The Datai — Langkawi, Malaysia
For 25 years, The Datai has been a favoured hideout for discerning travellers as much for its incomparable location on Langkawi’s north western coastline enveloped by a 10-million-year old rainforest, bristling with ancient trees, waterfalls and mangroves, as its conception by architect Kerry Hill and interior designer Didier Lefort.
Now, after a tip-to-toe refresh – led by Lefort – the legendary 121-room property has reopened to include a re-shape of the lobby, entrance and landscaping, three new Rainforest Pool Villas, a new five-room villa with 24-hour butler service, and a dedicated Nature Centre with its own lab and a resident team of naturalists and marine biologists on hand for activities from guided nature walks to kayaking in the mangroves.
Meanwhile, updated technology, a sleek understated colour palette and low-key lighting enhance the guestrooms and five restaurants where, thankfully, the food concepts have remained the same, with The Gulai House still serving its delicious beef rendang.
And of course, views continue to please, not least in the open-air Lobby Lounge which is the best spot to sip on cocktails while admiring panoramic vistas of both the rainforest and the Andaman Sea with the Thai Tarutao island on the horizon.
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Jalan Teluk Datai
07000 Langkawi
Kedah
Malaysia
Lauren Ho is the Travel Director of Wallpaper*, roaming the globe, writing extensively about luxury travel, architecture and design for both the magazine and the website. Lauren serves as the European Academy Chair for the World's 50 Best Hotels.
-
‘Just beneath the surface there’s another world’: How David Lynch used hair and make-up to create his singular universe
From Blue Velvet and Mulholland Drive to Twin Peaks, David Lynch used hair and make-up in his films as a narrative device, writes Laura Havlin
By Laura Havlin Published
-
Burns Night 2025: where to celebrate in London
It is time to raise a wee dram to Scotland’s national poet Robert Burns on Burns Night (25 January). Here is our pick of places to enjoy an evening of generous speechmaking, toasting, and drinking around London
By Tianna Williams Published
-
Tag Heuer unveils sporty new collections at LVMH Watch Week 2025
Tag Heuer has announced a series of new watches at LVMH Watch Week, including Formula 1 and Carrera editions
By Chris Hall Published
-
2025 getaways: where Wallpaper* editors will be travelling to this year
From the Japanese art islands of Naoshima and Teshima to the Malaysian tropical paradise of Langkawi, here’s where Wallpaper* editors plan to travel to in 2025
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
24 hours in Copenhagen: stay, bike, dine, and discover Danish design
Plan your 24 hours in Copenhagen: sleepover in a former brewery, wake up with a wild swim, and immerse yourself in the home of a modernist master
By Simon Mills Published
-
Peter Beard’s biographer, Christopher Wallace, on writing the wild life of the quintessential Twentieth-Century Man
Author Christopher Wallace traces the footsteps of the original playboy-artist-activist Peter Beard, travelling from Kenya, to the Serengeti, Cassis and beyond
By Christopher Wallace Published
-
Estelle Manor is a chic take on the hotel and country club
Estelle Manor, a transformed Grade II-listed house and estate in Oxfordshire, welcomes guests with Roman and Williams interiors, parasols by the pool, and a soon-to-open tepidarium
By Henrietta Thompson Published
-
Maroma, A Belmond Hotel, Riviera Maya opens following a major redesign
On the Yucatán Peninsula, the new-look Maroma showcases local craftsmanship and Mayan tradition with interiors led by interior architecture studio Tara Bernerd & Partners
By Charlotte McManus Published
-
A weekend in wonderful Copenhagen
The ultimate weekend in Copenhagen starts here: discover the latest openings across the UNESCO World Capital of Architecture, stay in a hotel afloat, start your day with brilliant baked goods and ski down a power-station piste
By Simon Mills Published
-
The Largo brings craftsmanship and creativity to Porto
The Largo is the latest hospitality offering in Portugal's second city, conceived as an elevated residence with an art programme that connects it to the city’s creative community
By Tom Howells Published
-
Louis Vuitton opens its summertime café in Saint-Tropez
The Louis Vuitton café in Saint-Tropez combines the brilliance of Michelin-starred chef Arnaud Donckele and pastry chef Maxime Frédéric for a one-of-a-kind Mediterranean feast
By Mary Cleary Published