5-Star Hotels in Kedah, Malaysia

The hygiene was on par with a domestic guesthouse – not great. Breakfast mainly consisted of flatbreads and various porridges, which I wasn't really used to. The rainforest environment, however, was fantastic, with monkeys, geckos, and all sorts of small animals that the kids loved. After the evening show, some people were exhausted, and if you accidentally took a wrong turn on the way back to your room, you’d have to climb up the hill all over again. On a positive note, the chef at the Western restaurant was incredibly talented, serving the best steak, pasta, and grilled prawns on the entire island – truly amazing!

We had a wonderful time in July. I particularly want to highlight the friendliness and hospitality of the staff. It's so lovely when everyone smiles at you, always and everywhere. The few issues that arose were resolved incredibly quickly. However, there are a few things to consider when planning your trip. A significant plus is the long, expansive beach stretching to the left of the hotel. The beach is quiet and calm. It's not the most popular section of the beach; it's a more secluded part, which was a bonus for us. No hustle and bustle, no crowds. There are several surf schools here because this part of the coast has waves during the season. For us, having surfing available was a fantastic bonus. For 10 days, there wasn't a single day with a calm sea. Every day had waves of varying intensity. Because of this, the water was always (!) murky. In July, the sunset isn't over the sea, but behind a neighboring island, yet it's incredibly beautiful on a clear day. Many families with children stay at the hotel. The main pool is noisy. But a major plus is the 18+ infinity pool on the 5th floor. This is where you'll find relaxation and quiet. My main complaint about the hotel is the constant smell of food from the restaurant in the main pool/beach area, even by the sea. It's a persistent smoky, unpleasant odor of fried oil. This bothered me significantly. The hotel has absolutely no private grounds for walking, just a small lawn near the restaurant and that's it. It's a 5-minute walk to the lively street with amenities. No complaints about the room cleaning; it was spotless every day, and our housekeeper Salim did an excellent job. The breakfast was quite varied, with many Asian dishes and a selection of European options. The yogurts and fruits were delicious, but the pastries were weak and not very tasty. The freshly squeezed juices were great. The coffee was average quality. The hotel also has a premium restaurant, Lancava. It's luxurious. All the dishes were outstanding, and the service was polite, attentive, and pleasant.

The front desk staff were pleasant and welcoming, taking the time to explain the facilities and amenities available around the property. However, the check-in process felt somewhat disorganized, as our passports were collected and we were asked to wait at the side without much further guidance. The room itself was spacious, clean, and comfortable. We were pleasantly surprised to find the bed beautifully decorated with towel art, along with a complimentary dessert after we made a special request, despite having no expectations of receiving anything from the hotel. My husband and I truly appreciated the thoughtful gesture, it made us feel warmly welcomed. Unfortunately, the breakfast experience did not quite meet the standards we would expect from a 5-star hotel. The staff appeared somewhat inexperienced, and service was inconsistent. When we arrived, there were no available tables, yet we were instructed to enter and find a table ourselves. This left us feeling awkward as we stood around waiting for other guests to finish their meals. What made the experience more disappointing was that a family who arrived after us was promptly escorted to a table, while we were left to continue waiting, which felt unfair. We also had to repeatedly request utensils as some tables were properly set while others were not. While these may seem like minor issues individually, together they affected the overall dining experience and fell short of the level of service we would expect from a hotel that positions itself as a 5-star property. Overall, we enjoyed the room, hospitality, and thoughtful touches provided by the hotel. The stay had many positive aspects, but improvements in breakfast operations and service consistency would go a long way toward delivering the luxury experience that guests expect.

The room was comfortable overall, a little dated, but perfectly acceptable. The back door offered direct beach access, which was very convenient, though the water wasn't particularly clear, with lots of seaweed and broken shells. The hotel's natural environment was excellent, very refreshing with plenty of oxygen, and lots of monkeys around. It was a very relaxing stay overall.

