We stayed at The Danna for 4 days and our experience has been nothing short of amazing. It was our first time in Langkawi and I believe staying at the Danna has made this trip a truly memorable one.
For context, we are a family of 4 (1 infant, 1 preschooler, 2 adults) and we had booked the Princess Beach Villa for our 4 days/3 nights stay.
-Before arrival-
A week before our arrival, we received a courtesy email from Mr Sabri, the Guest Relations Executive, informing us that we could contact them for any assistance we might need prior to the stay. In hindsight, I believe this was a prelude to the exceptional service that we would eventually receive upon our arrival. Mr Sabri patiently answered all my queries and provided all the information that I requested for in detail, which helped me in planning my trip better so that we could maximize the time we had in Langkawi.
-Arrival-
Upon arrival at Langkawi International Airport, we found the driver and another hotel staff waiting to receive us. The airport transfer is part of the package that we chose. They were both polite and friendly, and they promptly brought us to the hotel which was just about 15 minutes away from the airport. The ride was comfortable and the vehicle was clean and spacious.
At the hotel, the check in process went smoothly and efficiently thanks to Mr Sabri, and we were treated to cold towels, shoulder massages, biscuits and a welcome drink by a few other hotel staff. Mr Sabri was attentive to the fact that we had two young children in tow and suggested we settle in to our villa first and gave us the option of having the hotel tour at a time that is more convenient for us, which we really appreciated. Check in is usually 3pm and we had arrived earlier but they already had the villa ready for us so there was no wait time, which is great when you have kids.
-The villa-
The villa was simply breathtaking. I had seen pictures of it online but it was even more spectacular in real life. The size of the villa was perfect for the 4 of us, the amenities provided were more than sufficient, the room and outdoor areas were spick and span. I was surprised the bedroom could fit an extra single bed and a baby cot in addition to the king bed. This allowed all of us to sleep comfortably at night.
Since it was our boys’ birthday week, I had requested for a simple set up to surprise them, and the hotel did not disappoint. They put up balloons and decorations, and even provided a table of desserts including cake for the birthday boys.
-Dining-
We had planned to dine at the hotel’s restaurants at least once but it was difficult to do so with the 2 kids, so we ended up getting in-room dining for every meal. I loved the fact that we could order anything from the different restaurants’ menus to the villa, and enjoy our meals in the comfort of our villa. We tried a variety of items from the menus (western, indian, chinese, malay cuisines) and honestly, everything was delicious. Food was served hot and promptly (within 30-40 minutes, which I find reasonable), plating was on point, and the staff would arrange the food items nicely for us on the dining table.
-Cleanliness-
Having 2 young kids in tow, one can imagine how messy the villa can get, yet every time we got back to the villa after a day out, the rooms were spotless and organized.
We were also impressed by the fact that the hotel gets the villa’s pool cleaned every 2-3 days, which goes to show how much importance they put on keeping up hygiene and cleanliness in the hotel.
-Spa facilities-
My husband and I both got massages and pedicures done in the comfort of our villa. While there is a private massage room in our villa, we requested to do the pedi and massage by our pool so that we could watch over the kids while they played, and they were happy to oblige. The spa services were excellent, and we truly felt relaxed and refreshed after the massages. Kudos to Ms Kusnul and her team of masseuses who were professional and effective in their tasks.
-Other amenities-
We ordered the floating breakfast for our first morning in our villa, and it was beautifully done. The food was served warm and set up nicely in the pool for us, which made for a memorable dining experience for our family.
We also booked a photography session (Leisure Moments package) with the hotel’s photographer. We were delayed for a quite a while due to the kids, but the photographer still patiently waited and continued with our session despite having another appointment after us.
-Service-
I saved the best feedback for last as I am most impressed by the service and professionalism of the hotel staff throughout our stay, from the doorman to the bellboy, driver, masseuse, guest relations executive, receptionists, etc. Everyone was polite and pleasant to converse with.
One of the first things that I particularly liked was that the staff already knew all of our names upon our arrival and greeted us by name. This may seem like a trivial thing to others but I believe it’s little things like these that instantly adds a personal touch, making us feel at home in The Danna right from the start.
Secondly, I liked the fact that we were connected to the Guest Relations Executive via Whatsapp upon arrival at the hotel. I believe this ease of accessibility to the concierge is what made our stay so fuss-free, with every request or query promptly being attended to with the sending of just one text message.
Overall, to say that we enjoyed our stay at The Danna is an understatement and while we have stayed at other 5 star hotels with great service, the level of service at The Danna far exceeded our expectations, and I believe this is what makes it deserving of its luxury hotel label.