Saturday, November 2, 2013

MIGF FINE DINING AT THE WESTIN LANGKAWI RESORT & SPA, VOTED THE LUXURY ISLAND RESORT IN MALAYSIA!

KEE@FSWMAG.COM
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Kee Hua Chee arrives in Langkawi in orange/yellow shirt to match Firefly colours! 
WLHA WINNER  LOGO 2013.jpg
The Westin Langkawi Resort & Spa was won Luxury Island Resort in Malaysia for all the right reasons!
 General Manager of Westin Langkawi Resort & Spa Michael Schlueter and wife Maria from Moscow who looks like former France's First Lady Carla Bruni
Hosts with Most---GM of Westin Langkawi Michael Schlueter and MIGF founder Dato Steve Day
Datin Su Day tries the test tube cocktails


I FLEW INTO LANGKAWI ABOARD FIREFLY WHICH I HIGHLY RECOMMEND AND WAS MORTIFIED THAT THE WESTIN LANGKAWI ONLY SENT A NEW BMW 7 SERIES WITH UNIFORMED CHAUFFEUR AND NO SIGN OF BIG BOSS MICHAEL SCHLUETER THE GENERAL MANAGER.

I wept gallons of crocodile tears as I expected the hotel GM to personally welcome me since I am so rich and famous. Luckily his excuse was water-tight and even I had to concede Michael Schlueter had a point.

"I flew into Langkawi from Phuket, Thailand at 4 pm and you arrived at 3 pm and I could not expect you to wait till I arrive," explained the affable Schlueter. "And of course I did not dare go Phuket on holiday when you were coming. I went a day ahead on 1 November to receive the award as Westin Langkawi had won the Best Luxury Island Resort in Malaysia! So now you know you are in good hands during your stay in Langkawi!"

So I was indeed as were the guests for MIGF's final dinner as our last feast at Putrajaya Marriott was our final dinner in Kuala Lumpur though Putrajaya is officially outside KL but you get my drift and let's not split hairs.

I was greeted by smiling bellboys and staff after 30 minutes' pleasant drive and any drive inside a BMW 7 Series is automatically pleasant! No ifs or buts!

My room has a rack rate of RM 1,300 as a Best Luxury Island Resort award winner never comes cheap but if you book online, I think it should be around RM 800. 

The other Malaysian hotel winner is Tiara Labuan Hotel which won the Luxury Villa Resort. Another 'Country' winner is G Hotel which won Luxury Design Hotel. The Palace of Golden Horses won Luxury Golf Resort. These 4 awards are extra special since they are under the Best in Country category!

Another major Malaysian winner is Sama-Sama Hotel at KLIA which won Luxury Airport Hotel in the WHOLE of Asia! 

These prestigious awards are given by World Luxury Hotels Awards.

So congratulations to all five!

Notice how MIGF founders Dato Steve Day and Datin Su Day always unerringly know the best hotels and restaurants to stay and promote! 

The Westin Langkawi Resort & Spa pulled out all the stops to ensure the 20 guests who flew in from Kuala Lumpur had the time of their life and worth their while since we had to buy the airticket, pack, unpack, pack and unpack and find our way from our porches to Subang Airport and back! 

And we DID enjoy ourselves tremendously!

Canapes and cocktails started at 6.30pm on 2 November 2013 in the hotel lobby which was pleasant but hardly spectacular. But the drinks inside test tubes were a hit and wittily presented and I was hoping some would turn into Frankenstein but no such luck and everyone remained their usual selves.

Then a convoy of golf buggies ferried us to the 5-bedroom Royal Villa at RM 24,000 a night! Yes and it is taken on a regular basis! 

But this was not the venue which would have been good enough. We were ushered down the garden onto the jetty where a saxophonist saxxed (is there such a word?) and I found the dining table would be at the pavilion at end of the pier! 

It was called The Float which baffled me as it was not a pontoon and was solidly anchored into the seabed and was not bobbing up and down. Why not Westin Pavilion on Andaman since it was inside Andaman Sea? But I am not the owner of Westin Langkawi who is an Indonesian tycoon called Pak Peter who was invited to invest in Langkawi by our Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Veteran visitors to Langkawi will know Westin Langkawi used to be Sheraton Perdana while earlier visitors would have stayed there while it was Langkawi Island Resort. The more trail blazing and pioneering (read that as 'aged'!) will have slept there while it was first built in 1973 as Langkawi Country Club! Of course I was not even born then so I dunno!

Its current manifestation as Westin Langkawi started on 19 December 2006 after running its course as Sheraton Perdana since 1995. This may explain the buffalo horn inspired layered roofs so popular back then as also seen in Genting Grand hotel. 

The 202 rooms, 16 1-bedroom villas, 3 2-bedroom villas and 1 5-bedroom villa have been extensively renovated and updated with all mod cons so it is as good as new. And makes it a worthy winner of Luxury Island Resort and not the Datai or Andaman!

