Our trip to Malaysia was coordinated by Nick,...

Malaysia | Mar 21 - Mar 31, 2024

Our experience started off good, but we ended with a bad taste. Beware about the cash deposits this hotel takes when you check in. It is the first time we have been to Langkawi and we stayed at the Holiday Villa resort. The facility is close to restaurants outside, and the beach and sunset views were terrific. It is not a new hotel and I was fine with that. Some of the room renovations they did were not finished particularly well such as the flooring connecting to the bathroom which was not level. This was a tripping hazard, but we were willing to overlook that. Service was good from the beginning to the middle except at the very end when we checked out. When you first check into the hotel, they ask for a 200 ringgit cash deposit which I did and they gave me a receipt. I thought a cash deposit was odd, as hotels we’ve been to normally just do a pre-authorization on your credit card. Upon check out at the reception desk, a lady named Diana wanted me to present a receipt to prove to her that we had paid the 200 ringgit. I wasn’t aware that we had to present the receipt as I packed everything already in my bags. She insisted that I have to give her the receipt before I get my deposit, and I asked her “don’t you have a copy in your receipt book?” She said that she would have to go to the back office to get it. I told her I would have to unpack and repack my luggage to get the receipt. I asked her again for the deposit, and she still insisted that I needed to present my copy that I was paid. My husband arrived at the front desk, and said “what’s the problem, you should have a copy in your receipt book?” She immediately presented the receipt book with the page already open to the copy of the receipt with my signature on it. She said “it’s ok I have it” and showed my husband. She then gave me back the deposit and I signed the book to confirm I received it. The receipt book was never in the back office and was there on the desk all along. Obviously Diana lied that the receipt was at the back office that she had to get it. I later read in another review that the guest also had problems getting their room deposit back. The guest said that they had not received the deposit back after a month and a half. It is not clear if they received it in the end. Nevertheless, a guest should not have to go through with this charade at the end of their stay. I have a suggestion for this resort: Please do not insist on taking a cash deposit for a guest’s stay, and putting the onus on the guest to get the deposit back. Take a credit card pre-authorization only like other reputable hotels do. Cash is also more difficult to account for and can easily go missing. We were otherwise satisfied with the good service of the room cleaner, waiter, bell boy, and restaurant staff. Unfortunately, this game Diana played at the end of not initially returning the cash deposit ruined our stay. Beware of giving a cash deposit to this hotel!

Fantastic location. Concierge Zuri had great suggestions which made our Penang trip memorable. He recommended where to eat and Balay taxi. Who took us all over for 8 hours. We had Morally who catered to our needs and brought us to many places and to this wonderful and reasonably priced chicken rice restaurant. We also went to coffee tree and got to sample many tea and coffee. He catered to our needs - to take pictures of the wall art. And took us to the biggest temple keh lok si and Penang hllls )(told us to take the funicular ) My highlights were the upside down museum and the temples. Morally took us to the best coconut stands - young tender coconut meat. Hotel has one of the best breakfast.