Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Anantara Desaru Coast is a beachfront escape on the golden shores of southern peninsular Malaysia. Part of a world-class integrated development, prime attractions include The Els Club designed by championship golfer Ernie Els and Desaru Coast Adventure Waterpark. The resort is modelled on a traditional fishing village, with low-rise kampongs set amidst lush gardens and tranquil lagoons. 108 rooms
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
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Anantara Desaru Coast Resort & Villas is often celebrated for its tranquil and beautifully landscaped setting, with inviting rooms featuring thoughtful touches. The resort's location is generally considered ideal, set close to local attractions and beaches, despite its somewhat secluded feel. Staff at the hotel are noted for their professionalism and warmth, despite occasional lapses in service.
While the rooms are spacious and overall cleanliness is highly commended, some guests suggest there's room for improvement in terms of maintenance and value for money. Amenities, including dining options and activities, are well-received, but some guests believe there's potential for enhancement.
Location
Secluded
Atmosphere
Serene
Rooms
Spacious
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Spotless
Service
Attentive
Amenities
Top-notch
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Detailed Reviews
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The beautiful Anantara is one of the resorts on the very long, fine sandy, easily accessible beach of the Desaru Coast that has clearly not yet been discovered by European travelers. The deluxe corner rooms with sea views are excellent in our opinion and anyone looking for even more privacy and space can book one of the stand-alone villas, i.e. two-story "kampongs". We were very lucky to be able to stay in both. The larger swimming pool, located in the main building, and the slightly shorter infinity pool, right on the beach, are great for swimming. Both bars (Observatory & Infinity) invite you to enjoy perfectly mixed drinks, and not just during happy hour. Both restaurants serve very good food at fair prices, and we particularly liked the fish dishes (baramundi, sea bass). The breakfast selection is very extensive and our special morning (fruit) requests were also happily fulfilled at Turmeric. The “Els Club Ocean” golf course is within walking distance or you can take the general shuttle bus, which also goes to the “Valley” golf course. The staff in all service areas are extremely friendly and attentive and the gardeners diligently look after the green, flowering gardens. We can highly recommend the Anantara on the Desaru Coast, which is now developing as a travel destination, due to its good price/performance ratio, its location and the friendly staff. Another “insider tip”, so to speak. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Syaira, Hery, Yati, Isna, Mesh, Piya in the Turmeric, Aiman, Khairul, Nadrull from the beach restaurant/bar, Soh for the luggage service, Yasemin for the excellent reception, the resort management of Peter W. for his thoughtful care and the general manager Christian G. for his hospitable presence and the many interesting information. We really enjoyed our week-long stay at the Anantara. By the way, the weather at the end of January/beginning of February 2024 was much better than expected. We had lots of sun, refreshing wind and relatively little rain (and no mosquitoes!). It is said to be ideal from March to October. Discovery members collect points at Anantara and can also redeem them; we booked directly through the hotel.
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Date of stay: January 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Direkt beim Hotel buchen. Sehr schön eingerichtete Eck-Deluxe-Zimmer mit Meerblick. Happy Hours...
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We are a party of 4 adults, and stayed for 3 days/2 nights from 24th to 26th October. Our trip was originally booked for Sept, to celebrate my mother's 84th birthday. But we could not make the trip due to a last minute health issue. We immediately called the resort, hoping to see if we could somehow postpone the trip. I would like to commend Anantara, for handling this issue with absolute class, and considering my booking wasn't a direct booking, and was made with Agoda and non-refundable, they took the high road, and without much hassle, and purely out of goodwill, they let us postpone the trip for a month. Everything was settled over that phone call that lasted less than 10 mins and followed up on email. We submitted the medical certificate via email and they contacted Agoda to have our booking amended. In this day and age, we always see big corporations driven more by profits and numbers, and Anantara shines thru here with the manner they handled this matter, putting their customers first and foremost.
