than 700 labels.
5 spa villas along a stream, Malay treatments from RM 490; gym, sauna and steam room at the Health Club; 3 pools.
RM 2,938 a night for the lowest run to book, from 1 May 2027, to RM 6,720 for the dearest night shown on Google, read 13 October 2026; the official Early Bird rate starts at RM 2,700 with breakfast, plus 10% service.
A badge is an experience travellers look for, that is really here and that few hotels in the guide have.
Here: the pool beside the main building is for adults, from 16; 2 guests in 2024 noted that no music is played in the restaurant.
143 of the 158 guests who write about the quiet are pleased. 14 hotels of 335 hold it.
Every hotel with this badgeWhat do The Datai’s guests say? They write it in their reviews, even those who only came for a drink or dinner: we read every one and tell the 5 things that matter, from the location to the bill.
9 in 10 guests who mention it are happy with it. Rainforest running down to a beach many call the island’s best; the cost is 45 minutes of winding road from the airport and Pantai Cenang, and visitors without a booking find the gate shut.
9 in 10 guests who mention it are happy with it. Guests describe large, private rooms with monkeys and hornbills on the balcony: the Canopy rooms in the main building, the Rainforest Villas among the trees, the beach villas with their butler.
8 in 10 guests who mention it are happy with it. Guests name the staff one by one: the villa butlers, the buggy drivers who come whenever called, and the naturalists at the Nature Centre.
8 in 10 guests who mention it are happy with it. A buffet of Malaysian dishes and croissants many remember, sometimes with hornbills looking on; the crab omelette is one of the house dishes.
5 in 10 guests who mention the price find it fair. Guests who find the price fair talk about the beach, the rainforest around it and the food.
On location it shares first place with The Ritz-Carlton, Langkawi among the 6 hotels compared in Langkawi.
| What | Score out of 10 | Guests who mention it | Happy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Location | 8.6 | 274 | 85% |
| Room | 8.1 | 133 | 86% |
| Staff and service | 8.3 | 387 | 83% |
| Breakfast | 7.7 | 78 | 76% |
| Price | – | 77 | 45% |
The scores come from 500 Google reviews with text, left from 28 August 2021 to 30 September 2026. The other hotels are the ones weighed for a stay in Langkawi: for each we read its latest 500 Google reviews with text, or all of them where there are fewer, as of 2 October 2026. The score is the average of what they say, from 0 if they speak of it very badly to 10 if they speak of it very well. Where only a few mention something, the score stays close to the guide’s average: a handful of voices does not make a reputation.
The hotels we weigh it against in Langkawi:
Price: for two on the night of 1 July 2027, from 2,938 MYR (seen on Google Hotels on 13 October 2026).
Read on 13 October 2026, one night taken alone for 2 adults ran from RM 2,938 to RM 3,079 between 1 May and 9 July 2027, against RM 3,214–RM 6,720 from 31 October 2026 to 30 April 2027. I would start with 28 June–4 July 2027, then price the whole stay: booked together, 7 nights from 16 November 2026 were listed at RM 5,848 a night by the lowest seller and RM 6,284 by the resort’s own listing.
| Period | Ringgit a night |
|---|---|
| 14 to 30 Oct. 2026 | 1,849–3,310 |
| 31 Oct. 2026 to 30 Apr. 2027 | 3,214–6,720 |
| 1 May to 9 July 2027 | 2,938–3,079 |
| 10 July to 22 Aug. 2027 | 4,190 every night |
| 23 Aug. to 8 Sep. 2027 | 3,070–3,079 |
Lowest seller prices on Google for 2 adults, one night taken alone, read on 13 October 2026; room and meal plan unspecified, and the card also lists Malaysia Residents Only rates, so a low night may be one of them. The calendar ends on 8 September 2027; 23 December 2026 to 3 January 2027 has no price. Booked as 7 nights from 16 November 2026, the lowest seller Google listed that day asked RM 5,848 a night; the resort’s own listing, RM 6,284.
