Perhentian Arwana Resort - BlueStar

The property needs substantial renovation and more consistent maintenance. Many of the facilities felt dated and poorly looked after, which made the resort experience disappointing. The water was off when I checked in, then again shortly before checkout, a major inconvenience for such a basic service. Staff were generally friendly and helpful, but the condition of the place did not meet my expectations. With proper upkeep, it could be more enjoyable and better value.

The photos and reviews were a bad match for what we got. It felt like the price was for service that just wasn't there. There were bugs all over, including in the bathroom, an old nearly torn towel, and a filthy bin. Maybe the black thongs in it were meant as decoration, who knows. The room itself was in very poor shape, and management was terrible. Room service was bad too. We had no water for over an hour, waited almost two hours for food and still didn't get all our orders. Drinks only arrived after we followed up for an hour. When we asked for clarification, management blamed peak season and new staff, saying they hadn't had time to train them because of the number of customers. Our boat was delayed by more than two and a half hours, and no staff came to update us. Yet customers were expected to give notice about the boat at least a night in advance. A lesson learned.

I stayed with my family for three nights, from 30th May 06 till 1st June 06. The water went off on our last day, so we couldn't get a proper bath that morning. That's why I gave it two stars.

The room needs a revamp. It felt old, and the bed was dirty and had bed bugs. I also got food poisoning from the restaurant. Their service was very bad: they served four chicken dishes as a buffet, and when I asked for a refund they agreed but didn't actually pay it back until two months later.