Berjaya Tioman Resort

The surroundings are lovely, and the buggy driver and room service staff were kind. But the facilities feel old, and even table tennis costs extra. Some workers were very disappointing and treated guests as if we owed them money. On Saturday, someone chopped a tree right beside my room at 8 am, then at 7 am the next morning they were cutting grass. I had to call reception to get them to stop. Why do this so early when people are resting, especially during school holidays and weekends? I thought a resort was meant for rest and relaxation.

I wouldn't recommend this place. Getting anywhere beyond the resort means paying the hotel for transport, and the rooms and facilities felt mediocre for the price. The diving rates also seemed hugely inflated: a refresher dive costs more than twice as much as a regular dive, even though you have to do one before diving again if you haven't been in a while. That feels like taking advantage of people in that situation. Service was rude throughout. Reception staff rolled their eyes when we asked to leave our bags for half an hour, and at breakfast I got a flat “No” when I asked whether I ordered roti canai at the roti canai station. They ignored my follow-up questions, even though the station simply had roti canai for anyone to take. A short explanation would've been appreciated.

The rooms are dated, with no bidet, broken switches and exposed floorboards, and the stay didn't feel worth what we paid. Service was poor too. After arriving at the port, we waited 15 minutes for a pickup that never came, so we had to call again. On the first night, two rooms had no towels or floor mats. Housekeeping didn't show up after 20 minutes, and only came 10 minutes after I called reception again, bringing just one set. It felt like paying for a basic subscription and then being charged to unlock everything else. Tennis rackets and balls cost extra by the hour, as do bicycles, pickleball and other facilities. The buggy wasn't frequent enough, so getting from the lobby to the entrance meant waiting 15 minutes. Restaurants and amenities are far apart, and the resort's taxi to the jetty costs RM 50. At checkout, we were also charged an extra tax. I won't be coming back.

Breakfast was very good, with lots of choice, and the staff were lovely and helpful. Ayu and Dewi from the spa deserve a special mention. The setting is beautiful too, with a peaceful beach and natural scenery that made it easy to relax. Some areas need more care. The gardens looked dry, and constant whipper snipping didn't give the grass much chance to grow. There was rubbish around the grounds, while the pool exterior looked tired and the towels need replacing. Dinner fell short of breakfast. More local food, especially fresh fish and crab, would suit the island better. There also seemed to be a lot of security for such a laid-back place. It's a lovely spot with plenty of potential, but the resort itself feels dated and could use attention.