The naturalists and their walks, a freshwater pool 500 metres up a trail, Thai cooking on stilts, the spa beside the stream, free watersports and a golf course 5 minutes away.
A library on Langkawi’s nature, a room for nature films and a lounge where the resort’s naturalists and marine biologists tell the forest’s stories, open 9am to 6pm (Nature Centre). The Jungle Voices talks are free; 20% of every activity charge goes to The Datai Pledge (experiences).
A short drive and a 500-metre trail into the forest lead to a freshwater swimming creek; with a naturalist there is also Mandi Embun, Malay forest bathing, and birdwatching among the more than 60 species recorded around Teluk Datai (nature experiences).
The Pavilion stands on 30-metre stilts and serves Thai food in the open air, 40 seats, from 6.30pm to 11pm (The Pavilion); Malaysian cooking is at The Gulai House, 60 seats, same hours (The Gulai House).
5 treatment villas along a stream, each with indoor and outdoor showers and a river-view bath; the Malay massages use Akar, the resort’s own products, and a 90-minute Urut Melayu costs RM 810 plus 10% (2026 menu).
The beach is 1.5 km long and 30 metres wide at normal tide (beach); Hobie Waves, windsurfers, kayaks, paddleboards and snorkel kit are free to guests from 9am to 6pm (watersports).
The Els Club Teluk Datai, 3.2 km away: 18 holes, par 72, no bunkers and 8 water hazards (the course). The green fee with a cart is RM 695 from 24 April to 20 December 2026, a caddy RM 120 (rates).
Rates and menus carry a 10% service charge; foreign guests pay a tourism tax of RM 10 per room per night at check-in. Source: 500 Google reviews read, 28 August 2021 to 30 September 2026
From Langkawi airport it is 30 km and 40 minutes by car on the resort’s count, 45 to 50 in practice; the resort’s transfer costs from RM 350 one way per vehicle, plus 10%, and is included with the beach villas and some offers. Source: thedatai.com
On Google Hotels some rates are kept for residents of Malaysia: on 1 October 2026 the cheapest night was RM 1,850, below the official rate of RM 2,700, and the listing does not say which kind it is. Source: thedatai.com
The official site does not say whether visitors may come in. Google reviews from 2022 to 2026 show that the gate stops anyone arriving without a booking: non-residents get in only with a reservation.
Rates and menus carry a 10% service charge; foreign guests pay a RM 10 per room per night tourism tax at check-in (Booking.com). A trade guide also cites an 8% service tax (MySoftInn), but the resort’s own total on Google adds up with the 10% and the tax alone.
The Malaysia Digital Arrival Card is filed within the 3 days before arrival, the day of filing included (Malaysian Immigration). The resort’s page says «at least 3 days prior» (getting here); the Immigration rule is the one that applies.
There can be jellyfish in the sea: one guest says so on Booking.com and 3 Google reviews do, in May 2023, April 2024 and June 2026.
The resort describes a dry season from November to April and a wet one from May to October (Langkawi), when the south-west monsoon brings wind and weather that turns quickly (Datai Diaries). Cyclones are rare: Senyar, in November 2025, was the first to strengthen in the Strait of Malacca (DTN).
Under-12s may not dine at The Dining Room or stay in The Lobby Lounge after 7pm; the adult pool is for 16 and over (rules, pools). No kids’ club is published.
Almost everyone flies to Langkawi from Kuala Lumpur, Penang or Singapore and crosses the island by car; the resort’s car is extra unless the room or package includes it.
