Cover The Datai Langkawi is Tatler Dining Malaysia’s Hotel of The Year
The Datai Langkawi is Tatler Dining Malaysia’s Hotel of The Year
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The Datai Langkawi not only respects its natural surroundings; it has a commitment to protect and strengthen its home
Nestled in Langkawi’s lush rainforest and surrounded by the Andaman Sea’s crescent bay, The Datai Langkawi is a unique gift from nature, a blend of both wildlife and marine life coexisting in harmony. While many properties would take advantage of this, the resort was purposely built back from the coastline, leaving it untouched; this decision from its original designer, Kerry Hill, forms the backbone of its unyielding pledge to respect its Langkawi home.
“There is a special sense of belonging here that gives you a feeling of peace and place,” smiles general manager Stephane Duvacher. This is seen in both the retention of the resort’s staff—some team members have been at The Datai Langkawi since its opening 30 years ago—as well as returnee guests, who book their welcome respite a year in advance.
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Above The cover of Tatler Best Malaysia 2026
The cover of Tatler Best Malaysia 2026
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Animals like dusky langurs lounge with their golden-furred babies while hornbills feed on figs near The Beach Club. However, it is not without effort that wildlife so seamlessly blends into the resort’s structure. In 2020, The Datai Pledge was founded, a promise to strengthen the natural resources the hotel was gifted with, from supporting the surrounding community to reducing waste and ensuring both fauna and flora thrive.
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Above Dusky langurs at The Datai Langkawi
Dusky langurs at The Datai Langkawi
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The resort currently diverts 96% of waste from the landfill, and is the first and only resort to be awarded EarthCheck ECO Gold Certification in 2025 for terrestrial tourism projects.
Above Treetop walk at The Datai Langkawi
Treetop walk at The Datai Langkawi
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Over dinner with historian and The Datai Pledge coordinator Shakira Mobarak, she shares how melted candles from the resort are processed: “They are given to a single mother who has been trained with the skills to melt and transform them into fresh candles, which she sells back to us,” she says.
There are few hotels that take sustainability as seriously as The Datai Langkawi, from the permaculture garden that supplies ingredients to the restaurants to its zero-waste-to-the-landfill goal.
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Above The stunning rainforest villas
The stunning rainforest villas
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While The Datai Langkawi has been graced with its surroundings, it is truly the effort and heart of its dedicated team that allow nature to flourish and come to life. “The resort has been blessed by so much from the rainforest, so it is only right we give back,” Duvacher ends.
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Katelyn is the dining and travel editor of Malaysia and Indonesia. Based in Kuala Lumpur, she offers readers an inside look at the movers and shakers in Asia’s growing food and beverage industry.
