A New Era
(Above) The new look Pavilion serves elegant Thai cuisine; (right) it's easy to be immersed in nature at The Datai Langkawi
renovation project, the most substantial since its opening, was announced for the hotel. The “new” Datai would include a remodelling of the interiors of the guestrooms, suites, villas and public areas, and the addition of new units and facilities arrayed across its 750-hectare rainforest. Lefort was appointed to lead the refurbishment. “The main intent from the start was to stay truthful to the original concept, and maintain the DNA of The Datai,” Girodon says. “No one could have done that better than Didier, who had seen it come to life in the first place.” In the span of a few months, Lefort created a more sophisticated colour scheme, streamlined the design and envisioned more contemporary furnishings, while introducing smart lighting and 21st century technology to the rooms – categorised into Canopy, Rainforest and Beach – and around the property. “We have given it a gentle makeover,” the interior designer says. “Its foundations – from the
materials we used to build it 25 years ago to the symbiotic relationship we created with the jungle back then – still worked, very much so. We’ve only had to add a modern touch to it. The heart and soul were as good as ever.” Meanwhile, the management set to expand the offerings of The Datai. A new five-bedroom unit, The Datai Estate, has been built over an area of 3,500 square metres, making it one of the largest villas of its kind in Asia. Extra decadent details, from a 24-hour butler service to private chefs and fine dining options, have been introduced as optional components of the guest experience, but it’s the natural and cultural legacy of the resort that this new iteration has really capitalised on. In the 1990s and 2000s, The Datai was one of the first hotels in the region to offer patrons educational rainforest walks, and one of the first to appoint a Resident Naturalist, Irshad Mobarak, as part of its full-time staff.
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