| Langkawi International (LGK) | 30 km and 40 minutes by the resort’s count, 29 km by Google’s; 33.4 km and 49 minutes without traffic on OpenStreetMap routing. Allow 45 to 50 minutes. |
|---|---|
| Flights | From Kuala Lumpur 60 minutes, from Penang 40, from Singapore 1 hour 25, with Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia, Firefly, Batik Air Malaysia and Scoot (getting here). |
| The resort’s car | One way, per vehicle: RM 350 for a Toyota Vellfire (4–5 people), RM 450 for the executive limousine, RM 550 for the Bentley or the electric BMW i7 (3 people); return RM 600, RM 700 and RM 800, plus 10%, rates quoted until October 2026 (getting here). It is included with the Datai Suite, the Estate Villa, the beach villas and the Golf Exclusive, Rainforest Romance and Consciously Datai offers. |
| Taxi or Grab | About RM 80 in an answer on Tripadvisor’s forum from about 2 years ago, RM 50–60 in another guest’s memory; Grab is a little cheaper. The airport publishes no zone fares. A guest in August 2026 writes that taxis called out here do not come: to go out, go through the concierge. |
| By ferry | From Kuala Perlis 60 minutes, from Kuala Kedah 1 hour 45, and from Thailand via Satun or Koh Lipe (getting here). From Kuah jetty to the resort is 45 km, an hour by the resort’s count, 54 minutes on OpenStreetMap routing. |
| Driving yourself | Free parking, valet included, according to Booking.com and Expedia; the resort’s site does not mention it. Tripadvisor recommends a car for getting around the island. |
Sources read on 1 October 2026.
Langkawi’s sights are 30 minutes or more away: the cable car and its bridge, the waterfalls on the same mountain, the north coast’s beach and the busiest one in the south-west. Distances by road, computed on OpenStreetMap.
The 125 m curved footbridge, 660 m above the sea at the top of Gunung Mat Cincang, is reached by the SkyCab cable car (Wikipedia): its lower station at Oriental Village is 20.9 km, 30 minutes, by car.
7 natural pools and a 90 m waterfall on the cliffs of Mat Cincang above Burau Bay; the first fall is reached by about 900 steps (Wikipedia). 21.6 km, 30 minutes by car.
The north coast’s beach, where the Kilim mangrove estuaries, about 10 km long, reach the sea (Wikipedia), and where the Four Seasons stands: 30.5 km, 41 minutes by car.
The island’s most popular beach and tourist strip (Wikipedia): 33.5 km, 48 minutes by car, much the same drive as the airport.
The resort, the golf, the waterfalls and the cable car, the Kilim mangroves, 2 beaches, the airport and the ferry jetty. Times are by car without traffic, computed on OpenStreetMap roads. Tap a place for details.
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The Dining Room serves breakfast from 7am to 11am, by the main pool under the fig trees.
The Nature Centre opens at 9am, and its Jungle Voices talks by the resident naturalists are free.
Kayaks, paddleboards and snorkel kit are free to guests until 6pm.
The Pavilion opens for dinner at 6.30pm, 30 metres up on stilts, with Thai food in the open air.
From Wednesday to Sunday a pianist plays in The Lobby Lounge from 7pm to 11pm.
Platform scores, the MICHELIN Key and what guests write about the wildlife, children, the sea and the bill.
Scores read on 1 October 2026
Google1,175 reviews4.7/5
Tripadvisor3,390 reviews4.8/5
Booking.com259 reviews9.8/10
Expedia447 reviews9.8/10
MICHELIN Guide Hotels19.9/20, no verified stays yet1 KeyFrom the resort’s Google listing, April to September 2026: the first day’s wildlife, 3 children and the nature lab, the sea, the rates and a guest who has returned since 2020.
GoogleIn the first day: a monitor lizard about 2 metres long, dusky leaf monkeys with a bright orange baby, frogs, hornbills and white-bellied sea eagles, sometimes right past the Rainforest Villas.
GoogleA mother hesitated to come with 3 young children because there is no kids’ club; the nature lab’s activities kept them busy, and they cried on the way home.
GoogleA regular guest swam every day without trouble, but a 3-year-old nephew was stung by a jellyfish on the last day: the advice is to warn parents and put small children in wetsuits.
GoogleOn Booking.com a mid-September offer cost $1,200, but for Malaysians only; for a European visitor the same stay cost $3,600, and the booking was cancelled.
GoogleA guest since 2020, almost every year and 3 times last year: the old team has gone, dishes take over an hour to arrive and prices rise with every visit.
Sources read on 1 October 2026.