Since the pier was quite long, it was also used as venue for champagne and canapes! Tables were laid in alternate rows laden with exquistely presented nibbles while waiters kept pouring champagne as the sun set amid a surreal setting!

I am hard pressed to think of a more picturesque and photogenic location on an island laden with scenic spots!

So many flashes went off as guests took photos of themselves against a glowing sunset dappled with orange-red hues those on the beach might think a Morse code message was being transmitted!

As for the 4-course dinner, it was a masterpiece by Chef Chandran Narayanan while the wines were superbly selected by Antonio Ostuni the F & B manager. It was Deepavali but we were told not to shed a tear for Chef Chandran who had to work since he is a Muslim, after marrying one. He hails from Sarawak and cooked in the Brunei palace before leaving to look after his father. This was his second time with MIGF and we all forced him after dinner to continue! 

Entertainment was provided by 3 dollybirds from Indonesia called The Java which means they must be from this island.

After a welcome speech by Dato Steve Day, General Manager Michael Schleuter stood on a podium to announce the good news about winning the best Luxury Island Resort award in the whole of Malaysia!

And the dinner, service and facilities proved Westin Langkawi deserved the award!


MY BEDROOM WAS COOL, CLASSY AND CHIC!
MY BEDROOM
CHOCOLATES AND MACAROONS WITH MIGF WAFER WHICH I ALSO ATE!
NOTE THE BLUE CORAL WHICH MATCHES THE WHITE CORALS ON THE CUSHIONS! EXQUISITE DETAILS
MY BALCONY HAD SEA VIEW
POOL
POOL AND SEA
NICE
MY BEDROOM WAS LUXURIOUS AND SPACIOUS
BATHROOM WITH CORAL MURAL
I WENT FOR A WALK
INFINITY POOL WHICH SEEMS TO BLEND WITH SEA
POOL AND ANDAMAN SEA SEEMS TO BE ONE
EXOTIC OPTICAL ILLUSION!
POOL AND ANDAMAN SEA ARE SEPARATED BUT APPEARS TO MERGE AS ONE
NICE
PATIO WITH STUNNING VIEW
WHAT A LIFE
THE PAVILION AT PIER'S END WAS OUR DINING HALL!
LOOKS LIKE SPACESHIP
MINANGKABAU ARCHITECTURE WAS THE RAGE IN 1973 WHEN HOTEL OPENED AS LANGKAWI COUNTRY CLUB
MORE MINANG INFLUENCE
GOOD LIFE
SEASONAL TASTES RESTAURANT
NICE BODS
ENJOY
RELAX
DIP
NICE OR WHAT
BREEZE .LOUNGE WHERE WE CAME FOR NIGHTCAPS AND DANCING
SISHA
MIGF TEAM
VERANDAH WITH VIEWS
THE PIER WAS OUR DINNER VENUE
KIDS AND ADULTS POOLS
LOBBY
EXOTIC
NICE
LOVE THE LIGHTS
COCKTAILS IN TEST TUBES
TEST TUBE DRINKS
DATIN SU DAY
SOORYA AND JEFFREY PERERA
UWE AHRENS AND ANDREA
GENERAL MANAGER OF WESTIN LANGKAWI MICHAEL SCHLUETER AND MOSCOW BORN WIFE MARIE
MR AND MRS MICHAEL SCHLUETER
EVELYN AND DR GERHARD PILS, MD AND CEO OF BMW MALAYSIA
2 BEAUTIES; KEE HUA CHEE AND ANDREA AHRENS
THEY WERE THE LAST VIRGINS ON LANGKAWI AS PROVEN BY THEIR PRISTINE WHITE GARMENTS
MING HO OF CORDON BLEU ACADEMY AT SUNWAY
NICO STELTENS IS GERMAN, RICARDO GOMES IS PORTUGUESE AND UWE AHRENS IS GERMAN
RAJIV KAPOOR, NUPUR KAPOOR, MARIA AND MICHAEL SCHLUETER
RAJIV, NUPUR, MARIA AND MICHAEL SCHLUETER
HOSTS WITH MOST---MICHAEL SCHLUETER AND DATO STEVE DAY
MERINA LOUGH, DATIN SU DAY AND ANDREA AHRENS
MERINA, DATIN SU DAY AND ANDREA
NICK LOUGH, RICARDO GOMES AND UWE AHRENS
IMAN, TAN SRI DATUK DR RIDZWAN BAKAR AND MING HO
IMAN TAN SRI DR RIDZWAN, DADDY TAN SRI DATUK DR RIDZWAN BAKAR AND MING HO
EVELYN PILS, ALFRED LOW WHO SUPPLIES THE BEST LIQUORS, WINES, SPIRITS AND BEERS IN ALL LANGKAWI AND RUNS THE EXCELLENT THE CLIFFS RESTAURANT BEHIND WATERWORLD AQUARIUM AND DR GERHARD PILS
EVELYN, ALFRED LOW, DR GERHARD PILS, KEE HUA CHEE AND RAJIV KAPOOR

