Mercure Langkawi Pantai Cenang

I booked this hotel last Christmas, a bit last-minute. After comparing options, Ctrip offered a better price. A taxi from the airport cost about 10RM. Mercure seems relatively new and the environment felt good. Check-in was smooth, no issues with communication. The deposit was 200RM, and we received two welcome drink vouchers. Because I booked late and it was a standard room, we ended up on the ground floor in a corner. The window was practically useless; opening the curtains meant facing the elevator, so we kept them closed. Room facilities were fine, aside from some mosquitoes. The 3M filtered drinking water was a nice touch and reassuring. The room felt a bit empty, without a proper desk to use a laptop (maybe everyone here is on vacation!). The minibar was complimentary once, and the contents were good. The pool and gym were decent, but housekeeping was a bit inconsistent – sometimes towels were replaced, sometimes not, always missing something. On Christmas Eve, they organized a paid buffet dinner (staff went room-to-room asking if we'd like to join). I felt it wasn't good value for money, so I skipped it. Overall, for my Christmas trip to Langkawi, the hotel booking was pretty good. It's close to Cenang Beach, with a small mall right in front, so food wasn't an issue. The duty-free alcohol shop on the second floor was excellent; I found the cheapest alcohol in Malaysia there. Plus, the resort vibe was amazing. Finally, on Christmas Eve, we got KFC takeaway, put the TV on ambient mode, and celebrated the holiday in the hotel – the atmosphere was fantastic, and I was very happy.

The location is fantastic, making it super convenient to get around. It's just a 2-minute walk to the beach, and there are plenty of shops nearby. However, the cleanliness needs improvement; there was dust in the corners, which made it feel like it wasn't thoroughly cleaned.