On Google Hotels, read on 1 October 2026 for 2 adults, a night cost RM 3,201 on 5 November and RM 6,293 on 30 November; RM 6,672 on 5 December and RM 3,296 on 11 December 2026; then RM 4,374 on 10 January, RM 6,989 on 9 February, the dearest, RM 3,482 on 12 March, RM 3,696 on 1 April, RM 2,960 on 13 May, RM 2,992 on 1 June, RM 4,593 on 10 July and RM 3,029 on 23 August 2027.
Month by month, a typical night runs from about RM 2,990 in May and June to about RM 4,500 in January and February; July and August go back to around RM 4,100. For 23 December to 3 January and from late August 2027 Google showed no price. The calendar names no room and no rate: the card also lists «Malaysia Residents Only» rates, and October’s low is below the lowest official rate.
Official rates start at RM 2,700 a night for a Canopy Deluxe with breakfast, booked 30 days ahead (Early Bird), and RM 3,600 with golf (Golf Exclusive), plus 10% service in both cases. For 14 to 17 October the resort’s own site, on Google, asked RM 26,100 for 3 nights, RM 2,400 of it charges: exactly the 10% plus the RM 10 nightly tax. The MICHELIN Guide showed a Canopy Premium with breakfast at USD 808.70 for 29 October, USD 892.03 with taxes.
No half board and no all-inclusive among the published rates. Breakfast comes with the Early Bird, Extended Journey and Consciously Datai packages, for 2 adults and 2 children under 12 (Early Bird, Extended Journey); only Rainforest Romance includes 3 meals for 2, with soft drinks at meals (Rainforest Romance). Expedia lists the breakfast buffet as extra: it depends on the rate you book.
The higher categories include more: the Datai Suite has airport transfers, a stocked minibar, breakfast and afternoon tea (Datai Suite); the beach villas transfers, breakfast and afternoon tea (Beach Villa). Wi-Fi and the soft-drinks minibar come with every room (Canopy Deluxe); kayaks, paddleboards, windsurfers and bicycles are free.
4 restaurants, a beach bar and a lounge. The Gulai House, Malaysian, 60 seats, and The Pavilion, Thai on 30-metre stilts, 40 seats, open for dinner only, 6.30pm to 11pm (Gulai House, The Pavilion). The Dining Room, 40 seats, serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, with a 10-course tasting menu and a cellar of more than 700 labels; book 24 hours ahead (The Dining Room). The Beach Club serves lunch and dinner on the sand, the Beach Bar is open 11am to 11pm, The Lobby Lounge 9am to 1am, and a 6-seat teppanyaki table opens at 7pm (Beach Club).
In the evening at The Dining Room men wear long trousers, a collared shirt and closed shoes; no swimwear, gym kit or sleeveless shirts, and no children under 12 at dinner. The Gulai House, The Pavilion and The Lobby Lounge turn away swimwear and gym kit (rules). In Google reviews guests write most about The Gulai House and the Beach Club, and name the people who served them.
By car: 30 km and 40 minutes by the resort’s count, 33.4 km and 49 minutes without traffic on OpenStreetMap routing; allow 45 to 50 minutes. Langkawi is 60 minutes’ flying from Kuala Lumpur, 40 from Penang, 1 hour 25 from Singapore; ferries come from Kuala Perlis in 60 minutes and Kuala Kedah in 1 hour 45, and from Kuah jetty to the resort is 45 km, about an hour.
It is included with the Datai Suite, the Estate Villa, the beach villas and the Golf Exclusive, Rainforest Romance and Consciously Datai offers. Otherwise, one way and per vehicle, RM 350 for a Toyota Vellfire for 4–5 people, RM 450 for the executive limousine, RM 550 for the Bentley or BMW i7 for 3 people; return RM 600, RM 700 and RM 800, plus 10% (getting here). A taxi costs about RM 80 according to an answer on Tripadvisor’s forum from about 2 years ago, Grab a little less.
Yes, the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card, for every foreign visitor. The Immigration Department’s form says the trip must fall within 3 days, the day of filing included: you file it in the 3 days before arrival. The resort’s page says «at least 3 days prior», which is the opposite.
