Pangkor Laut Resort

Stayed here for 3D2N under the Resident's Package in an overwater bungalow amongst the Sea Villas. Design of the hotel and room was nice, the emerald beaches and pools were beautiful, the omnipresent hornbills were cheeky but charming, the primary rainforest shady and lush. But being that close to nature I guess had its downside: mosquitos were everywhere and ravaged us every time we sat down to eat at any restaurant on site - the hotel provided repellant sprays and balms for bites, but one wonders why they didn't use any mosquito coils. Cleanliness of the room was subpar - first day we arrived, the bathtub had hairs in it. The entire room was dusty. It was hard to sleep at night with loud beach-club music thumping across the water from the main Pangkor Island across the water, late into midnight. Food was a pleasant surprise - meal and service at the Fisherman's Cove were excellent and far better than previous meals we'd had in Perak throughout our 5-day trip. Quality of other meals were also decent. But be warned: the hotel's "meal-inclusive" packages, such as the "Resident's Package" we bought, do not include meals at Fisherman's Cove, only at the other good-but-not-great eateries -- a detail they obfuscate when you make the booking. (The Package also claimed to include a Jungle Trek -- when we arrived, we were told it was for the free trek that everyone has access to, not the paid private one -- so I don't think it should have been listed as an inclusion.) Sunil and Mizan provided amazing, excellent 5-star service -- on par with world-class luxury hotels and michelin restaurants. They remembered our names & drinks orders from previous days, and were gracious and highly professional in their manner. Frankly, it compensated from the poor service experienced in other parts of the resort, which was far from 5-star standards. The concierge's service was probably the worst, bordering on dishonest. We were given different, conflicting excuses each day about the Sunset Cruise's availability, despite the signboard saying it was "Open" every day alongside other advertised activities. We asked on the first day if we could book it for the next evening, but was told "there's no availability". We asked how far in advance we were supposed to make reservations, since we were surprised it was already booked out >24 hours before. She then changed tune and said that no, actually, "the boat might not be available, we'll check and will let you know". Afternoon the next day, we followed up and checked on the availability again. This time her excuse changed: "We usually need a minimum of 4 people before the cruise can set out". I asked what the cutoff time was for finding 4 people, since this was new info to us. She said it was 4pm - then changed her mind and said "actually because of the petrol situation, the hotel is not running the cruise." ?!?! Wish she'd just told us from the get-go, instead of making new excuses each day.

It was a wonderful experience, such a beautiful resort, amazing view, lovely clean rooms, fantastic beach, such amazing, friendly, hardworking staff especially at all their restaurants. Shout out to Apon, Kimmie, Israfil, Hanny, Buggy driver Bob and many others , they were all just incredibly helpful, very kind and the Resort is lucky to have all of them. Food was so good with so much of variety and choice. Definitely will want to go there again.

Pangkor Laut is one of the most restful resorts we have visited, as well as having the best Spa by far! The island is very attractive, and the beach at Emerald Bay is so picturesque with loungers in the shade of the trees, and the water is around body temperature.....you don't even notice it! We stayed in a Beach Villa by the tree where the fruit-bats hang out, which was lovely to watch, and these villas are top-notch, recently renovated and very comfortable. The food is good, but the choice and quality is not quite up to the standard that we would expect from a resort of this calibre. This all said, the differentiating factor that makes Pangkor Laut stand out is the genuine warmth and desire to please of every one of the staff that we met. They are all truly superb!! It is a little unfair to everyone to call out anyone for special mention, and the list is long, but here goes....... in no particular order, thank you Mohammed, Imdadul, Apon, Hasan, Asif, Arif, Santosh, Al Amin, Sakil, Febri, Nadim, THT and Fai for your kindness and attentiveness. And please will all of you give a big round of applause to all your wonderful colleagues that I have not mentioned here. You all made our stay very special - thank you! Mr Robin

We recently stayed at Pangkor Laut Resort in Malaysia to celebrate a special occasion, and overall we’d rate it 4/5. There’s a lot to love about this place. The beach is absolutely beautiful, and the island itself feels peaceful and secluded—perfect for a romantic getaway. Our beach villa was in a great location right next to a bat tree, which made it feel even more unique and close to nature. The buggy service was efficient and made getting around the island really easy. What really stood out to us was the staff. A few memorable names include Cjay at reception, Asog who handed towels and helped set up our loungers and Apon at dinner whose service was impeccable. However everyone we encountered was warm, welcoming, and genuinely attentive—it made a big difference to the experience. We also joined a nature walk led by one of the guides Aris, which was a highlight. It felt immersive and gave us a deeper appreciation for the island’s ecosystem. A couple of areas could be improved. The bath water never quite got hot enough, and we frequently ran out of warm water, which was a little disappointing. It would also have been helpful to have a half-board meal option available, especially as there are very limited alternative dining choices on the island. In addition, some parts of the property felt slightly tired and would benefit from a few touch-ups and better overall upkeep. Overall, a memorable and relaxing stay with just a few small things that could be improved.

I went back to PLR after many years (possibly 10). Quick summary of my experience : 5 Starts - The staff (from check in at Lumut, to the F&B team and everyone along the way) were not necessarily the most polished, but came across as sincere in wanting the guest to have a good holiday. 3.5 Stars - The food. I was there on the Malaysian residents package and found the food to be adequate but not great in terms of quality and variety. 3 Starts - The room (stayed at the hill villa). Recently refurbished room but few minor corners were cut a) Minibar fridge is old and grungy, I was constantly finding puddles of water in the fridge and on the outside near the door. This is not a new thing as the floor has been damaged by this. Suggest Hotel looks into upgrading the fridges b) Deck Chair on the patio - took the upper villa so I could sit outside but honestly the deck chair has seen better days.. parts of the wood are rotting (although the chair was not unsafe). Biggest issue was with the musty and old cushion. If hotel is unable to replace these mattresses or at least sun them and replace the cover can I suggest that the towels used at pools side be left I the room so guest can at least cover the cushions before sitting on them. I honestly did not want to sit on those cushions as I did not want to stain my clothes 2 Stars - My biggest disappointment is with the GYM q) Equipment is super old and due for an upgrade b) Inadequate Airconditioning in the gym. I used the gym between 7am and 830am. The gym runs 24 hours, so the AC would have been on overnight. It was still stuffy and warm in there. Management has added wall fans (which are all mostly broken). I was unable to adjust the direction or get them to oscillate. In my view that space requires a minimum of 2 more high horse power AirCons. I hope you put this feedback to good use