Mandarin Oriental Desaru Coast

It was truly relaxing stay. Even though I travel alone, I still can enjoy activities arranged by resort. Special thanks to Mr. Sutthichai and Mr. Steward for enriching my stay even more.

We encountered multiple service lapses throughout our stay, beginning with the arrival experience and continuing into the following day. Interestingly, whether the service recovery was successful is not the main takeaway for us. What stood out more was the tremendous potential this resort has to become something truly special. At this stage, however, we don’t believe the resort is yet operating at the standard one would typically associate with the brand. Three key impressions stayed with us throughout our visit: (i) A resort in transition It is evident that the property is still transitioning under new MO management, which only began a few months ago. There are many exciting developments underway, including a new beach club, branded residences, and other enhancements, which suggest an ambitious future. For now, however, ongoing renovations and concepts that are still taking shape create a perception of limited choice and incomplete experiences in certain parts of the resort. (iii) Outstanding people and commendable leadership! If there is one aspect that truly impressed us, it is the people. The guest-facing associates were warm, genuine, and consistently eager to help despite the operational challenges around them. Equally noteworthy was the management team’s openness to feedback. There were no performative apologies or defensive explanations, only genuine ownership, thoughtful dialogue, and a sincere commitment to improve. That, to us, reflects leadership with humility. (iii) An exceptional setting ❤️ The hard product is simply outstanding. The architecture is elegant, the design language is beautifully restrained, and the combination of rainforest and coastline creates a setting that feels truly unique. From a physical product standpoint, this is unquestionably among the finest resorts Malaysia has to offer. Taken together, the resort already possesses the essential ingredients to become something truly exceptional: a remarkable setting, genuinely caring people, and a management team willing to listen and learn. The operational execution is still catching up, but that is something that can be improved over time. We left believing that Mandarin Oriental Desaru Coast is going through an interesting, and hopefully temporary, teething phase. We look forward to returning in the future, once the property has fully found its rhythm. If the operational excellence eventually matches the quality of the people and the remarkable physical product, this could become one of the finest resort experiences in the region.

Friendly staff, very service oriented. Special mention for Fikri, Jayden, Dhanen and Nora. In fact the staff made the holiday. The resort itself needs maintenance & upgrading. Dining options are limited.

We recently stayed for two nights in a lovely suite at the Mandarin Oriental Desaru. Despite a few initial hiccups, the incredible staff and management team turned it into a wonderful stay. First impressions were excellent, aided by the staff helping with the car valet which is a rare and much-appreciated touch. The grounds are beautiful. The lawns and private beach are scenic and tranquil. The main pool is undeniably iconic. For families, the recreation club is a great asset. Our kids really enjoyed the compact indoor kids' club, and the introductory archery session with Adam was a lot of fun. A major highlight of the property is the separate spa complex. The facilities are top-notch, featuring a plunge pool, a steam room, and a relaxation lounge facing the sea. The massage was easily one of the best we've ever had as the therapists were true experts. Food and beverage also exceeded expectations. Breakfast at Ambara was good, offering a nice mix of a la carte items and pass-arounds. Dinner was mind-blowing. The satay was super juicy with an excellent marinade, the nasi goreng was perfectly executed, and the prawn mango salad featured the sweetest prawns we’ve ever tasted. The staff across the resort are amazing. Super friendly, bursting with positive morale, and insistent on being helpful at every touchpoint. Huge shoutouts to: - Asyraf at check-in for the warm welcome and gifting little plushies to our two kids. - Jeffry for his insightful introductions to the class at the Dusky Monkey bar. - Anddy for a fantastic learning experience on the nature walk. We learned so much about the massive banyan trees, local flora and fauna, and even managed to spot the monkeys! - The buggy boys and many others whose names we didn’t quite catch. This review is unfortunately 4 stars due to cluster of issues on our first day: a requested buggy never arrived, an item was missing from our room-service order, both bedside power plugs in the suite were faulty, and we found hair in the bathroom. However, the service recovery was an absolute masterclass in hospitality. Front Office Manager Roziati responded promptly and professionally that evening, apologised, and facilitated a smooth room change the next day. Her warmth, genuine care, and prompt follow-up made all the difference, turning a rocky start into a very comfortable and lovely stay. Roziati, you are truly a gem, and we are so grateful. We also had the chance to meet GM Fiona, who was incredibly sincere and took our feedback in stride. A final thank you to Roziati for the lovely parting gifts too. The sandwiches, jam, and sambal were a wonderful treat for the journey back home. A beautiful property backed by a team that genuinely cares. We would definitely consider coming back again.

Amazing resort experience at Desaru. Stunning views, great food, and excellent hospitality. A very comfortable and memorable stay for our family.