AAnonymous UserShangri-La has always been one of my favorite hotel brands. Its resort-like qualities are consistently top-notch, truly living up to its tagline: 'Discover your own Shangri-La.'
The hotel itself is vast, with its own private beach, though access to the beach area is somewhat limited. Its main focus is on the lush forest and pools, inviting you to spend an entire day bare-skinned with a book, lounging by the forest or on a poolside chair. Of course, water activities and outdoor massages are available, but they don't seem to be very popular.
Occasionally, you'll spot some of 'humanity's best friends' – lizards, crows, and monkeys. This is a consistent feature of Shangri-La; wild animals are an integral part of the environment.
The breakfast buffet is excellent, especially sitting outdoors by the sea. However, this only applies to the Spice Market restaurant in the Garden Wing. Absolutely avoid the à la carte Grill restaurant in the RASA Wing; it's basic and a waste of time.
The dinner buffet at Spice Market is equally superb. The seafood buffet on Fridays and Saturdays is incredible! Have you ever experienced all-you-can-eat Boston lobster for 183 MYR per person? This is an 80% discount price, but you need to book in advance and order on the official website. Don't bother with the Chinese restaurant at the market opposite; it's purely for tourists, with a poor environment, low value for money, and mediocre food.
Now for the downsides: the room facilities are outdated, barely meeting a three-star standard. The coffee machine was broken, the air conditioning was noisy, the showerhead dripped all night because it couldn't be tightened, and the bathroom blinds were broken and wouldn't close.
There's also a management issue: the hotel feels like a retirement home, with white elderly couples making up 90% of the guests. Every day, a bunch of elderly white men and women in bikinis would arrive at 8 AM when the pool opened, grab towels, and reserve pool loungers for hours without actually getting in the water. They'd reserve their spots, leave for breakfast or afternoon tea, and then return to lie down. Those of us who actually wanted to swim couldn't find a single empty lounger... The hotel actually has a rule that if a lounger is unoccupied for over an hour, the towels should be removed. So, they cleverly finish their meals in under 59 minutes... The result is a scene with a pile of elderly white women and white towels by the pool, and only three or four young people actually in the water. Does that really make sense?
So, there's no perfect hotel. After weighing the pros and cons, you just have to find the parts you love.
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