LANGKAWI is best known as a tropical island paradise and for holidaying in the sun. Many choose hotels with beachside locations while others prefer more familiar built-up surroundings with restaurants, shops, bars and cafés within walking distance.
Arguably, Langkawi's most popular beach is Pantai Cenang and the just-opened, four-star Mercure Langkawi Pantai Cenang is right in the thick of this well-developed and built-up beachside precinct.
While not immediately on the seafront, the property is within sight of the beach's golden sands and swaying coconut palms. Mercure's international hotel branding introduces heightened hospitality standards to the existing local hotel offerings.
Mercure Langkawi stands out for delivering a compact property with extremely comfortable and functional rooms plus well-conceived facilities and services that many holidaymakers seek out. It is located close to the main road through Pantai Cenang with the beach less than 100m from the hotel's front entrance.
IN-ROOM EXPERIENCES
The 164-rooms and suites property extends over eight storeys in a square configuration around a ground floor swimming pool.
These rooms conform to corporate Mercure standards that will appeal to both leisure and holidaymakers or those staying here for a small conference as the hotel has facilities for conferences of up to 200 delegates.
Beige, chocolate brown and black dominates the colour scheme with gray faux timber tiles on the floor. The features of the room that appeal are a huge and comfortable bed, smart television (with a decent selection of some 20 channels), an excellent shower, a relaxing single chair and footrest and a spacious verandah with two metal chairs and a table.
Detailed touches include ample luggage space, scales (wooden), safe, robes, ironing board, shoeshine, a back wall with a nautical theme and a full wall mirror. We particularly appreciate the total block-out curtains that keep the room in complete darkness enabling some much needed holiday sleep-in time.
Different guests have different rooming requirements. The hotel is square-shaped with a pool in the middle. Rooms around the pool are perfect for young families and, as such, can get a little noisy. Those on the exterior of the property offer views and are quieter than those facing the pool.
OUT-OF-ROOM EXPERIENCES
The hotel offers limited but functional services including a central pool, a poolside lobby and casual deck-side dining, Rice Garden Restaurant on the third floor, meeting and ballroom facilities on the second floor and a 24-hour access, an un-staffed gym with the latest fitness facilities.
Breakfast in Rice Garden, which extends from 7am to 10.30am, is an extensive buffet affair that includes freshly-brewed coffee, eggs cooked to order and local and international dishes plus pastries, breads and cereals. While not overly extensive, the choices are more than adequate and sufficient to satisfy most palates.
The restaurant offers both air-conditioned seating and on an open-sided terrace. Buffet meals are the norm although à la carte is offered for lunch and dinner. The RM45 set lunch of soup, a choice of mains (mostly noodles, rice or pasta) and crème brûlée provides exceptional value.
Room service breakfast is available as American, Malaysian (noodles or Nasi Lemak) or Western (pasta, poke bowl salmon or chicken burger).
The poolside 99 Islands Lounge and Bar is our favourite location for its casualness, extensive beverage selection, seating options and tapas choices. The bar extends from the semi-open lobby through to the poolside deck with sit-up bar seating, some tables and chairs and high tables and stools.
The 'sips and snacks' menu is most impressive – tapas, pizzas, cocktails, mocktails, wines and WiFi. These are listed as nett pricing (all taxes included) which makes things easier.
Tantalising tapas include mushrooms (RM15), king prawns (RM22), nachos (RM15), bruschetta (RM22) and satay (RM24). More substantive meals include Fish and Chips (RM22), Double-decker Beef burger (RM280 and Kebabs (RM22). Pizzas include pepperoni (RM24) and vegetarian (RM18).
Coffees, teas, soft drinks and juices are served but it is the selection of alcoholic beverages that will impress those who appreciate premium beverages.
ACCESSIBLE ATTRACTIONS
Guests at Mercure Langkawi will most likely choose the property over others because of its international branding, four-star facilities and services and its location.
The property is within easy walking distance of the Pantai Cenang beachfront, shops, restaurants and services such as banks. There is a sense of being in the thick of all this action and yet, you can retreat to the tranquility of the hotel's poolside setting to rest awhile before stepping back into all that Pantai Cenang has to offer.
Other nearby attractions include Underwater World with its fascinating opportunities for some close-up marine interaction. The beach is a wide expanse of shallow water where numerous watersports are offered. If you have never tried para-sailing or jet-skiing, a visit to Pantai Cenang could well be the answer to your dreams.
FAST FACTS
Mercure Langkawi Pantai Cenang
Lot 2500 Jalan Pantai Cenang
MK Kedawang
0700 Pulau Langkawi
TEL 04-9525888
EMAIL [email protected]
WEBSITE www.all.accor.com
STAY All 164 rooms and suites are fitted out with the latest technology and decorated with contemporary colours plus a wonderfully comfortable mattress.
EAT The hotel has done well to provide local and international dishes at reasonable prices to encourage guests to dine in-house in the comfort and safety of the resort rather than outside amongst the clutter of restaurants along the Pantai Cenang strip.
DO Relax by the pool or take a walk along the sandy beach or enjoy swimming in the refreshing waters of the Andaman Sea.
GO Spend time shopping in Cenang Mall, dine on seafood on the headland at The Cliff to admire the sunset or stroll to Underwater World to be educated about the marine world.
HIGHS We like the contemporary fit out of each room, the reasonable food and beverage pricing and the hotel's central location.
LOWS The property is not immediately on the beach but is close enough for those who want to enjoy a dip in the Andaman Sea.
Visit Langkawi and seize extra discounts on rooms using Agoda Promotion.
