Exactly one year after our Ironman adventure in Desaru, we found ourselves back at Anantara Desaru Coast Resort & Villas. Last year, we stayed at Westin Desaru Coast, but this time we fancied trying something different. Same arrangement as always – with a triathlon bike and massive suitcase in tow, we booked private car transport from our Punggol home to Desaru.

Departing at 10am, we arrived at noon despite some heavy Causeway traffic. Door-to-door convenience makes all the difference when you’re travelling with bulky sports equipment.

First Impressions: A Grand Welcome at Anantara Desaru Coast

The moment our car pulled up at Anantara Desaru Coast Resort & Villas, several staff members gathered at the drop-off point. They opened car doors instantly and helped with our luggage – even offering to take our bike. Another female staff member ushered us towards the lobby area.

Though it was just a short walk, that welcome made us feel like distinguished guests walking into a grand entrance. We were seated in this relaxing area with brilliant views whilst they prepared our check-in. Someone brought honeycomb snacks, calamansi juice, and cold towels with that lovely lemongrass smell.

Room 202: Double Upgrade and That Spa-Like Welcome

The property only has four levels – G, 1, 2, and 3. We landed Room 202 on the second floor, just one level above the lobby. Originally booked for a Deluxe Garden View Room, we received a double upgrade to a Deluxe Sunrise Sea Facing Room as part of our GHA Discovery Titanium benefits.

Walking Into a Spa Experience

Upon entering the room, we immediately caught a whiff of lemongrass in the air – as though we’d walked into a spa. Really lovely touch. Not sure how that came about (maybe staff sprayed air refresher just before we arrived), but the smell dissipated not long after.

The spacious room came with an equally spacious bathroom featuring his and her wash basins, bathtub with headrest, separate shower area, and WC. You could easily fit luggage in the bathroom, with plenty of storage space and hanging areas with hangers provided.

Bathroom Amenities

Here’s what Anantara Desaru Coast Resort & Villas stocks in the bathroom:

• Basic amenities: Toothbrush, toothpaste, shower cap, emery board, cotton balls, razor & shaving cream, vanity kit, sewing kit
• Skincare products: Soap, body lotion, after-sun lotion
• Shower area: Shampoo with lovely tea-like fragrance (in-house spa brand), conditioner, and bath wash
• Bathtub extras: Loofah, bath salt, plus a clever stand on the wooden bathtub tray for resting your phone or iPad whilst soaking
• Wardrobe area: Safe, ironing board/iron, hairdryer in drawer, two types of robes (thick waffle bathrobes and thin light ones)

The Practicalities: What Works and What Doesn’t

Water pressure was brilliant, but you need to be careful with temperature. Don’t turn on too much hot water at once because there would be bursts of even hotter water every now and then whilst showering. The handheld bidet at the WC packed super strong water pressure – can wash your bum really well!

The bed was comfy though a bit too soft for our liking. Lovely sheets though, and every night we had proper good rest. Air-conditioning worked well – lowest setting was 20°C.

Minibar Included: Daily Replenishments

The minibar came included with our room, stocked with:

• Beverages: San Pellegrino, Coke, Sprite, Fuze lemon tea, milk coffee, orange juice, Evian mineral water
• Snacks: Chocolate bar, nuts, fruit chips, dried mango
• Hot drinks: Dilmah tea bags, Nespresso machine, kettle
• Milk options: Full cream milk plus unsweetened almond milk

Everything gets replenished daily, which is a lovely touch. Drinking water comes in glass bottles rather than plastic.

We also received a complimentary welcome plate of fruits.

That Balcony View

The decent-sized balcony was a winner. I actually loved the see-through glass – when you lay on the bed with curtains drawn open, you can enjoy gorgeous sea views, sky, clouds, no blockage whatsoever. Can see birds too! I actually spotted hornbills perched on the roof of the villa opposite.

One day it was raining, so it was lovely to just relax on the day bed outside as it wasn’t too hot. Otherwise, I’d rather be in the air-con room than sweating in scorching heat. Night-time brings loads of flying insects, so make sure your balcony doors are properly closed.

Internet and Connectivity

Standard WiFi access was straightforward – just log in directly without password. If you’re a GHA or MINOR Discovery Member, you can log in separately for high-speed WiFi. Internet connection wasn’t super stable though – can lose connection from time to time.

