langkawi magazine
To Do SECTION
Home By The Sea
Longing to get away from the frenetic pace of city life and exhaustive work load, husband and wife Jessen and Nina Hartwig from Germany packed their bags and headed to Langkawi for a quit and intimate moment together. Their friends back home had recommended that they check in at Casa Del Mar, a secluded beach resort at Pantai Cenang. `We should have come here sooner if we"d known that we"d be treated like royalties. The service is tremendously superb`. They exclaim. Besieged by the serene surrounding and stunning view, the Hartwigs send postcards to their friends in Germany, recommending them for a holiday here.
With 29 rooms, Casa Del Mar or `home by the sea` in Spanish, offers the pleasures of home. There are 24 deluxe rooms, two deluxe suites, two junior suites and one royal suite. With such small number of rooms, guests are assured of undivided attentions by the resort friendly staff.
Finding our way to the resort is easy as it is located just 10 minutes from Langkawi International Airport. The resort`s valet is ever helpful in making our journey a smooth one. Sweet scent of aromatherapy greets us as we enter the resort"s lobby; a relief from the scorching sun out side. The small lobby gives an impression as if we are visiting a friend`s house. Soon after our arrival, we are invited to rest our tired feet at the sofa and are given cold towel and fruit cocktail. The interior décor resembles a hacienda that blends beautifully with the crystal chandelier and antique wooden chairs. I notice a rocking chair by the swimming pool; and sea shells are placed on tables. Astounded by the Mediterranean architecture and Spanish decorations, for a minute I dream of being somewhere in the French Riviera.
Andrew Drummond, the general Manager soon wakes me up from my reverie as he greets us with his disarming smile. The Englishman is no stranger to Malaysia. He grows up here before pursuing his hotel management studies in England. Later, after working in Australia for 13 years, he came back to Langkawi last November. Andrew greets us as thought he has known us for years. `That`s what makes Casa Del Mar special to the guests as I always greet them on arrival and I`m also there when they leave. Other hotels might not have the luxury of doing what I`m doing, but here, we treat each guest individually and they really appreciate that. All the staffs know the guests by their first names. That makes them feel important`. He said.
The resort is only three years old, but it has generated a loyal return base and some of them are recommended by their friends. Its romantic setting is popular especially among honeymooners. ` As we are relatively small, the guests are assured of their privacy with the pleasures of home, and the sea just a whisper away.`
The room is spacious; tastefully decorated with teak wood. I am somewhat reluctant to venture out of the room. A bowl of tropical fruit and freshly grounded coffee are placed in the room, with fresh milk replenished every evening.
The sliding door opens onto a private terrace furnished with two chairs and a drink table. As the doors opens, I hear sounds of wind blowing with the sweet melody of the lapping waves. What sets the room apart from the other hotels is that the wardrobe fits nicely in the spacious bath room. There is a big tub fir for two. Again the powerful scent of aromatherapy permeates the air. Even the shampoo, bath gel and lotion fill the bathroom with a soothing ambience. All the rooms have a private patio with `private gated garden` facing the sea and thinking it is a marvellous way to start the day with afresh coffee and milk in the patio.
As we are having our dinner, our room are being given the turndown service. `This is our speciality as the beds are turned down while hot chocolate and camomile tea are presented with filled kettle every evening. Bottled water are ready by the beds with weather report and recommended activities in the morning,` adds Andrew. The fruits and beverages are also replenished every evening with soothing music from the DVD player plying in the room. Bidding goodnight to the ever smiling staff at the hotel, we make our way for a stroll by the beach. Remembering that I have booked an aromatherapy massage treatment early in the morning, I head back to my room with a heavy heart.
The meant tea is refreshing, and as my masseuse prepares the oils and essentials for my treatment I hear the sound of the waves gently breaking the shores. Working her magic hands on my body, the gentle masseuse was in vigorating. She even knows that I used to have migraine. Imagine that!. The hour long treatment is so relaxing within a few minutes. I"m in slumber land. There are many packages and treatment to choose from, while the oils and essentials are freshly blended using natural ingredients at the spa. The massage, starting from RM. 90 for a half hour session revitalizes me that I decided to give it another try later in the evening. According to Andrew, guests can also opt for the foot scrub at RM 150 or facial treatment at RM 165 if they are too sunburn to try a massage. `They can still be pampered if they want to and we will prepare a special package based on their needs`. The treatments have also received good response not only from in house guests but also from walk-ins.
Feeling refreshed and skin glowing from the massage. I persuade Fendi to take a breather on the deck chairs which are casually laid among the coconut trees. It`s nice not to fight for a lounger by the pool or beach like other large hotels. Guests are also given undivided attentions - which is the order of the day here. Fruits from the coconut tree are also removed to allow guests to doze without the fear of falling fruits. As we laze by the deck chair caching up on our favourite novels, a waiter shows up with iced water and peppermint cold towel. I am told that iced water is given to guests every half an hour while watermelon slices and cold towels twice in the afternoon.
`All these little details really show that they care about us and never have I though that my vacation at Casa Del Mar will be something to remember by. Not only that, I am thinking of coming back in the future,` says Alan McByan from Ireland. Although he has yet to venture to other parts of the island, he says he does not regret it as the view from the hotel is more than enough for him to get a full impression of Langkawi. `Maybe next time I will stay a bit longer and venture further. But right now, I never want to leave this beach or even my room. ` He says.
Indeed an ideal place for a honeymoon couple to spend a few days for intimate moments and to find each other again. Casa Del mar provides the perfect setting. Some of the other services and facilities provided include out door free form swimming pool, in room dining, doctor on call, car rental assistance, travel and tour assistance and water sport and sea activities assistance. Just inquire the services that you need at the reception, and they are willing to make your holiday to a memorable one. Do inquire for the castaway picnics on private islands or for a romantic beach sunset tapes picnics while you`re here. It"s an experience you and your partner will never forget.
Langkawi Oct-04
