REVIEW: Casa del Mar Hotel in Langkawi, Malaysia

This “Casa del Mar Hotel in Langkawi, Malaysia” is from Jane D. This is the final part of the series of articles which also looks at Malaysia Airlines business class.  

You can see the previous Jane D’s article here: Malaysia Airlines business class A350 London to Langkawi via Kuala Lumpur and Malaysia Airlines business class part 2 – Kuala Lumpur – Auckland – London.

Intro

Langkawi is a beautiful haven of 99 islands, reached via just a 70-minute flight north of Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian capital.

The archipelago is home to an array of stunning scenery and wildlife, as well as mangrove forests and a geological heritage which dates back 550 million years; it hosts 226 species of birds and more than 500 types of butterflies.

Langkawi is a welcoming and peaceful place, and I was delighted with my five nights here en route to New Zealand.

Location

I stayed at Casa del Mar, a 34-room hotel which is on the main island’s west coast and about 15 minutes drive from the airport. (SEE OTHER ARTICLE FOR DETAILED FLIGHT REVIEW)

The flight path is near the hotel, but this wasn’t intrusive, nor was the construction work nearby.

It takes about 10-15 minutes to walk either via pavement or the beach into the small town of Pantai Cenang. Here, you can find an evening market, an excellent and cheap pharmacy, plus a few chains, such as Starbucks, should you need a blast of home.

Casa del Mar is right on the beach, and it becomes hard to tear yourself away.

Check-in

The first welcome I received was from Trevor, a large and placid white cat who sees himself as front of house.

His two colleagues are more active and patrol the beach area of the hotel, but if you don’t like cats (boo), you won’t be disturbed by them.

My shoulders dropped as soon as I entered the large, cool reception area and was given a cold flannel steeped in peppermint and a refreshing welcome drink of ginger, lime and lemonade.

My flight had arrived just after 10 am and I was at the hotel by half past. Breakfast was still being served. I wasn’t booked in for it that day, but without even needing to inquire, I was informed it would be included.

This sums up the hospitality and kindness at Casa del Mar. Nothing is too much trouble; everything is thought of without any fuss.

I was greeted by a smiling fellow diner, who later introduced himself as the manager, Fauzi Romli. Mr Romli is at breakfast each day and is super approachable. All he wants is to know that you’re enjoying yourself.

The rooms

I’d paid for a beachfront studio suite as I wanted to be as close to the shore as possible.

As well as the amenities you’d expect – a pillow menu, a wonderfully comfy super-king bed, a minibar with a range of drinks and fresh milk, 42” cable TV, a kimono style bathrobe, flip flops, USB charging sockets and a coffee machine (Boncafe with Segafredo pods) – there were plenty I hadn’t.

Fresh fruit, including dragon fruit, was replenished each day, as was the loose-leaf tea. I really enjoyed being able to make a big pot twice a day. The jar of homemade biscuits was very tempting, but I was also mindful of the digital scales lurking in the wardrobe!

The Bose sound bar worked well with the TV and also had Bluetooth.

My courtyard garden was decorated by figs and bougainvillaea, and the seating area made a relaxing refuge late in the day when it became cooler.

The room had a parquet floor and a sofa as well as a dining table, so it was a very pleasant and spacious area.

Turndown involved lighting an essential oil burner and leaving a bookmark scented with a different fragrance each evening on the bed, along with a weather forecast for the next few days.

Bathroom

As well as the shower, which included a rain-head option, I was delighted to have a separate bath.

Bath salts were provided, and this area was cleverly designed so you could have a soak while gazing out to a view of the sea, with no one being able to stare in at you.

With temperatures outside reaching mid-30s during the day, a lukewarm bath was a nice way to cool down.

There was plenty of storage space in the bedroom, wardrobe and around the bathroom. Toiletries such as the silky cotton wool pads were assiduously topped up each day.

Breakfast

The breakfast offered at Casa del Mar was astonishing in its range and quality, with English, American and Asian dishes all on offer, as well as plentiful vegetarian and gluten-free options.

Dim sum for breakfast? Well why not! I decided to give it a whirl, and it was wonderful, as was the chicken aloo wrap I tried another day. The key was in the fresh flavours and portions, which were satisfying without being overwhelming.

There was even a daily cocktail bar at breakfast! I arrived on a Sunday, which is Bellini Day.

Croissants were freshly made by the amazing chef. I spotted a jar of Marmite, though that felt too much like home in this instance.

If you don’t want to get away from it all, Casa del Mar produce their own newspaper, The International, for guests each morning – it’s a compilation of various global articles.

Bar/dinner

One of the highlights of this hotel is being able to eat a beautiful dinner directly on the beach as the sun sets. I couldn’t wait to do this on my first night and enjoyed a superb seafood risotto and a glass of rosé.

Room service cost no extra (another nice touch), so I often ate in my room because it was such a nice, relaxing space. Casa del Mar lets you take things at your own pace, and there’s no pressure to socialise if you feel like indulging in “me time”. To give you an idea of prices, a burger with all the trimmings plus a good glass of Merlot was £23. Tiger beer from the minibar was £2.

At a local bar, I paid £4 for a lunchtime stop of nachos and a mocktail. The hotel bar was good fun with interesting fellow guests when I stopped there on my final night. You can spin a wheel to try and win a free drink, and I had some luck with a Singapore Sling cocktail.

Facilities

It would be crazy not to see some of Langkawi’s amazing wildlife while you’re there. The hotel booked me onto a day trip, which included a boat journey around Kilim Geoforest Park.

We hopped on and off beaches and observed monkeys cuddling their young, a white-bellied sea eagle and brahminy kites circling above us, exotically coloured crabs, and “walking fish” otherwise known as mudskippers – which sums up quite nicely what they do!

Satkara spa next door to Casa del Mar is well worth a visit.

I paid £45 for a 90-minute traditional Malay massage. It was amazing: more de-crunching happened in the first five minutes than in an hour at home!

It’s worth knowing that January to March is prime jellyfish season in Langkawi. I was quite taken aback at the number – and decided against swimming in the sea.

Having said that, I was really happy with the hotel pool, where I could clock up decent lengths – and I also enjoyed the refreshing jacuzzi.

I have a ‘lark” body clock and most mornings I went for a barefoot stroll on the beach at 6 am. It was still dark at that time, with spectacular stars on display.

Each night, the horizon was lined with green lights from squid fishermen, which was atmospheric.

Jet skis and paragliding are on offer at this beach if you wish to be more active. Or if you’re just languishing on a lounger, you’ll be well looked after by Casa del Mar’s Don and his colleagues, who bring jugs of iced water and fresh fruit directly to you.

If you have longer to spend on Langkawi than I did, I’d also be tempted to explore the more secluded northern tip of the main island.

Pricing and offers

I paid for my break as part of a package I arranged with Trailfinders.

Booking directly through the hotel’s website will get you the best prices, starting at £155pn.

Casa del Mar is part of HPL Hotels and Resorts which has two others in Malaysia and one in Phuket, Thailand.

Conclusion

I’ve been lucky to have stayed in some amazing hotels around the world but I don’t feel any of them matched the attention to detail at Casa del Mar.

It was less about fancy fixtures and fittings – and more about the many kind and thoughtful touches.

Many guests return here year after year, with special pebbles at the hotel to show who’s a regular. Staff turnover is low, too, apparently.

I was welcomed with the words: “This is your home”. After a few days, I told them I was moving in!

You can visit Jane D’s site: https://dalemoorltd.com/