Exploring Anantara Desaru Coast: Facilities Tour

Teens Club: Not Just for Teenagers

We couldn’t open the door with our access card (probably because we had no children/teens with us), so staff from the kids club next door spotted us and opened up.

No one was inside, so we played ping pong and carrom. There were also footsie, board games, PS5 room, cinema room – nice place to chill, not just for teens but adults too.

Kids Club: Daily Activities Galore

The kids club runs different activities every day – just check the schedule.

Wall rock climbing, all kinds of toys including educational ones, toddler room, arts and crafts area. Perfect for keeping little ones entertained. The resort organises various daily activities too, though some require separate charges.

The Gym: 24 Hours But Rather Cramped

Open 24 hours, but small and feels somewhat claustrophobic. Not loads of equipment, though they use Technogym brand. Nice touch providing energy balls, bananas, green apples, and nuts for refuelling. The cold towels in the fridge are absolute lifesavers after a workout!

 

Pool Areas: Lagoon and Infinity Options

The lagoon pool has plenty of sun chairs under the sheltered pavilion, plus two huge hanging day beds where you can chill or nap. The pool was so underutilised during weekdays when we were there, only becoming busy at weekends when families and kids checked in.

The infinity pool faces the beach but is pretty small. It’s where you’ll find Infinity Bar and Sea.Fire.Salt restaurant – another lovely place to chill.

The Beach: Rustic But Be Careful

The beach looks rustic – not the most attractive beach, with lots of flies. Be careful in the waters because jellyfish are common here. There’s a little hut on the side – that’s the water sports centre where you can book activities (separate charges, of course).

Breakfast at Turmeric: Fresh Hydroponic Greens

Breakfast at Turmeric runs from 6:30am to 10:30am on the ground floor, just below the lobby. We arrived around 9:20am – not too busy with plenty of tables available. About 15-20 minutes later, more people started arriving and the whole place got noisier.

Not an extensive spread, and the restaurant isn’t huge either, so you don’t have to walk everywhere to grab food. There’s an egg station, noodle station, and outside one of the entrances, a French toast/pancake station. There’s also a low table with small selections perfect for little ones to help themselves.

Service and Local Specialities

Once seated, staff come round taking orders for coffees and teas. Need another one? Ask staff or go to the beverage counter. You can ask for teh tarik too – not bad, I had mine not too sweet.

Food was generally okay – not bad but not amazing either. Nothing had me going for seconds. The only memorable bit was the salad bar where I got to harvest my own greens! The hotel grows their own hydroponic vegetables to reduce carbon footprint. I tossed salad leaves in the bowl with dressing of my choice – good variety of toppings. The smoked salmon wasn’t too salty.

I loved the plain congee – thick, not watery, paired with pickled cucumbers, salted egg, and braised peanuts for something light and comforting. They’re brilliant with local dishes like beef and lamb curries. Tender meat, flavoursome sauces. You get different rice varieties every day – nasi kerabu, nasi lemak, etc.

In-Room Dining: Flavourful Local Fare

We had in-room dining on our second night – ordered Nasi Goreng Kampong and Club Sandwich. Didn’t wait long for delivery. The nasi goreng was very flavourful with a beautifully fried chicken drumstick. Green chilli sauce had proper kick! Club sandwich was decent, fries were crispy too. They provided four dipping sauces: chilli sauce, tomato ketchup, mayonnaise, and Dijon mustard. Came to approximately RM110 for both after taxes.

The next night, we ordered the same again with one more pizza. Everything was great.

The Resort Vibes: Why We Preferred It to Westin

We actually loved the vibes at Anantara Desaru Coast Resort compared to Westin Desaru. It feels more resort-like here – not as crowded, more relaxing. Perfect for those who love relaxing beach holidays away from hustle, bustle, and crowds. Loads of nature, greenery, different bird species.

Of the three resorts in this area, whilst Westin Desaru Coast Resort and Hard Rock Hotel Desaru Coast are more family-friendly, Anantara attracts a different guest profile. We didn’t really see kids around – could also be because we visited during non-school holiday period.

Location Benefits

Anantara Desaru Coast Resort & Villas sits within walking distance from Westin and Hard Rock, so you can pop over for more dining options. We enjoyed ice cream and coffee at Coffee Grind, the coffee bar/café at Hard Rock. There’s also the Adventure Waterpark next door if you need something to do.