We arrived via a short drive from Singapore. Check-in was done at the lobby area overlooking the beautiful resort. We did email the resort a few days prior to our arrival, to inform them what time we would be arriving. We were informed that it may not be possible for an early check-in due to the resort running at capacity, but they will try their very best to get our rooms early. They were not able to give us both rooms at the same time, but they took the initiative to let us have one of our rooms first, so at least we didn't have to wait at the lobby for too long.
Since it was just past midday, we ordered some room service for food and a bucket of ice, and both came in reasonably quick time and we never had to wait long. I think the implementation of the app is a wonderful idea. They even have an estimated delivery time for the food you order. It's easy to uses and rather than picking up the phone and calling, it's a better alternative, including making reservations for the restaurants.
All rooms were cleaned, once in the morning and the turn down service at night. We never once saw housekeeping, but the rooms were all refreshed when we went out for our meals. It's always a joy to return to a nicely cleaned room each time. Extra bottles of water were also replenished every time.
We had dinner that evening at Tumeric, for their special Thai-Laysia buffet. They served a mix of Thai and Malaysian food, so there's something for everyone. Service was efficient and they were well-staffed.
We also enjoyed the use of both pools the following day. Both pools are within easy walking distance of each other, and swimming in the morning was more peaceful since we had the pools pretty much to ourselves. The beach was beautiful, with a nice stretch of beach and quality of the sand was very fine, which makes for easy walking bare-footed.
We had our 2nd dinner at Sea.Fire.Salt, we had an assortment of dishes, including the Foie gras, Hokkaido scallops, the seafood Bouillabaisse and the seafood platter. All the dishes were on point, delicious and cooked perfectly. The staff at the restaurant were also very well trained and efficient.
This trip was more about my elderly parents, with the usual concerns about accessibility of the resort (e.g, are there lots of stairs? Are the amenities within easy walking distance?) Reservations were very responsive with all our emails and questions and put us at ease prior to booking. I am happy to report that this resort is suitable for those considering bringing the elderly, my parents in the 80s didn't experience any issues with getting about anywhere in the resort, walking distance to any of the eating outlets can be reached easily with a leisurely stroll. They also enjoyed easy access to the pools, which had handles at certain points of entry.
The grounds of the resort, were extremely well kept, and it's lovely to see how lush and green the surroundings are. We also didn't encounter any issues with insects or mosquitoes during our stay. We enjoyed the serene mornings and watching the sunrise from our balconies. The resort is a combination of old world charm, embracing both Malay and Thai elements, blending in modern amenities for a complete luxury experience.
A couple of constructive comments are in order here. This is no way critical in any way or affected our stay in a negative manner, but just things which we feel could be possibly improved upon, and take the stays here to the next level. Firstly, the initiative by using glass bottles for water is absolutely the right direction taken. The use of glass bottles has been more common since the last couple of years, practically in all the resorts we have stayed at, from Bali to the Maldives. One thing we did notice, is that some places, use the same giant glass bottle as the ones used here, and others have the one that's around 500ml or even 350ml in size. Simply, we applaud any resort that uses their own glass bottles. The thing about glass? The weight of the big bottle when full is heavy. It's not easy for kids or the elderly to handle. Another thing with using the big bottle, is that it cannot fit inside the fridge. In Asia, with it's balmy weather, i think most guests would appreciate to be able to put some bottles in their fridge. With the 500ml bottle, it would be perfect, both in terms of ease of handling for all and also being able to fit inside most fridges.
Likewise, during the breakfast buffet, the earthen covers on the pots for the dishes are very heavy. They aren't easy to handle for the elderly/kids, and with it being hot, makes it even more challenging and with removable covers, there is also the chance of dropping and breakage. On our travels, we have experienced many buffet lines, and the best we've seen, are those with glass covers, where you can see the food without even lifting the covers, and they are push open tops, which makes for easy access. I think it's certainly more functional than removable tops. The jugs used for the morning juices also needs to be mentioned, and again, they are very big jugs, and when it's completely full, it's very heavy to lift. I think the most common alternative we've seen, is the use of carafes, which are somewhat smaller, shorter and lighter, easier to lift for everyone, including kids and elderly.
