langkawi magazine

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Nestled in Supreme Comfort

Most of Malaysia would have just returned to the crush of traffic in the city after an idyllic week celebrating Deepavali and Hari Raya. If you're already plotting your next getaway, consider the next best thing to a kampung: a beach resort with kampung-style chalets nestled in a hilly landscape of towering trees, mature palms and flowering plants.
The Sheraton Langkawi Beach Resort in Langkawi comprises two-storey wood-and-brick buildings and chalets. The latter hug the coastline in a quiet nook of the resort where sunbathing is the preferred leisure activity.
If you have children in tow, don"t forget the binoculars for the walk from your room to the main building where the restaurants are; it may reveal some of the island"s friendly neighbours. Dusky leaf monkeys, long-tailed macaques, clouded monitors, brahminy kites, flying lemurs and the small-clawed otter can be spotted early in the mornings and late in the evenings. But the only “wildlife” spotted during this visit was a kitten!
If parents are craving for much-needed shuteye, a minder is available for children between the ages of four and 12.
The resort is now undergoing refurbishment which means guests can look forward to spanking new sheets, spotless tubs and new facilities.
A sneak preview unveiled some of that. Work on 176 of the 231 rooms and suites has been completed. The rest have undergone “soft” upgrading while the refurbishment of the lobby is expected to be completed on time for the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition or Lima next month.
After 18 months, the new-look guest bedrooms will be set to compete with the big boys in the hospitality scene, a claim Sheraton general manager Bipan Kapur proudly attests to. “We have the best rooms inLangkawi — spacious and vibrant,” he said, nary a doubt in his mind.
“Our aim is to provide comfort and service befitting an experienced international traveller,” he said.And so it does. Beyond the dark wooden doors of the hotel room at the Sheraton lies paradise.
Earthy colours and airy rooms are a balm to frazzled nerves. What will completely win you over thoughare the bathrooms. More wood and a spotless white tub to fit two make for cosy rainy afternoons during the monsoon season. Mini collapsible French windows open up to offer a view of the bedroom and the sea beyond.
“We not only sell rooms; we sell sleep too,” Bipan declared. You see, the Sheraton Langkawi prides itself on providing the best sleep you"ll ever get on the Sheraton Sweet Sleeper Bed. At US$1,500 (RM5,700) for 40 winks, you know these folks mean serious business. And if you love the comforting feeling you get from the feathered pillows and crisp cotton sheets, the bed is for sale (if this concept sounds familiar, it is because the Starwood Group which manages Sheraton Hotels and Resorts also manages The Westin, known for the Heavenly Bed).
The roomy balcony is another must-lounge area where one can relax with a good book or people-watch from a day bed padded with ample throw cushions and an antique-looking ceiling fan to lessen the heat of humid days.
“The idea is to blend the rooms with the outdoors to maintain harmony with the external environment,” said Bipan.
No matter how much nature and comfort is around him, a frequent traveller will crave for the trappings of technology. All rooms are equipped with high-speed Internet access and Wi-Fi will be available in the lobby and in one of the six restaurants. For now, Sheraton Langkawi is the only hotel on the island to provide this service.
So what are you doing this New Year"s Eve? Why not party away the last few days of the year under a blanket of stars with your feet sinking into soft powder-white sand, or enjoy a romantic candle-lit dinner on the wooden walkways as waves crash below you or luxuriate in a massage for two at the Mandara Spa. What better place to do all this than at mystical Langkawi.
There are two Sheratons in Langkawi: the Sheraton Perdana, which is fronted by a stretch of powder-fine white sand and a five-minute drive from Kuah town, and Sheraton Langkawi Beach Resort, which is a 10-minute drive from Langkawi International Airport. For more details, visit www.sheraton.com/langkawi.

Langkawi 2005-11-02