Service Excellence Throughout Our Stay

Service levels were brilliant. Everywhere we went, whenever we met staff members, they’d greet us with smiles. When we called requesting ice or to replace tissue paper in the bathroom, our requests were promptly sorted. We had a friendly housekeeper who would even tidy up our loose long charging cables and tie them up neatly for us.

The Major Problems: What Went Seriously Wrong

Initially, I’d have considered this a good experience despite hiccups here and there. The resort was prompt taking remedial action and quickly reacted to our requests whenever we contacted guest services. We didn’t insist on a room change because we understood having a cockroach might be uncommon but doesn’t mean it won’t happen – could’ve flown in from the balcony or come up from the floor trap in the bathroom. We thought it was isolated.

The Cockroach Welcome Committee

When we first entered the room, whilst I was taking photos and hubby was checking the minibar, he opened the top drawer and saw a huge cockroach! He slammed the drawer shut to prevent the roach escaping. Had to call guest services to remove it.

Staff came with insecticide. After much effort pulling out drawers, they finally managed to spray, knock out the roach, and capture it. We called guest services again to arrange cleaning of the minibar area and replace snacks from the drawer where the cockroach was spotted. The chocolate bar had the corner nibbled – that’s what the cockroach had been feasting on!

Not a great start. What a warm welcome from an unwelcome guest the moment we arrived! Made me feel weird and uneasy, nervous whilst opening other drawers. Kept looking up, down, left, right just in case we spotted another.

Not long after, guest services rang saying they’d like to deep clean our room. Only to realise they’d arranged pest control to spray insecticide all over. Luckily it wasn’t the smelly kind, otherwise we probably would’ve fainted before the cockroaches!

Maintenance Issues Galore

The room seriously needs upgrading and/or deep cleaning (unless they want to retain this old, rustic feel). Furniture looks old with chip-offs and scratches. Faded upholstery. Grout lines of bathroom floor tiles are dirty too.

We noticed some towels had black/brown spots and stains. The floor feels dusty if you’re barefoot – definitely need to wear slippers. Really needs a good mop, seriously.

Electrical and Security Problems

Power points aren’t working very well. If you have chunky power adapters, they can’t plug in snugly and just don’t work. If you accidentally knock the adapter, it stops charging – quite frustrating. Even happens when plugging in their electric kettle – doesn’t work all the time, must keep adjusting until you get the ‘right’ position.

The door lock was broken, making it difficult to open. Must press down on the door handle really hard sometimes. We brought our portable travel door lock (as we always do) so at night we locked up for added security.

Balcony doors couldn’t lock either – can easily pry open the glass doors with little strength. We used the bathrobe belt to secure the door handles.

Honestly, we could’ve requested a new room, but I wasn’t sure if we’d be happier with a new room or if the same problems (or new issues) would exist elsewhere.

No Soundproofing Whatsoever

First night, we could hear birds squawking loudly from midnight until 1am+. Next morning, literally woke up to loud chirping sounds again. Like a nest of birds was right outside our door! Light sleepers might want to bring earplugs.

The Final Straw: Checkout Day Discovery

On checkout day, we found another big cockroach next to the minibar area. So what does this say about cleanliness levels? Seriously, Anantara Desaru Coast Resort & Villas, you need to look into this and do thorough clean-up of Room 202 – probably all your rooms too. That’s roach infestation! Because of this, we probably won’t return to this property.

Comparing Desaru Coast Options

Among the three main properties, each serves different needs. Westin Desaru Coast and Hard Rock target families, whilst Anantara attracts couples seeking quieter experiences. For atmosphere and relaxation, Anantara wins hands down. For cleanliness standards and reliability, you might want to consider alternatives.

Final Verdict: Potential Undermined by Poor Execution

Initially, despite various hiccups, I’d have considered this a positive experience. The resort was prompt with remedial actions and responsive to our requests. We understood that cockroaches might happen in tropical locations – could be isolated incidents.

But discovering that second cockroach on checkout day changed everything. This wasn’t isolated – it suggested infestation, raising serious questions about overall cleanliness standards.

Anantara Desaru Coast Resort & Villas has serious work to do before earning our return. The resort’s potential shines through brilliant service and lovely atmosphere, but execution falls critically short of luxury standards. For travellers considering Desaru Coast options, choose accommodation carefully until Anantara addresses these fundamental problems. Until then, this Anantara Desaru Coast Resort & Villas experience remains a cautionary tale of luxury promises unfulfilled.

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