Another suggestion which would be nice to implement, is a sunset cocktail hour. The resort already has the perfect location, The Observatory Bar! In our travels, many resorts have implemented something similar, each evening for an hour, guests enjoy a free cocktail, with some canapes or light bites, where it's the chance for management to inter-mingle with in-house guests and get some feedback and "ground-feel" The resort also has a beautiful beach which can also be utilized for such a purpose. From personal experience, i think for the places where we have experienced this, we formed a much stronger bond to these resorts, and we very much enjoyed interacting with management.
Another addition we would love to see, and Anantara are already experts here, more Thai charm and then some more! Thailand is legendary when it comes to food. You already have a beautiful beach, we would love to see a purely Thai beachfront eatery here! Sea.Fire.Salt is pretty much western dining, but what we would love to see, a beachfront 100% Thai seafood restaurant, grilled seafood Thai style, authentic Thai dishes, etc. bringing the same iconic experience of beachfront Thai dining right to the shores of Desaru! The grounds that your resort is sitting on is huge, quite possibly an expansion idea, perhaps?
If expansion is on the cards, maybe building some single/double bedroom beachfront pool villas would be nice! We've pretty much always stayed beachfront wherever else we travel, but unfortunately, the only other single/double bedroom villa is only the lagoon villa, the other beachfront villas are too big for us, the options being only 3 and 4 bedrooms.
Overall, most importantly, it was a short and relaxing trip for the whole family. Thank you, Anantara for having us! It's been a pleasure staying at your beautiful resort. We chose Anantara because we knew exactly what we wanted and what to expect, and they delivered on all levels. Being a short 2hr drive from Singapore, we would most certainly be back in future!
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Date of stay: October 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Christian Gerart, General Manager at Anantara Desaru Coast Resort & Villas
Responded 30 Oct 2023
Dear BenTChristieK Greetings from Anantara Desaru. First and foremost, I wanted to thank you for having chosen our resort for your recent beach holiday here in Desaru Coast. We truly appreciate, you have taken your valuable time to share with us and fellow travellers such an extensive and detailed review. It is such a pleasure receiving and reading your exceptional review as i can see that the team really ensured you were well looked after, including the changes to your original booking prior your arrival. It is comments like yours which keeps every associate in our team motivated and inspired to continue going the Extra Mile(s) creating exactly these kinds of memories we hope our guest will take back home. Rest assured I will share your wonderful feedback with our team during our next gathering so they can see that our guest truly appreciates the extra effort delivering a personalized service. We are looking very much forward being again the hotel of your choice when you plan your next visit to Desaru. Do not hesitate to contact us directly so we can personally assist you with your future booking arrangements. Best regards Christian Gerart General Manager cgerart@anantara.com
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After a (somewhat exhausting) stay in Singapore, we spent ten wonderful and relaxing days at the Anantara Desaru. After the friendly welcome at the resort, the completely uncomplicated check-in and the first impression, we thought that we had made the right decision with the Anantara Desaru and that we would find the relaxation we had longed for here! And we were not disappointed at all, on the contrary...
The entire hotel complex was simply fantastic, surrounded by greenery and very well maintained, which is certainly not easy with such a wealth of plants. The gardeners were actually always at work.
The two beautifully landscaped pools simply invited you to relax. Cool towels, water and fruit skewers were always served here. And then of course not to forget the beautiful and completely quiet sandy beach, where you could take endless walks along the beach.
Our room was also wonderful, very nicely furnished, always clean and everything you needed was there. The best thing was the fantastic view of the ocean from our corner balcony.