ARRIVING IN A CONVOY OF BUGGIES TO ROYAL VILLA WHICH COSTS RM 24.000 A NIGHT
MICHAEL SCHLUETER WELCOMING ALFRED LOW
THIS RM 350,000 PORSCHE (ONLY IN RAX FREE LANGKAWI!) BELONGS TO MY NEW BFF LIM YAP KIANG AKA BOY
THIS IS THE WAY TO THE FLOAT!
THE 5-BEDROOM VILLA AT RM 24,000 A NIGHT
ALL YOURS FOR RM 24,000 A NIGHT
A SAXOPHONIST GREETS US AT THE PIER! WHAT A WELCOME!
LONGISH TREK TO THE PAVILION BUT THERE IS A LOO HALFWAY!
WHAT A VENUE! EXOTIC!
THE GUESTS ARRIVE AS GM MICHAEL SCHLUETER SHOWS OFF HIS PRIZED TROPHY---THE FLOAT
THE LOVELIES
DATO STEVE DAY AND ALFRED LOW
THIS WAY
VIPS ON PIER
LOW TIDE
EXOTIC
THE RM 24,000 A NIGHT VILLA
MARIE SCHLUETER---SHE LOOKS LIKE FRANCE'S FORMER FIRST LADY CARLA BRUNI!
ANTONIO OSTUNI POURS CHAMPAGNE FOR DATIN SU DAY
CANAPES FIT FOR A MERMAID
POURING CHAMPERS FOR ME
SUNSET!
ANTONIO OSTUNI POURS CHAMPAGNE FOR ALFRED LOW WHO SUPPLIES THE CHAMPAGNE FOR WESTIN LANGKAWI
ANTONIO AND ALFRED LOW OF PL SOON HUAT
RAJIV, ANTONIO OSTUNI, ALRED LOW, LIM YAP KIANG, WOON AND NUPUR
STILL SAME
TAN SRI DATUK DR RIDZWAN BAKAR
TAN SRI DATUK DR RIDZWAN BAKAR
NICK AND MERINA LOUGH


NICK AND MERINA LOUGH
KEE HUA CHEE'S BLING ECLIPSED THE SUNSET
KEE'S BLING
KEE HUA CHEE
SUNSET WITH KEE HUA CHEE
JACQUART CHAMPAGNE
BOY, WOON AND RICARDO GOMES. I ASKED BOY FOR HIS WIFE'S NAME AND HE SAID 'WOON, JUST SAY WOON'. BET SHE HAS A PROPER NAME!
LIM YAP KIANG, WOON, CARLA BRUNI AND RICARDO GOMES
BOY, WOON, MARIA AND RICARDO
ALFRED LOW, MARIA, WOON AND KEE HUA CHEE
TAN SRI DATUK DR RIDZWAN AND MICHAEL SCHLUETER
WOON AND KEE HUA CHEE
WOON AND KEE
MING HO AND DR BEH CHOR KHIM MY HEART DOCTOR FROM HEARTSCAN AND MAHMERU MEDICAL CENTRE AT JALAN MAAROF
MING HO AND MALAYSIA'S BEST HEART DOCTOR---GO SCAN YOUR HEART AT DR BEH CHOR KHIM'S MAHAMERU MEDICAL CENTRE AT JALAN MAAROF, BANGSAR
MING HO AND DR BEH CHOR KHIM
DR BEH CHOR KHIM AND KEE HUA CHEE WHO WENT TO SCAN HIS HEART AT DR BEH'S MAHAMERU MEDICAL CENTRE AND GOT THE ALL CLEAR
DR BEH AND KEE HUA CHEE
POH LIN AND DR BEH CHOR KHIM
DATO STEVE DAY AND MICHAEL SCHLUETER
THE DELECTABLE THE JAVA
JAVANESE ANGELS
OUR TABLE INSIDE THE PAVILION CALLED THE FLOAT!
A BATH TUB FILLED WITH WINES AND CHAMPAGNES
TOO BAD THERE WAS NO NAKED GIRL OR GUY INSIDE THE TUB! WHAT A LETDOWN!

I PREFER A NAKED WOMAN OR MAN INSIDE INSTEAD OF WINE AND CHAMPAGNE BOTTLES
CHEF CHANDRAN NARAYANAN
CHEF CHANDRAN AT THE FLOAT
3 JAVANESE SIZZLERS
MICHAEL SCHLUETER WELCOMING VIP GUESTS

HE WAS ALREADY TALL
LISTENING TO GM




DATO STEVE DAY INTRODUCING HIS VIP GUESTS
WHAT IS ON THE TABLE IS AS IMPORTANT AS WHO ARE ON THE SEATS SAYS DATO STEVE DAY
WHO IS COMING?
THE BIKER GETS CLOSER
IT WAS CHEF CHANDRAN WHO RODE A HARLEY DAVIDSON SUPERBIKE ALL THE WAY ON THE PIER TO THE PAVILION!

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Looks like everyone has had a good time here! The Westin Langkawi Resort & Spa deserves every accolade it has received thus far.