Just completed a 5-night stay here on points. Overall very pleased with the stay and impressed at how well the property is run, considering it's set on a "remote" island.
Having locked a rate of 156K points for 5 nights, just before the devaluation, I feel this was good value. Cash rates still expensive by Malaysian standards, around MYR 1200 but comparable to the likes of Mimpi Report on the Long Beach side, which is a few steps below in terms of quality and exclusivity.
Check in is at the Fairfield Kuala Besut, which is an ok place to stay for a night on either end of your trip. The fact the ferry is included is also appreciated and the ride is comfortable.
As a Titanium, I got upgraded by only one level to Deluxe Partial Sea View. The base rooms would be best avoided (20XX and 30XX) as while they are closer to all the facilities, you would have no privacy when sitting on the balcony, and likely noise from the constant humming of generators or the kitchens, which these rooms have the back of. Not to mention the absence of views. Rooms in the 40XX and 50XX range get at least partial sea view but are more of a hike to get to (or a short buggy ride).
Rooms very spacious and bright, perfect temperature control, attractive furniture and balcony, large bathroom with free standing bath tubs and Japanese toilet. Also a mini fridge and glassware available. The 10XX rooms are the villas, a bit further away from the lobby, but no uphill walk.
Pro tip: set off from a main airport with a couple bottles of booze and a few cans of beer: alcohol prices are steep on the island and the mainland states are dry. You might want to bring some snacks as well since the daytime snack options are very limited and get boring.
As a Platinum/Titanium, you have a choice of breakfast OR points PLUS two daily mocktails at Great Room OR two special drinks (the latter a once-off, unlike the mocktails which are daily). Most (if not all) cash rates include full breakfast but since we were on points, I picked the former. Interestingly, I picked the mocktails option which we gladly discovered actually covered any alcoholic cocktails and turned out to be a hit. Not sure this was due to employees bending the rules as the card was very clear about mocktails. I also received an in room amenity (see picture). While I wish I got a better upgrade, I didn't really push at this was a high season points redemption and I was thoroughly satisfied with the treatment.
We were generally happy with the restaurants' quality and value (considering the upmarket foreign chain and remoteness). Most days we had lunch at Sekoci (very good pizzas). The fish BBQ at Sekoci was also very good, with sides included. Other nights we had dinner at Great Room, which features live music from 8:30PM and the menu is mostly bar snacks with pretty good smash burgers. Best to order your food by 7:30PM as a backlog of orders quickly builds up. Dapur was excellent for breakfast, but very disappointing for dinner. Dinner buffet is RM 209. The raw seafood bar was atrocious: scallops, mussels, oysters and crab were all tasteless and frozen. The meat from the carvery was dry and the remaining hot options were off low quality. The only decent quality items were the desserts. The in room dining menu seemed ok, but we didn't bother. The only other realistic option for dinner is Rosemarry restaurant, outside the property by the jetty. It's very rustic, but friendly and the food is ok, with mains around RM 25 and no alcohol served.
Long Beach is a bit of a trek over the hill on a rocky path (about 15-20 mins). You could take a water taxi, but at RM 25 per way you won't be saving any money and the vibe is very much backpacker village. On my first visit 25 years ago, it was still a very laid back pace with only a handful of places, now it's really backpacker central.
For me, the same principle applied to scuba diving. YBD was offering a promo package of 3 fun dives for RM 600. On Long Beach, you could pay RM 100 per dive. YBD however offers "white glove service" with great gear, state of the art dive boat with snack boxes on the morning dives, towels, and a buggy that takes you straight back from the jetty to your room. It's dive and forget, and for me worth the premium.
In general terms, despite being high season, the resort never felt crowded. Most guests seemed to be European (French, Italian, Dutch, Spanish) and on weekends perhaps more regional guests (Malaysian, Singaporean and beyond).
Pools were well used but quiet, with some instances of European sun lounger reserving (especially the adult pool cabanas) but generally unattended loungers were cleared efficiently. Plenty of ice water fountains and even a late morning round of free ice cream at the family pool were appreciated amenities. One aspect they could improve on is doing rounds for pool F&B service. You actually have to go inside the restaurants (Sekoci for adults pool, or Great Room for family pool) and almost beg to get food or drinks served to you on the pool. Seems like a no-brainer for the hotel to monetize on a captive audience, although I also appreciated being left alone.
The fitness room was well thought out and had sufficient variety of equipment, as well as great views. The island is completely non runnable so treadmills are essential. There are also yoga classes. A mini fridge at the gym is constantly restocked with Gatorade.
Another highlight of this resort for families is the very attractive, and mostly free kids and teens club, packed with gamess and activities the kids actually want to take part in. Staff here was great.
Staff in general are great. Friendly and eager to help. The golf carts are constantly running and it's never too long a wait for one. I enjoyed walking up and down the hills for exercise and often got offered a lift, if seats were available.
All in all, I really enjoyed the stay and would look forward to coming back.
Deluxe room
Titanium welcome gift
Romantic beach