A 5-star rainforest resort, opened in 1993, a member of The Leading Hotels of the World, with one MICHELIN Key and Condé Nast Traveler’s Triple Crown of 9 June 2026 (press release); since 2 September 2025 it has EarthCheck Gold certification (press releases). There are 121 units (official site): 66 in the main building, 41 villas in the forest and 14 on the beach, in 11 categories. Tripadvisor counts 54 rooms, 12 suites, 40 villas and 14 beach villas, the same total.
The big restoration was in 2017–2018, the largest since opening (official site): the resort closed on 4 September 2017 (press release) and was due to reopen in July 2018 (press release); The Edge announced 10 September, and by Luxury Travel Advisor’s account it was partly open from 29 September and fully from December 2018.
2022 is a different story: on 1 April Malaysia reopened its borders, and on 7 April the resort announced foreign guests were back after 2 years of closures (press release). In 2020 it had reopened on 12 June, after the lockdown that began on 18 March.
The Canopy units, 54 rooms and 12 suites, are in the main building near the lobby, The Dining Room and the adult pool; they have balconies over the forest, and the Premium rooms, on the top floor, see the pool and the sea too (Canopy Collection). The forest villas stand on stilts along a stream, linked by paths: 123 m², or 175 m² with a 7.6 m pool (Rainforest Collection). The beach villas sit on the sand with a 24-hour butler, a 10 m pool and transfers, breakfast and tea included (Beach Collection). Only the Pool Villas, the beach villas and the Estate Villa have private pools.
2 sizes do not agree on the site itself: the Datai Suite is 258 m² on the collection page and 378 m² on its own page; the Estate Villa, 5 bedrooms and 2 connected pools, is given as «3,500 m²», which may be the plot rather than the house (Estate Villa). Every room has a bathtub, a separate shower and twin basins; by MICHELIN’s listing a Canopy Premium sleeps 3, no more than 2 adults.
5 treatment villas along a stream, each with indoor and outdoor showers and a river-view bath, open from 10am to 9pm (The Spa). The products are the resort’s own Akar, in 3 ranges, rainforest, mangrove and sea, and VOYA seaweed skincare for facials; every treatment begins with a foot bath. On the 2026 menu: Sederhana 60 minutes RM 490, Urut Melayu 90 minutes RM 810, Tungku hot-stone RM 840, 4 hands RM 865 for 60 minutes and RM 1,200 for 90, the 7-hour Malay Wellness Journey RM 1,320, the 5-hour Seven Flowers Ritual RM 2,800, all plus 10%.
The gym, sauna and steam room are at the Health Club near the beach, 7am to 8pm (Health Club). The spa publishes neither its size nor a thermal circuit.
Treatments are paid one by one; the sauna and steam room are at the Health Club, where you sign in, and no price is printed (Health Club). The Golf Exclusive offer gives 15% off the spa (Golf Exclusive); a guest in June 2026 writes that free yoga and Pilates come to a single session. The site does not say whether outside guests can book: in April 2026 a guest wrote that non-residents can pay for the Beach Club with a booking, and Google reviews show that without one visitors do not get past the gate.
Spa 10am to 9pm; Health Club with gym, sauna and steam room 7am to 8pm; pools 7am to 7pm; the Nature Centre and watersports 9am to 6pm (The Spa, Health Club, pools). Yoga and Pilates at the Holistic Pavilion are booked at least 24 hours ahead at the Health Club, the Malay Wellness Journey 48 hours ahead (well-being).
The resort counts 3 (pools): the adult pool beside the main building, for guests 16 and over, facing the forest, the Andaman Sea and Tarutao island; and the newly renovated Family Pool a few steps from the beach, with a toddler pool and a wading area. Google, Booking.com, Tripadvisor and MICHELIN count 2: most likely they leave out the toddler pool. The pools are open from 7am to 7pm all year; temperature and heating are not published, and they are open-air in the tropics.
