The Westin Langkawi Resort & Spa: The Perfect Getaway to Find Your Balance

Text by JUHAN KAMARUDDIN Images by THE WESTIN LANGKAWI RESORT & SPA, MUHAMMAD HASIF MOHD JELANI

Situated on a stunning beachfront in Langkawi, Malaysia, The Westin Langkawi Resort & Spa is a family-friendly property that falls under the Premium category within the Marriott International stable. Based on Gaya Travel team members’ experience with The Westin Langkawi Resort & Spa, we associate the brand with the idea that everything is in place, in order, balanced, spot-on, efficient, and sustaining.

Being not just another resort, The Westin Langkawi Resort & Spa goes out of its way to become an exemplary wellness retreat where guests go to reflect, unwind, restore, and recharge so that they can find back their balance, in keeping with the Westin brand promise, which is “to ensure that guests leave feeling better than when they arrived”. Consequentially, Westin tends to attract travellers who are discerning and affluent, constantly clamouring for getaways that rejuvenate and revitalise their minds, body and soul.

Since The Westin Langkawi Resort & Spa is only a few minutes’ drive away from the duty-free outlets and Kuah jetty, this awardwinning five-star resort primarily takes inspiration from Langkawi’s natural beauty and balances it with a measured degree of plushness. The Gaya Travel team lauds the fact that the entire property is judiciously constructed, neither too sprawled out nor too compact or dense. Case in point: even though our villa is among the furthest structures from the lobby and adjacent to Heavenly Spa, it only takes around 10 minutes of a hardly exertive saunter along the beach to get there from one of the resort’s dining outlets called Tide.

Accommodation

Those who are lucky to stay at The Westin Langkawi Resort & Spa garner the chance to wake up to the gorgeous view of the sparkling Andaman Sea and the surrounding nature simply from the comforts of the property’s 282 well-appointed guestrooms or villas. The interiors of the accommodations are upscale, homely, clever, and airy. It is worth noting that the sea-facing rooms have balconies and a carefully calculated layout. Wheelchair-friendly room is also available upon request.

To crank the Westin experience up to another notch, guests should stay at the Westin Villas, which come highly recommended since these are amazing beachside private accommodations that allow guests to maintain their distance from the rest of the crowd, albeit with more privacy and exclusivity.

These villas can be treated as full-fledged abodes equipped with all the amenities expected from a world-class global property chain. The Gaya Travel team stayed at the twobedroom villa that comes with a functioning kitchen; expansive living and dining area; an additional room turned into an intimate lounge area; four flat-screen television sets; four toilets; four showering areas (three indoor and one outdoor, which is accessible from the master bathroom); two oversized bathtubs; an infinity plunge pool; a gazebo; and countless fluffy towels. This two-bedroom villa, therefore, is perfect for a travelling group comprising family or friends.

And how could you talk about the accommodations at any Westin property without even mentioning the legendary Heavenly® Bed? Gaya Travel team members personally vouch that the Heavenly® Bed is one of Westin’s differentiating factors and unique selling points. First introduced in 1999, the iconic Heavenly® Bed system– with its pillow-top mattress supported by a robust box spring underneath, sheets of 250 thread count, duvet and duvet cover, together with finely-cased pillows – has now become synonymous with Westin. Every time you stay at any Westin property, especially The Westin Langkawi Resort & Spa, you are almost guaranteed a restorative slumber, making you feel healthier, well-rested, bright-eyed, and bushy-tailed the next morning.

Dining

Guests are invited to embark on a culinary journey with the resort’s selection of dining venues. Travellers can choose to eliminate their hunger at any of the resort’s food and beverage outlets on-site, which present differing eating options to fuel and energise guests without compromising on flavour and taste.

Kick-start the morning with a range of local and international staples at Seasonal Tastes, the outlet that serves an inspiring breakfast spread with healthy options like yoghurt, muesli, and berries. The in-room Western dining is also worth ordering, especially the hearty and lavish American breakfast spread that comes with scrumptious pastries.

Tide – a relaxing and breezy cabana-styled steakhouse that is devoid of walls and likened to sheltered al fresco dining by the beach – dishes out local favourites during the day and the freshest seafood and succulent steak in the evening. Currently open for lunch and dinner, Tide serves delicious spicy squid ink linguini, crab linguini and grilled seabass fillet marinated in coconut lime with herbed butter on the side, including ribeye and tenderloin, both with a marbling score of at least 6. Alternatively, diners who prefer to share the menu with their companions may order the dishes listed under the ‘To Share’ section. Gaya Travel team chose the generously portioned Seafood Platter comprising grilled tiger prawns, seabass fillet, fried softshell crab, lobsters, squid, and mussels.

