Hard to know where to start or finish with the Berjaya Langkawi Hotel, so I'll pen a short abridged version, and a more expansive version to follow.
Short summary. Brilliant jungle-based eco friendly hotel that's superb for couples and families, and for anyone who loves wildlife. Not so good for the elderly or infirm due mainly to steep topography of the surrounding forest and numerous steps on site (there are no lifts). Food and restaurants mostly superb and reasonably priced. Access to the absolutely outstanding cable car and Sky Bridge (this is a must see) is excellent. Staff universally helpful and friendly with only a couple of minor exceptions. Overall deserving of the 5 stars I've given it based on criteria I normally apply. Would we go back? 100% yes.
Full summary. We've just enjoyed 10 days here as part of an 18 day S.E Asia holiday. We wanted to relax and get work stress out of our tired bodies and so we came here first, which was an inspired call on our part. The taxi from the Airport took only 20 mins and cost the equivalent of £20 (based on circa 5 Ringgit to £1 rate). We were speedily checked in by very pleasant Reception staff who I've seen criticized in some TA reviews but no issues for us. We were taken to our Jungle Lodge in one of the small motorised jeeps that the hotel deploys around what is a huge site. Much has been written about this mode of transport, much of it negative. So whilst we agree in principal that some of these jeeps are a bit smelly and rattle, they get you from A to B and they're fun. Hop on hop off, all of the drivers are friendly and know exactly where your villa is, the hotel has also just introduced a computerized service showing you which jeep to climb aboard via an overhead screen. They're also trialling electric vehicles which are silent and eco friendly but the batteries only give them 4 hours use. So in the meantime just put up with a bit of noise, enjoy the warm breeze in your hair, and understand that these jeeps save you miles of walking and some steep hills.
The other aspect of the hotel that's attracted a number of negative reviews is the creepy crawlies in the jungle villas. Well, hang on, this is a JUNGLE resort. Animals and bugs live in the jungle, it's their home. So do the people who moan about bugs in jungle rooms also moan about the cold in Siberia? They should do their homework first, if you don't like bugs or animals then don't come here, stick to Spain! In our 9 days we carefully removed 2 large beetles from our room, enjoyed the daily troupes of monkeys on our deck, saw coluga's (flying lemurs), 4 foot monitor lizards, large tokay geckos every night, and a host of beautiful birds, squirrels and butterflies. On the beach we saw sea eagles, brahminy kites, herons, egrets, crabs, and although we didn't spot them, there's a family of sea otters at the far end of the hotel's beautiful clean beach that's perfect for children.
The hotel also run evening and early morning nature walks with a local company called Devs Nature Walks. These are well worth joining as the guide will show you all manner of wildlife you'd otherwise miss. Dev's also organize day trips to the island's mangrove swamps, local islands, bat caves, eagle watching, and snorkelling. We did them all, all good. The hotel employs a lovely and friendly events team who aren't pushy but who will help with all of your trip requirements. And, whilst you're here you simply have to do the cable car and Sky Bridge. An absolutely outstanding feat of engineering which gives you an adrenalin-fuelled lift to the top of a 2200 foot mountain, and is the steepest in the world! It's very modestly priced and the Sky Bridge and viewing platforms at the top offer views that are out of this world. All of this plus the Oriental Village are a 10 minute walk from the hotel, but they also run the jeep service here if you'd rather not walk.
The backdrop of jungle clad mountains at the back of the hotel is just amazing, and very 'Jurassic Park'. The hotel is in a setting that is quite sublime and we learnt during our stay that not a single tree was felled during the building of this complex. That, and the very obvious love the hotel has for its wildlife and surroundings, marks this as a special place in my book.
Anyway, back to the hotel. So our Jungle Lodge was very well appointed, it had everything we needed including a super-comfy bed, good air conditioning, a good bathroom (wet room), mini bar, balcony with jungle and sea view. We were on the edge of the hotel complex and this was around a 20 minute hilly stroll from the main hotel, we did walk it a few times but invariably one of the jeeps would pull up alongside and offer us a lift. So my earlier point about the hotel not being ideal for the infirm or the elderly relates to this, but also the pool and beach areas are set among fairly steep gradients that aren't served by lifts or in-house transport, and - whilst the pool area is beautiful with pools and a cascading waterfall, young children need to be supervised as the pool edges and surrounds are concrete and stone rendered, this makes them non-slip but also would be very abrasive to a child's skin, so take note. The pool temperature is lovely and perfectly set in the quite superb and lovingly tended gardens, the pool bar serves drinks and snacks from 11am with a 4pm happy hour, here we found the only lacklustre staff on the complex, the pool bar staff seemed sullen and not terribly efficient, not a complaint, just a note that even a diamond needs polishing now and again.
Just down from the pool is the stunning beach, backed by a mangrove swamp, a small river inlet, and framed with an iconic jungle clad mountain range behind. The small river is easily crossed at low tide and leads to a quiet and beautiful boulder strewn area adjacent to a small island (cannot be reached). The whole beach is superb and shelves gently but DO keep children in the netted section as this is safe from jellyfish which are a seasonal threat and the hotel do provide adequate warning about this. Don't bother bringing a snorkel as the sea is full of river sediment and not clear, but great for swimming. There's a small beach shack for drinks or for hiring kayaks, jet skis and the like, and beach / pool towels are all freely available.
The Beach Brasserie is a super spot for a beer or cocktail and affords stunning views across the bay, it's also a great place to eat and fine dining doesn't cost the earth. Further across and at the end of a pier is the very good Pahn Thai Restaurant, serving good Thai food but don't bother if it's windy or wet as it's mainly outdoor and exposed. I'd advise booking this one!
There's also an Oriental Restaurant on site as well as the main Hotel Restaurant where most people will enjoy the expansive and excellent breakfast each morning. We thought the service in the Oriental Restaurant was slow and the staff weren't attentive but the food was ok, but the main restaurant is large, and our breakfasts were a delight. Tip; get to breakfast early for a better chance of seeing the monkeys.
There is also a Sports Bar at the hotel, a lobby bar with a great resident band (Wave), plus a Children's Play Area, a library, the inevitable Starbucks, plus a good Gift Shop, again a small tip, buy the Berjaya Hotel Nature Guide from the shop, excellent and inexpensive and the whole family can enjoy looking out for the resident wildlife.
A note about the resident monkeys. 3 types but the coluga is nocturnal and only flies from tree to tree so you won't encounter it, the dusky leaf monkeys and the long tailed macaques you will certainly see. The former are so genteel and benign and move around you (often a couple of feet from you) happily eating leaves. The latter are locally known as 'The Mafia' and are trouble. Basically you leave your balcony doors open at your peril, they're adept at raiding mini bars and have been known to drink wine and fall around drunk, if you tease them they will bite you, and if you leave valuables next to your sunbed they will steal them, we saw a number of 'raids' during our time there. Essentially be on your guard and DON'T feed or tease them and you're fine. But again, please.....if you don't like monkeys then don't come here, we watched one middle eastern woman and her husband go into a complete screaming meltdown because a macaque had ventured too close, these people had paid out a lot of money to come here but hadn't done their homework, so again, if you don't like wildlife then go elsewhere.
So overall this is a splendid place for couples and for families, most people will truly love it, it's an example of how man can live alongside the birds and animals that are usually displaced or eradicated when large hotels are built, and I take my hat off to the Berjaya organization for caring enough to build this hotel to sync with nature. It works, we utterly loved the place, and we'll be back.