The breakfast buffet at Tumeric leaves nothing to be desired, everyone should find something here, we certainly didn't miss anything! We were particularly pleased with the great Roti (with and without egg), you just have to try it! The dinner at Tumeric, both à la carte and the Asian buffet, which always took place on Tuesdays and Thursdays, was also great! The service was also impeccable here. However, you should definitely try the Sea.Fire.Salt for dinner, which is located right on the beach. Here too, the food is great and the ambience right on the beach with the sound of waves in the background is simply unique.
To learn a little more about the beautiful nature and its inhabitants here, the resort offers some free activities, such as birdwatching, beach walk at low tide, nature walk and much more. All the activities we did were great, very informative and a lot of fun! At this point, many thanks to Along, through whom we learned so much about the flora and also the resort, it was just great!
But there were also wellness workshops in the spa, some free of charge, others for a small fee. Here too, we had fun and learned a lot. And what was of course a must for the perfect relaxation was a massage, especially in this beautiful ambience. And we can only rave about our massage too, we felt almost like new people afterwards.
However, we must once again particularly highlight the wonderful, always friendly and helpful staff! You could actually say that it is the employees who set an excellent hotel apart from others and make it something very special, and that is the case here at the Anantara Desaru! We can only thank Mr. Gerart, Mr. Wagner and the entire team for this wonderful and relaxing time and hope that we can be guests at the Anantara Desaru again sometime (hopefully very soon).
Best wishes from Germany Markus and Natalie
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Date of stay: October 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Zimmer mit Meerblick buchen!
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
For the price that they are charging, the staff can be better trained in terms of their knowledge of the hotel facilities and activities as well as their conversational skills. First impression when I step into the hotel was average as compared to what I saw for the next guest that arrived after me who is greeted and escorted to the checked in counter.
I have to compliment the restaurant staff for their good service and attentiveness. At turmeric for breakfast, the counter lady was very polite and kind when the restaurant was at it busy capacity. However, the turn around time was quick and we got our table in no time. When the table was shakey, i feedback to one of the staff member and he immediately came and resolve the issue. As for our experience at sea. salt. fire restaurant, for the price, the experience was not fantastic as when we were having our dinner, upon the arrival of the food, a sudden swamp of files came and attack our food. We asked if we can complete our meal in our room which the staff member agreed and also suggested if we want to have it in doors away from the beach, we could also do it. When we were to the indoor restaurant, the staff member came with our food, nicely wrapped with cling wrap and served us in their restaurant.
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Review collected in partnership with Minor Hotels
Date of stay: August 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Peter Wagner, Other at Anantara Desaru Coast Resort & Villas
Responded 19 Aug 2024
Dear nghz2024, Thank you for taking the time to provide feedback on your recent stay with us. We value your input as it helps us to continually improve our services. We apologize that your initial impression upon arrival did not meet your expectations, especially in comparison to other guests' experiences. We are pleased to hear that you had a positive experience at our Turmeric restaurant for breakfast and appreciated the prompt service and attentiveness of our team members. Your compliments will be passed on to the team, particularly the team member who assisted with the shaky table. We regret that your dining experience at Sea. Salt. Fire did not meet your expectations due to the issue with flies. We understand how this affected your meal, and we appreciate your patience as our team worked to relocate you to a more comfortable dining area. We are committed to addressing this issue to ensure a more pleasant dining environment for all our guests. Thank you again for your valuable feedback. We hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back and provide you with an improved experience. Best regards, Peter Wagner Resort Manager
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A hotel that can be reached from Singapore in 1.5 hours by ferry that leaves behind Changi Airport. If you have registered in advance, you will be picked up at the ferry dock by friendly staff. The well-kept, quiet complex, located directly on the extensive beach, consists of a 3-story, multi-wing main building with beautiful rooms with balconies as well as various villas for couples and families. All with distance and privacy. Pool area with pool bar, 1 pool on the beach, 3 restaurants and an open, covered bar with a magnificent view round off the whole thing. The stay is made an unforgettable holiday by the great, friendly staff who - whether reception, service, kitchen, spa, housekeeping, building services and craftsmen, reservations, butler service and hotel management - do everything in a committed and courteous manner to make the guest's stay as pleasant as possible. The restaurant in the main building serves a very extensive breakfast with typical local and international dishes, and authentic Malaysian and international dishes of high quality for lunch and dinner. If you're hungry for steak and fish, go to the restaurant on the beach. Here, too, the quality is very good, there's a good selection of wines and the service is good. The third restaurant with a bar by the pool on the beach offers cocktails, snacks or small meals. The beach is perfect for long walks, was deserted and clean during our stay. We extended our stay from 3 days to 6 days because we liked it so much. Thank you to the entire hotel crew for an all-round lovely stay.