Breeze is Gaya Travel team’s preferred spot to lounge since it is situated on the well-ventilated terrace connected to the lobby overlooking the nearby islands of Tuba, Payang and Bunting as well as the sea, irresistibly prodding us to absorb the laid-back atmosphere in its entirety while imbibing refreshing concoctions and lip-smacking light snacks.

When guests decide to take a dip, they can easily swim up to the scenic pool bar aptly named Splash for refreshing beverages with selections of bar bites or light fares while taking in the view of the Andaman Sea and listening to relaxing acoustic music.

Recreation

A destination within a destination, The Westin Langkawi Resort & Spa rolls out a plethora of recreational activities and facilities throughout the resort, including swimming pools, a recreational centre, and a 24-hour well-equipped WestinWORKOUT® Fitness Studio. Families with younger guests will appreciate facilities such as the Westin Family Kids Club® with its wide range of child-friendly activities and local games. The meticulously designed activities draw inspiration from the Westin Family programme, an initiative guided by the brand to enhance the younger guests’ stays and boost their creativity, curiosity and sense of discovery.

Westin stresses on Fitness because it is in line with one of Westin’s six pillars (“Move Well”) so that guests would have no problem sticking to their fitness regime when staying at the resort. Serious gym goers and aspiring bodybuilders can arrange for a private training session with the resort’s certified in-house fitness trainer. Westin also partners with total body training resistance exercise system supplier TRX® in coming up with WestinWORKOUT® Fitness Studio, a regime that gives guests the flexibility to fully customise their workouts according to their individual fitness goals and levels, alongside the RunWestin initiative that invites guests to undergo a running routine either by themselves using the route suggested by Westin or together with the Run Concierge as running partner. On top of that, complimentary weekly yoga sessions are held at Heavenly Spa’s open-air terrace to help guests stay limber. A tennis coach is available upon request too. Being on an island, it is only natural for The Westin Langkawi Resort & Spa to offer coastal water activities. Guests can enjoy various water sports such as kayaking, windsurfing, and sailing, with assistance from the staff at the water-sports centre located by the beach. Traversing the waters is the best way to explore the beauty of the Andaman Sea. Alternatively, guests can opt for a relaxing swim in one of the resort’s four pools. In case it rains, the resort’s Recreation team gladly readies indoor activities such as the eight-ball and nine-ball pool table, table tennis, board games and local traditional games.

In addition, the resort organises adventurous walks guided by the resort’s naturalist for guests to learn about the different species of wildlife and watch hornbills flying from tree to tree. Travellers can learn the traditional art of batik painting while learning about the island’s vibrant culture and traditions at the same time.

But one experience that guests should never miss is the pampering session at the award-winning Heavenly Spa by Westin™, featuring the most comprehensive selection of spa menu derived from Malay, Ayurvedic, Turkish, Swedish and Indonesian modalities. The spa is renowned throughout the island for its efficacious treatments and emphasis on guests’ well-being and feeling after receiving treatment. It is believed that the therapists draw on the tropical warmth of Langkawi when dispensing the massages or spa treatments to heal the guests’ body and awaken their senses.

The spa has nine treatment rooms: five couple rooms and four single rooms. Before undergoing treatment, guests are first welcomed by a refreshing hot pandan tea that helps them to calm down. The popular treatments include the Signature (compress, palm and thumbs - stronger pressure is applied), relaxing Aromatherapy, and the Traditional deep tissue massage to alleviate tension, stiffness or soreness of the neck, shoulders and back using more of the fingers, resulting in guests feeling reinvigorated.

Conclusion

After staying at The Westin Langkawi Resort & Spa for three days, the Gaya Travel team clearly sees that the resort stresses more on delivering comfort, restfulness, and homeliness rather than trendiness and ostentation, thereby rendering it evergreen and timelessly relevant. It staunchly upholds the Westin brand promise by deliberately focussing on wellness guided by Westin’s six pillars (“feel well,” “work well,” “move well,” “eat well,” “sleep well” and “play well”), turning it into a veritable sanctuary for travellers who are serious in prioritising their health and well-being, ensuring that they “leave feeling better than when they arrived”…

Log on to www.westinlangkawi.com for more information and reservations.