Yes: a private path leads to Datai Bay, 1.5 km of white sand 30 metres wide at normal tide (beach), with the Beach Club, Beach Bar and the Family Pool at its edge. Non-motorised watersports are free from 9am to 6pm (watersports). There can be jellyfish in the sea: one guest says so on Booking.com and 3 Google reviews do, in May 2023, April 2024 and June 2026.
Expedia describes it as guests-only, with no vendors or jet skis; the resort’s site says nothing about access. Several Google reviews by non-guests, in 2025 and 2026, write that no public road reaches the beach and that in practice only those at the resort use it.
An open pavilion inspired by a bamboo longhouse, 9am to 6pm: a library, a nature-film theatre, a lounge where naturalists and marine biologists tell the forest’s stories and a Tea Corner of herbal infusions (Nature Centre). Outings are «complimentary and paid» (nature): the Jungle Voices talks are free, selected walks come with packages such as Early Bird, and 20% of every activity charge goes to The Datai Pledge. Among them: birdwatching among more than 60 species, the creek 500 metres up a trail and Mandi Embun (experiences).
Children of all ages are welcome. The official offers let up to 2 children under 12 stay free in their parents’ room (Early Bird); Booking.com charges 12s and over as adults, with an extra bed at RM 460 a night and a free cot up to 3; Expedia says only children up to 4 stay free. There is the Family Pool with its toddler pool, a children’s cooking class and Little Gardener (cooking); no kids’ club is published, and babysitting is extra.
The rules: the adult pool from 16, no dinner at The Dining Room and no Lobby Lounge after 7pm under 12, no Beach Bar counter under 16 (rules).
No seasonal closure is published: Google had prices for every month from October 2026 to August 2027 and the offers run to December 2026. The resort describes 2 seasons, dry from November to April and wet from May to October, with highs of 32 °C and lows of 25 °C and a sea that stays calm all year (Langkawi); with the south-west monsoon the weather turns quickly (Datai Diaries). The wet season costs less: another island resort puts rates 20–40% lower (Rebak Island Resort), and on Google’s calendar May and June are the cheapest months.
From 1 to 30 September 2026 the Beach Club’s breakfast is suspended (Beach Club). Cyclones are rare: Senyar, in November 2025, was the first to strengthen in the Strait of Malacca, according to MetMalaysia (DTN).
Yes, on the beach, with the resort’s own planner arranging everything to order (weddings); neither prices nor a maximum guest count are published. For receptions The Dining Room is listed for a banquet of 120, The Gulai House 80, The Pavilion and the Beach Club 60, and there is a 100 m² meeting room for 20 to 50 (events). The Dining Room’s own page says 40 seats, though: the 120 probably counts another layout.
Nothing is published yet for 31 December 2026, and Google showed no prices from 23 December to 3 January. The last programme on the site is 2022’s: a gala buffet at the Beach Club or an 8-course tasting dinner at The Dining Room, then a countdown on the beach with a DJ and band and fireworks over the bay at midnight (release of 16 December 2022).
4, besides golf, all plus 10% service (offers): Early Bird, 10% off when booked 30 days ahead, Canopy Deluxe from RM 2,700 a night with breakfast, stays 1 March to 22 December 2026; Extended Journey, stay 4 nights pay 3 or stay 7 pay 5, with breakfast, minibar and Wi-Fi, 10 April to 22 December; Rainforest Romance, a Rainforest Pool Villa from RM 7,100 a night with 3 meals, minimum 3 nights, 1 April to 15 December; Consciously Datai, Canopy Deluxe from RM 11,600 for 4 nights with sustainability activities and free cancellation up to 7 days before. Early Bird and Extended Journey are charged in full if cancelled.
The Els Club Teluk Datai is a separate club 3.2 km away, 5 minutes by car: 18 holes, par 72, no bunkers and 8 water hazards (the course). The green fee with a cart is RM 770 to 23 April 2026, RM 695 from 24 April to 20 December and RM 800 from 21 December to 7 January 2027, a caddy RM 120; resort guests get a special rate that is not published (rates). A third-party booking site showed RM 410–470 for 1–3 October 2026, without saying what rate that is.