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Date of stay: April 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Unkomplizierte An- und Abreise mit der Fähre inclusive Passkontrollen. Besser als der Bus über Johor
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
“Staycation at Anantara Desaru Coast Resort & Villas was an unforgettable experience! Upon arrival, we were welcomed with a festive kompang greeting at the lobby, which immediately set a warm, welcoming tone. The staff’s attentiveness was evident from the start; they picked us up in a buggy from the carpark, making everything feel effortless. While waiting for our room keys, we were ushered to the Observatory Lounge and treated to refreshments, including cakes, biscuits, and sandwiches – a lovely touch!
Our spacious and clean sea-view room offered stunning views. The resort has two beautiful swimming pools, including an infinity pool, with the beach just a short walk away, making it perfect for a relaxing day. Dinner at Turmeric restaurant was a highlight; the food was absolutely delicious, and the breakfast buffet the next morning was equally satisfying.
For activities, we enjoyed a mini soccer pitch, two ping pong tables (one indoors in an air-conditioned room, and one outdoors), and a giant outdoor chess board – plenty to keep us entertained! Check-out was a breeze, and the staff even offered us bottled water for the journey home, showing thoughtfulness in every little detail.
Overall, the resort’s attentive service and thoughtful touches made for a seamless, relaxing, and thoroughly enjoyable staycation. Highly recommended!”
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Date of stay: November 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Peter Wagner, Other at Anantara Desaru Coast Resort & Villas
Responded 13 Nov 2024
Dear Muhammad Iskand, Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful experience with us at Anantara Desaru Coast Resort & Villas. We’re thrilled to hear that from the Kompang greeting to the smooth check-out, every part of your stay met or exceeded your expectations. It’s fantastic to know you enjoyed the welcoming refreshments at the Observatory Lounge, the breathtaking sea views from your room, and the delicious meals at Turmeric. Your enjoyment of our facilities, from the infinity pool to the mini soccer pitch and chess board, means a lot to us. Our team takes pride in adding thoughtful touches to each guest’s experience, and we’re delighted these details enhanced your stay. We truly appreciate your recommendation and look forward to welcoming you back for another unforgettable staycation. Warm regards, Peter Wagner Resort Manager
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Beautiful resort with great nature surrounding. Friendly staff and helpful.
Cleanliness of the room can be improved. Check for cob webs, dust and dirt and even chipped wood since wood is heavily used in this resort. Also bidet spray should be installed on right hand side for all rooms because most people are right hander and being in an Islamic country, we hold the bidet spray with our right hand and left hand to wash our bottom. Water drainage can also be vastly improved for hand basin and bath tub. The soft pillows were too soft and flat. Didn’t know we could ask for harder pillows.
Better to keep the food spread inside the restaurant since people tend to only go around within the restaurant to take the food and forgot there’s more outside the entrance. Will be a food wastage as such.
Consider evening beach activities for family and kids since there aren’t much night activities we can do in Desaru.
