Alex P.
Yelp
What can I say, I have an irresistible urge to stay at a St Regis every time that I am in a city where there is one. In this scenario of an island, I made a particular effort to visit the island because there was this St Regis there and it did not disappoint.
Part I: Arrival (5/5)
The Bentley pickup service is highly recommended, it truly starts the trip on the right note. Professional, comfortable and with a massage en route. Upon arrival, we were met by about a dozen members of the staff as we stepped out of the car, including the head butler, hotel manager and our personal butler. It was amazing and they even laid down the red carpet for the entrance. Checkin was done in the room, which made it much more enjoyable and easier.
Part II: Marriott/SPG Platinum Premier Elite Recognition (5/5)
I genuinely felt that for Platinum members, St Regis tends to be the best way to redeem points. The breakfast alone for two being included is a spectacular experience, presenting nearly anything one could desire. It is vast and delicious. As far as upgrades, we got the St Regis suite upgrade. The suite was appointed beautifully, it is spacious and the design is spectacular. The team truly went above and beyond to make us happy. I do wish that for Platinum Premier 100 members they would go a little further as far as suite upgrades, at least to the pool or the panoramic suite. Other amenity included a spa discount for platinum guests and restaurant discounts.
Part III: Amusement (4/5)
The property being surrounded by a tropical forest full of Dusky Leaf monkeys and king cobras should alone be pretty unusual setting for most guests. There is really one main pool here, which is beautiful, but fairly small. The beach as many mention across online sites is very muddy once getting in the water and although the hotel seemed to try and remedy that with tarp, it is what it is naturally. Not a particularly pleasant place to swim and the sand on the beach is full of shell fragments, making the volleyball court unusable barefoot and walking generally unpleasant. The gym is wonderful and the staff were awesome to arrange us a last minute boat excursion through Langkawi islands. Cabanas are simply gorgeous and an amazing way to spend the afternoon lounging. I also wish there was a proper St Regis Library here with books, as finding a book to read at the hotel was tough other than a few picture books laying around the lobby. There are badminton courts and lots of excursions to keep one entertained. I do wish the pool was a bit bigger or multiple pools existed on the property to change things up. The SPA is nice and massages were wonderful, but the facility is very small with nothing there other than massage rooms.
Part IV: Design (5/5)
From engraved railings, to immaculate exotic landscaping to the etching within the building, it is a spectacular place. Every detail of design is thought through and makes one wonder how a place can be so beautiful. Walking through the property feels like stepping through a palace. The artwork all around the hotel is spectacular. The only design matter I was not fond of are the odd beach chairs, but perhaps that's a matter of taste. The grand staircase was also a bit of a joke, nothing particularly grand about it. I found it amusing that they highlighted it to us.
Part V: Hotel Service (5/5)
This is easy 5 stars. The staff cater and foresee to every need here. From April checking in with us every morning st breakfast, to room service, to arrival decor and restaurants, this was spectacular service. It felt like we were the only ones at the resort most of the time, largely because of the way that we were treated.
Part VI: Resort Cleanliness and Environment (3/5)
This is where I felt disappointed the most by the resort. Although common areas and room were cleaned very well, swimming through resort's private bay, near the Andamann Sea Villa and the beaches, I was disappointed by how little upkeep there was. Trash everywhere. The least this resort can do is keeping their land property clean, but should actually be putting an effort to ensure surrounding areas are cleaned as well given the tourism income. I could not imagine paying for their best villas only to have a view of beaches full of trash and water filled with plastic. Even some portions of the hotel beach were quite dirty, again towards the villas. Keeping the interior clean is just not enough and the property needs to do more. There is obviously a larger problem with ocean garbage that we need to solve as humanity, but the least a 5 Star resort can do is keep their surrounding premises free of trash.
This is an amazing property to relax in overall and with the exception of the environmental component, they went above and beyond.