The Danna Langkawi: A Brief Escape To Remember

Travel Buzz

This happened last year days before my birthday. I have Enrich Miles (Malaysia Airlines) expiring and it was only enough for a short haul return flight (from Manila) so I thought what better way to spend my birthday than fly to one of its local destinations. I thought it would be nice to stay in a beach resort where I could sit back, relax, have a quiet day to celebrate my birthday while enjoying the sun, sea, and sands. That is how I would usually spend my birthday, either in one of our islands (like El Nido Resorts Palawan two years earlier) or abroad (like Guam the year before). As usual, I googled ‘best beach resort in Malaysia’ and came across a list from an international travel magazine. The Danna Langkawi topped that list and made it easier for me to decide where to go. So I booked a flight to Langkawi using my expiring miles.

Hotel exteriors and grounds

Like my last trip to Athens, the trip to Langkawi didn’t go without hiccups. When I got to Langkawi, my luggage didn’t arrive with me. I already had a feeling that there’s a possibility of that happening, since my outbound flight (from Manila) to Kuala Lumpur was delayed by more than an hour that ate up my layover time in KL before my connecting flight to Langkawi. Given that I’ll be only staying for a couple of nights in Langkawi, it’s quite stressful to know that I only had the clothes on my back in an island in a foreign country until the airline could sort out the exact location of my luggage, not to mention the paperwork at the lost baggage section of Langkawi airport. Tired, weary, and worried about my luggage, I checked in at The Danna thinking that I don’t want my birthday to end up like that, stressful. Even with the refreshing welcome drink and wet towel, my mind was still with my missing luggage. When the receptionist learned about my luggage situation, she assured me that the hotel will handle it. All I have to do is just to surrender the copy of the paperwork that I did at the airport and they will be the ones to do the follow thru. That’s when I started to relax.

Oasis inside with a pond full of colorful carps and the immaculate infinity pool

After checking in, they ushered me to the receiving area and gave me a free 15 minute massage. I found my worries slowly dissipate with the relaxing massage. I would have wanted more time, but that would cost me already. So I decided to proceed to my room. Before reaching my room, I was already pleased with the wide hallways along balconies. The hotel building is like a square from an aerial view, where the internal balconies are facing a hollow center where sea breeze can freely flow thru and external balconies have either city or sea views. When I got to my room, I was glad that it was spacious and has that resort vibe. It also has nice views of the marina and the beach.

Marina view and the bathroom

The hotel wasn’t crowded that time so I freely moved around, checking out every nook and cranny. I fell in love with the colonial design amidst modern amenities like the infinity pool. My favorite part aside from the pool and the beach was the lounge, with high ceilings that exude classic ambiance and a baby grand piano as the centerpiece. There’s also a lush garden inside, an oasis in a predominantly white concrete setting. There’s a pond that extends around the garden, where colorful carps have plenty of space to freely swim and enjoy regular feeding from hotel staff at different spots and snacks from hotel guests. It seems like these gentle creatures have become smarter, knowing exactly where to go and get second helpings from different feeding spots. Very clever indeed.

Lounge and bar

Then there’s the infinity pool. The loungers are sitting on shallow pool water, so it’s something different than the typical dry ones. It was so enticing to take a dip, but unfortunately, I wasn’t ‘dressed’ appropriately, so I decided to go to the beach instead. Just before the beach is a garden where tables, chairs, lighting, and sound system were being set up for what looks like a wedding reception. It was no doubt a wedding, as there were chairs already set up on the beach for the ceremony as well as an arch for the exchange of vows. I was about to witness another beach wedding I thought, similar to what I’ve seen a couple of years earlier at Shelly Beach in Sydney. Guests started to descend to the beach in their cocktail dresses and tux, while I was there lounging on the side with the same clothes I had since that early morning flight. Pre-wedding cocktails were served and a few minutes later, the ceremony started. Lovely, I thought, and perfect weather too.

Garden reception, beach wedding, and the uninvited guest who wasn’t dressed appropriately for the occasion.

After enjoying the scene and daydreaming (yeah, I’m a hopeless romantic), I decided to go back to my room. I wasn’t expecting to be met by a nice surprise: the hotel staff transformed my room by setting up balloons and ribbons on the four bed pillars. In one of the tables, there was a mini birthday cake and a bottle of chilled champagne, with a note greeting me on that special day where the gifts are “compliments of The Danna.” Overwhelmed by the kind gesture, I took it all in and was very grateful of the blessing. The hotel staff probably noticed the birth date on my passport upon check in and discreetly passed it on to hotel management and decided to make that birthday memorable. As if that wasn’t perfect enough, I saw my luggage sitting on the luggage holder. Wasn’t I so happy to be reunited with my luggage in a beautiful room setting with celebratory decor, all courtesy of the hotel. What more can I ask for.

My room (before and after the surprise transformation) and the birthday gifts ‘compliments of The Danna’

When I checked out a couple of days later I thanked the staff for the kind thoughts, pleasant surprise, and tremendous gestures. They went over and beyond to make my stay a fabulous experience and a birthday I would cherish in a long time. What the hotel management and staff did was a perfect example of what hospitality and value added service are all about. It went beyond limits that left a lasting impression, finding solutions and creating memories to make every stay count. No matter how brief an escape that was, it was a birthday to remember, thanks to The Danna.

Some of the meals I had in the hotel (seafood pasta marinara, stir fried seafood chinese noodles, and filet mignon)