We were a group of friends with kids. The hotel's location is pretty good, only a 10-minute Grab ride from the airport. Definitely don't bother with their airport transfer service, it's way more expensive. The hotel consists entirely of bungalows, giving it a Southeast Asian resort vibe with all-wood construction. Of course, soundproofing is an issue. If you get quiet neighbors, it's fine, but noisy ones can be quite troublesome! My friend and I booked a sea-view room. All rooms are two-story. The first floor is right by the sea, with a balcony that leads directly to the beach, letting the sea kiss your ankles! My friend stayed on the ground floor and said it was so relaxing to just lie there and watch the sea every day! The view from the second floor is unbeatable; looking at the sea from a higher vantage point offers a different kind of charm. You can hear the sound of the waves lulling you to sleep every night, which is really fantastic! The scenery and environment are absolutely top-notch. I highly recommend booking a sea-view room. Now for the downsides: the hotel's hygiene is truly concerning. My friend said the pillows felt like they hadn't been changed and had a strange smell. My kid even reported seeing a gecko in the bathroom at night! The facilities are also quite old. The air conditioning units are wall-mounted, and some rooms have them blowing directly at your head, which can easily cause headaches or illness. The sink area and floor weren't very clean, and the bathroom door wouldn't close properly – it was ill-fitting, possibly due to thermal expansion and contraction. There were many small issues like these. We also had an infuriating incident. I booked a twin room, but they gave me a king room. We arrived at the hotel around 10 PM after a day of sea activities, and when I asked to change to a twin room, I was told none were available. We waited a long time for a solution, and eventually, two staff members came and suggested converting the sofa into a bed. I insisted on a room change, but they kept saying there were no rooms! Finally, I lost my patience and contacted Ctrip's customer service. The customer service representative was excellent, helping communicate and negotiate past 11 PM. In the end, we successfully changed to our booked twin room! This made me quite angry – when I dealt with the hotel directly, there were no rooms, but as soon as the platform got involved, a room magically appeared! Although it took over two hours, and we were tired from the day's activities, and the child wasn't feeling well, so we didn't get to rest until after midnight, I still want to thank the platform for their prompt response and quick resolution! Also, the ceiling fan suddenly turned on by itself around 5 AM – it was just one ghost story after another. My rating for this stay is largely based on the environment; otherwise, it would probably be even lower. If it weren't for this incident, the whole trip would have been very nice.

This is our second time here, and the hotel kindly sent over a bottle of sparkling wine. We're loyal Four Seasons fans, and there's absolutely nothing to complain about! Haha. The hotel grounds are quite expansive, and the beach is beautiful. The landscaping is incredibly well-maintained. Truly lives up to the Four Seasons name! Amazing!!

We enjoyed the hotel very much. Breakfast was good and plentiful. Since it is not a large hotel, it is never too busy by the pool or the beach even though the hotel was completely full during chinese new year. We walked over to westin next door for a bigger selection of food.

The Rainforest Corner Room cost over 11,500 for two nights, which is worse than a 2.3k hotel in China. The service and everything else were just mediocre. Many hotels in Sanya totally outperform this one. I didn't experience any good service at all. I even extended my stay for two more nights, and in the new room I moved into, the cleaning staff just took all my snacks. I was hungry at 4 or 5 AM and had nothing to eat. That was absolutely speechless; I don't know what the staff was doing. The 24-hour room service food wasn't great for the three days I ordered it; the selection was pitifully small. The only upside was the oxygen machine, and the room decor was okay. Just very average, average, average.

The accommodation was very comfortable with beautiful and calming views. The staff were very friendly and provided excellent service throughout our stay. The overall ambiance of the hotel also felt premium and satisfying. However, there are a few areas that could be improved. For breakfast, the food options were quite limited, and the same menu was repeated daily. The taste of the food also didn't quite suit our palate, such as the nasi lemak with overly sweet sambal and soup that lacked flavor and ingredients. We hope the hotel can improve the variety and quality of the food, especially for a high-standard hotel like Four Seasons. Additionally, the bath towels were rather coarse and uncomfortable to use. For a five-star hotel, prioritizing softer and higher-quality towels should be a given, as it significantly impacts guest comfort. Overall, the stay was still good, but some aspects need improvement to truly meet luxury hotel standards.

The room was spacious and spotlessly clean, not a single water stain. Plus, the mini cookies were unlimited! Breakfast had a great variety, though it could get a bit repetitive after a few days. The Italian restaurant, however, was fantastic both in taste and service. The hotel grounds were lush and green, but the beach water quality wasn't great for swimming; the pool was a much better option. Downsides: 1. Unfortunately, there were still mosquitoes; I got bitten two out of four nights. 2. Staying at the hotel just to eat and sleep got a bit boring, and it's quite a distance from the lively Pantai Cenang beach.