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Date of stay: June 2024Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Christian Gerart, General Manager at Anantara Desaru Coast Resort & Villas
Responded 28 Jun 2024
Dear worldwgo Greetings from Anantara Desaru. Thank you very much for having taken your valuable time to share your recent experiences at the resort through this platform. We always appreciate guest feedback as it helps us to understand possible shortfalls and areas we could focus more with our ongoing training. Please accept my sincere apologies if you found areas where cleanliness did not meet our high standards, rest assured I will address this with our housekeeping team immediately. Thank you very much for pointing out the bidet spray, we will communicate this with our local architect for future projects and also to consider for any upcoming refurbishments. with the regards to our pillow menu, we have the full pillow menu on our Anantara application we invite every guest to download for easier communication and to explore what the resort and the destination has to offer, this includes the various activities and excursions available. We do offer our nature evening walks and tidal pool walk as well bird watching on selected days during the week. We sincerely hope to see you next time again when your travel brings you back to Desaru. Best regards Christian Gerart General Manager
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I had the most wonderful experience celebrating father's day at Anantara. The hotel truly stands out with its exceptional service and top-notch amenities. Upon our arrival, the staff warmly greeted us and made sure that the check-in process went smoothly. During the wait, there was a quaint little station where we could enjoy some refreshing drinks and delicious sandwiches. During my stay, every interaction with the hotel team was marked by a high level of professionalism and sincere hospitality. The room was absolutely spotless, adorned with contemporary furnishings and equipped with every imaginable comfort. We had a fantastic night's sleep and felt well-rested thanks to the bed. We were pleasantly surprised to find that our room was cleaned and tidied up by the housekeeping staff, even while we were out enjoying a swim and breakfast. The cleanliness of the room is impressive, especially since I have kids who tend to make a mess. I appreciate that they don't have to wait for us to check out in order to clean, ensuring that the room is always neat and tidy.
The dining options at the hotel were absolutely fantastic, offering a wide range of restaurants that serve mouthwatering cuisine, from local delicacies to international dishes. The breakfast buffet was truly remarkable, providing a diverse range of delicious choices to kickstart your day on a high note. In general, my stay at this hotel was absolutely outstanding. The service was exceptional, the cleanliness was impeccable, and the amenities were excellent. I would give it a perfect score of 10/10. I was thoroughly impressed with my experience at Anantara. It went above and beyond my expectations and I can't wait to come back again in the near future!
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Date of stay: June 2024
Value
Rooms
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Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Christian Gerart, General Manager at Anantara Desaru Coast Resort & Villas
Responded 29 Jun 2024
Dear lilapattinson Greetings from Anantara Desaru. On behalf of our team, I wanted to thank you for having selected our resort to celebrate father's day with your family. Your detailed review is highly appreciated and very motivating and inspiring to all our associates. Always great to know their hard work and dedication to create fond memories are recognized and appreciated by our guests. We always pride ourselves to be the perfect getaway for the ones looking for some privacy and want to escape the busy city life enjoying the beautiful nature Desaru has to offer. From the pristine 17 km beach, possibilities to discover the mangroves nearby or joining the various nature-based activities our team has put together such as nature walks, bird watching, tidal pool walks, yoga classes, etc...., there are plenty of things to do to explore and discover our resort and destination. We sincerely hope we have another opportunity to welcome you back to enjoy once again our genuine Anutara hospitality we are known for. best regards Christian Gerart General Manager cgerart@anantara.com
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Rooms were clean and buffet breakfast was very good. Avoid the spa’s therapies - you can get much better service at a fraction of the price elsewhere. The workshops were well conducted by an eager young man who made the experience fun. The Sea.Salt.Fire restaurant was below par; overpriced for the food served. Bring your own insect repellent if you chose to eat there- I was stung by an odd insect there and the hotel was able to provide sufficient meds but they do not have insect repellent. They did have insect traps but clearly those were insufficient to do the job which is understandable given it is outdoor dining by a beach. I have the impression that some of the staff were rather raw and clueless although all were very polite.