The Golf Exclusive offer starts at RM 3,600 a night in a Canopy Deluxe, minimum 2 nights, 14 January to 15 December 2026: one 18-hole round for 2, breakfast, airport and course transfers, one dinner for 2 and 15% off food, drink and the spa (Golf Exclusive). There are also tennis and padel courts (tennis and padel).
Rates and menus carry a 10% service charge (offers, spa menu). Foreign guests pay a RM 10 per room per night tourism tax, not included and paid at check-in, since 1 January 2023 (Booking.com). A trade guide cites an 8% service tax and a Langkawi tourism fee (MySoftInn); the resort does not mention them, and its own total on Google adds up with the 10% and the tax alone. Cards and cash are accepted; tipping is not expected in Malaysia, and service is already on the bill.
Wi-Fi is free in the rooms and villas (Canopy Deluxe), and Booking.com guests score it 9.5. Parking is free, valet included, according to Booking.com and Expedia. Pets are not allowed, and by Expedia’s account service animals are not either.
Check-in from 3pm, check-out by noon (Google, Booking.com). Expedia adds that check-in runs until midnight and sets a minimum age of 21; Booking.com says only that under-18s check in with a parent or guardian.
On Jalan Teluk Datai, 07000 Langkawi, Kedah, at the island’s north-west tip, in the forest above Datai Bay; the main building stands on a ridge 300 metres from the beach (official site). It is quiet by design: Tripadvisor labels it «Quiet» and recommends a car. The golf is 3.2 km away, the cable car 20.9 km, Pantai Cenang 33.5 km and Kuah 45 km.
The scores are very high: Google 4.7 out of 5 (1,175 reviews), Booking.com 9.8 out of 10 (259), Tripadvisor 4.8 out of 5 (3,390, a 2026 Travellers’ Choice), Expedia 9.8 (447), read on 1 October 2026. Guests praise the nature and wildlife, the staff and the breakfast.
Tripadvisor rates value 4.3 out of 5, Booking.com 9.1 out of 10. Guests who find the price fair talk about the beach, the rainforest around it and the food. The 10% service charge comes on top of rates and menus, extras are charged one by one and foreign guests pay the tourism tax of RM 10 per room per night; on Google Hotels, read on 13 October 2026, the lowest run to book, from 1 May 2027, started at RM 2,938 a night and the dearest night shown was RM 6,720.
Water villas of more than 500 m², each with a pool, a slide into the lagoon and an opening roof over the bed; the reef is a boat ride away.
The 2025 island resort beside the Burj Al Arab: a terrace with every room, a beach and 4 pools.
A 20-hectare island with 47 villas, all with a pool, a golf academy, a snow room and the Maldives’ largest private wine cellar.
The 2023 tower of blocks on the Palm: breakfast and Aquaventure included, 44 suites with private pools.
LVMH’s maison in the Maldives: 46 villas with 12.5-metre pools, a Guerlain spa on its own island and Le Carrousel kids’ club.
The first Soneva, since 1995: more than 60 villas in the jungle and 8 over the water, The Den for children of 4 to 17 and a reef you can swim to from the beach.
A big resort 40 minutes by yacht from Malé: 117 villas each with a pool, 11 restaurants and bars, Terra in the trees and a private island.
The 2008 resort with the arch: the waterpark and aquarium included, 2 underwater suites.
45 villas and residences, all over the water, 20 minutes by speedboat from Malé: shoes come off, every guest has a Mr. Friday and the surf is 5 minutes away.
Bofill’s sail on Barceloneta beach: 3 pools, an indoor spa and NOXE on the 26th floor.
The only resort in Laamu Atoll: turtles in the seagrass, manta rays all year, 8 surf breaks and a marine biology centre, 65 minutes by seaplane from Malé.
The 1997 wave beside the Burj Al Arab: beach, pools and kids’ club included; Wild Wadi closed.
This guide is written with Lumina, the marketing system for hotels.
