The Datai is an unbelievably beautiful hotel with exceptional facilities, rooms, view and services at a dream location. I returned to the Datai after having stayed here about ten years ago and it was good to see that service and facilities levels are still at a very high level. What has changed however is the crowd that visits the hotel. I saw mainly young honeymoon couples from the UK. Although I totally understand why they choose the Datai, I felt a bit out of place. The resort definitely looses some of it's class and feeling of exclusivity because of this. I stayed in a renovated room and felt that the recent changes are not an improvement, but I realize this has to do with my personal taste and the fact that I really loved the previous room style and lay out. Food at the restaurants is outstanding and the choice is fine if you don't stay longer than four days.

I have to say that I was totally surprised to read any bad reviews of this place, can't really understand it. My husband and I spent about 9 days at the Datai in September 08 on our honeymoon and we couldn't have chosen a better place to stay. We had debated going to the Maldives or somewhere similar but actually having read the reviews of the Datai on tripadvisor we changed our minds.
If you are looking for a place to truly unwind and relax then the Datai is for you. The service is faultless, unobtrusive and genuine. The food is very good and yes, whilst pricey, you get what you pay for. I agree with an earlier comment which is you can't expect to go to a five star hotel and pay Pizza Hut prices!! We tried all the restaurants at the Datai and enjoyed all of them. Do try the Malaysian evening at the main restaurant, if you can. I would also recommend having afternoon tea on your veranda at some point. Very occasionally it rained in the afternoon so we sat out on the veranda with tea, cake and a good book and it was heavenly!
Our villa was down at the bottom of the rainforest about a 5 min walk from the beach. The villa is a little dark but I think it adds to the peaceful aspect of the stay. The villa was absolutely stunning and the bathroom was possibly bigger than our entire flat in London! We loved the huge bath and separate sinks plus the rainfall shower.

One of the great things is that there is so much nature to see when you wander from area to area of the hotel. We saw so many beautiful butterflies, birds, lizards and even a calugo (flying mammal) on the nature walk. If you are feeling a bit lazy you can order a buggy to take you up to the main part of the hotel (and why not, you are on holiday!).

The beach is very peaceful with plenty of room to relax without being bothered by other people. I loved the cool towels and iced water which was brought to us. The staff seem to anticipate every need which was lovely.

We also hired a car for the day and drove round the island. There isn't a massive amount to see but we enjoyed stopping off at various points including the Temerun waterfall.

We also indulged in a couple's treatment at the spa. My husband hasn't really done the spa experience before and he totally loved it. We were there for about 3 hours and nearly melted by the end.

Finally, if you are on a romantic break do try the dinner on the beach. The staff set up a private table covered by a canopy and you have a candlelit dinner all to yourselves. The stars were out, the sound of the sea lapping on the beach....beautiful. A definite highlight of our honeymoon.

Overall, this is the kind of place you come to if you want peace, luxury, good service, and a smile on your face. I am pining to go back...

My husband and I spent our honeymoon at the Datai. As soon as we were greeted into the place, we knew that we will be filled with a deep void at the time of our departure as we haven't seen anything like this before....This really feels like the hidden city, a mini-village that can only be dreamt of in fairy tales. I will not use too many words to describe it as you have to experience it to believe it, however, let me just say that everything exceeded our expectations. The staff were just incredible. They actually made our stay a memorable one. Never seen a group of friendly and professional people. I guess for them to be so nice to us, they must really enjoy being there and for a reason....During our stay, we always had the pleasure to meet the executive assistant manager Guido who made sure that every part of this experience would be one that would make us come back again...and we definitely will.

The hotel, staff, food, rooms, location & most of all the service was outstanding and made our stay a "truly memorable experience"
This hotel lives up to it's reputation and reviews, the location although remote adds to the atmosphere as all you hear are the noises of the creatures coming form the rain forest - we saw so much wildlife!!
The treatments in the Spa were amazing and the surroundings were breathtaking, picture having a massage and all you can hear is a stream! We will certainly go back and can't wait until our next visit to this hotel.
A special thank you to Rathi who looked after us so well and ensured our stay was special.