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Review collected in partnership with Minor Hotels
Date of stay: December 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Peter Wagner, Other at Anantara Desaru Coast Resort & Villas
Responded 21 Dec 2024
Dear spytan, Thank you for sharing your feedback following your stay with us. We’re pleased to hear that you enjoyed the clean rooms, our buffet breakfast, and the engaging workshops conducted by our Spa team member. Your comments are truly appreciated and help us refine the guest experience. We are, however, surprised to read about your Spa experience, as we consistently receive positive feedback regarding our therapists, who undergo extensive training both locally and through Anantara in Thailand. In fact, our Spa was recently recognized as the first 5-star Spa in the state of Johor Bahru by the Ministry of Tourism. We regret that this aspect of your stay did not meet your expectations, and we would love the opportunity to better understand your concerns to improve further. Your feedback on Sea.Fire.Salt and the outdoor dining setup is also noted. While our beachfront location provides a unique atmosphere, we will review the measures we have in place to enhance comfort and minimize interruptions from insects. We hope to welcome you back for a better experience and demonstrate the improvements inspired by your review. Please feel free to reach out directly if there’s anything more you’d like to share. Warm regards, Peter Wagner Resort Manager
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We booked this hotel for a week to celebrate my daughter's birthday and we had an amazing time. We stayed at the Premier corner room and Deluxe Sea View Corner room for a couple days each. Both rooms were gorgeous and spacious equipped with the latest amenities. If you have the budget for it, the Deluxe Sea View Corner room is definitely the way to go. It not only offers lovely views of the beach but also sunrise/sunset depending on which side you are. It also has a swing on the balcony
The weather was lovely when we were there so we were able to enjoy our time at the private beach. The service was excellent. We had requested for extra water in the room for feeding and sterilizing our baby items and they always made sure we had more than we needed. They also had a cute surprise setup of balloons and cake for my daughter's birthday.
The breakfast spread was lovely with a huge variety of cuisines and fresh fruits. All the staff were very sensitive to the needs of our baby and helped us feel comfortable and relaxed.The resort also offers free bikes for use within the resort during your stay. They also offer free shuttle rides to other areas nearby.
They also organize movie nights on the projector outside in the lawn. During our stay, the food from every restaurant was delicious and fresh! Loved the lamb massaman curry the best. During our meals the staff always made an effort to keep our toddler entertained so we could eat.
On the whole we had a comfortable and luxurious stay at Anantara Desaru with excellent and flawless service. This resort was the perfect choice for our daughter's birthday trip and I would highly recommend it to everyone considering to go there :)
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Date of stay: June 2023
Value
Location
Cleanliness
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Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Christian Gerart, General Manager at Anantara Desaru Coast Resort & Villas
Responded 6 Jul 2023
Dear drishtiness Greetings from Anantara Desaru Coast. Thank you very much for furnishing us with such a wonderful review. It is with great excitement reading that your birthday celebration of your child has been such a great experience and you all had a great time. I am personally touched reading the compliments towards our associates. It is always nice seeing that the hard work and commitment to deliver an exceptional service to our visitors has been recognized and appreciated by our patrons. I am blessed being surrounded by such great talents who always look for ways to exceed the guest expectations. The Deluxe Seaview Corner rooms are the most popular rooms because of the extra space and the swing bed but also for the mesmerizing views over the lush tropical garden and the South China Sea. Once again, thank you for having chosen our resort for this very special occasion. WE sincerely hope we have more opportunities welcoming you back for more relaxed family beach vacations at our little paradise getaway. Best regards Christian Gerart General Manager cgerart@anantara.com
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia19 contributions6 helpful votes
The pool is open but with a time interval for cleaning and sanitation purposes. One of the main restaurants by the beach is closed but they integrate their menu with the other restaurant. Their spa is currently closed and awaiting for approval to resume operation from what I can gather.
The beach is clean but desaru is known for its rough seas if I’m not wrong. Rip tides and stuff. Keep close to shore and between designated flags you should be ok.
There are more places to choose from in the Bandar Penawar area.
PRICE RANGE
RM 1,125 - RM 1,799 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
MalaysiaJohorKota Tinggi DistrictBandar Penawar
NUMBER OF ROOMS
108
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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