Akasia Hotel

Getting around Langkawi is easy if you hire a vehicle and explore the island. The hotel is in Kuah town, near the ferry terminal to the mainland, though far from Chenang beach. It looks aged at first, but the room had been refurbished and felt clean and functional. Breakfast was also not bad for a three-star hotel.

The room was filthy, the toilet door wouldn't shut, and the bathtub was dirty and in horrible condition. Even the carpets in the hallways were stained. Mosquitoes were all over the hot, airless lobby and in the room too. This looked nothing like the Agoda pictures, and after I booked a superior room for three, I wasn't even given the room I had asked for. I'd arrived exhausted and sleepy after flying all that way. My girlfriend, my mum, and I ended up leaving the room and waiting at reception, tired and without sleep. I called Agoda to cancel, then waited hours while they sorted things out, and they took their time refunding the money too. The higher-up management seemed barely interested in fixing the problem, even after I told them. One staff member really went out of his way to help, and I appreciate him. I feel sorry for him, having to work there and get bitten by mosquitoes too. Management should be ashamed of how they run the hotel and step down if they can't manage it. I was so disgusted and angry that I didn't take more photos of the awful room. Very disappointed.

The staff did more than expected to make sure we were comfortable, and the whole stay was perfect from beginning to end. The hotel felt classy and relaxing, the bed was like sleeping on clouds, and the fine dining restaurant was better than expected. Worth every penny.

The pool was OK. Breakfast was edible, but I didn't enjoy it, and it sent me rushing to the lavatory. The room smelled somewhere between mold and an open sewer. This is a musty old hotel that seems to stay in business because airlines cancel flights and send guests here.