How Tanjung Rhu Resort Turned Around

Turning The Tanjung Rhu Resort Around

Being one of the pioneer luxurious resorts in Langkawi, the Tanjung Rhu Resort has become a household name for many who have been visiting the island since the 90s.

One of the questions asked by some people is that after all these years, how did the Tanjung Rhu Resort turn around to become one of Langkawi's favourite beach resort? 

Well, the credit goes mainly to the Aariana Hospitality International, who took over as the management of the resort in September 2018.

Turning Tanjung  Rhu Resort Around

Tanjung Rhu Resort
The courtyard of the resort seen from the main lobby.

Having visited this resort several times in early 2000, I have always considered the Tanjung Rhu Resort as one of the select and exclusive resorts in Langkawi Island.

The reason is probably because of the pristine location away from all the hustle and bustle of Langkawi's Cenang and Pantai Kok areas.

To me, the Tanjung Rhu Resort has always been one of the luxurious 5-star resorts that predate many of the new hotels and resorts popping up in Langkawi.

The 136-room resort was under one main management all this while until trouble arose and the property went into receivership.

Currently, there are a total of 71 rooms available, an all-day dining restaurant called Sands, a fine-dining restaurant called Chef's Table, two pool bars and a cafe, a Mandara Spa, and a new sports bar called Saffron which opened in January 2020.

Aariana Hospitality Reginald Pereira
Reginald doing his rounds at the resort while Ameran, the RM is seen at the back.

During this period, Aariana Hospitality International was appointed to oversee the continuation of the business, and Reginald Pereira the CEO, led his team to undertake this mammoth task.

The main objective was to raise the value of the resort to secure a potential buyer, and to date, Aariana Hospitality International has achieved the impossible by raising the value of the property.

From the first time I visited the resort in November and another follow up in January 2020, I personally saw huge improvements implemented throughout the resort.

Icon of Tanjung Rhu Resort
The iconic stand-alone beach chairs and parasol of the Tanjung Rhu Resort.

This included cost savings from lighting systems to staffing and constant management meetings that would be a nightmare for most resorts.

However, due to the importance of the task involved, everyone was on board with what needed to be done to achieve the goals set. 

During the initial visit, I did a review of the Tanjung Rhu Resort based on my personal experience here.

Aariana Reginald Thomas Pereira
Reginald busy on the phone, which is a common sight at the resort.

Who is Aariana Hospitality International?

The group is helmed by Reginald Thomas Pereira and is an ASEAN based hotel management company. They are a pure Malaysian company thus making it very easy for locals to deal with.

Aariana Hospitality International was established in 2013 and each of the directors has decades of experience behind them. The company specializes in hotel management and consultancy as their main business.

Other areas of expertise include talent search, training, professional certification, people development, and mergers and acquisitions of hotels.

Location of Tanjung Rhu Resort
A Google Map showing the location of the Tanjung Rhu Resort.

Where is the Tanjung Rhu Resort Located in Langkawi?

The resort is located in the Tanjung Rhu area of Northeast Langkawi, which is on a private land totalling over 1,200 acres of pristine mangrove and coastal wetlands.

The great part about the location is that it is away from the main touristy areas of Langkawi and the resort boasts of its own personal white-sand beach stretching a whopping 1.2 kilometres.

From Kuah or Pantai Cenang area, you need to use Road 112 and then Road 111 to get to the resort.

Beach at Tanjung Rhu Resort
The beautiful beach in front of the Tanjung Rhu Resort.

Conclusion

While it has been a decade since I last visited the Tanjung Rhu Resort, my conclusion is that under the leadership of Reginald from Aariana Hospitality International, the resort has definitely undergone a major turnaround.

Don't be surprised if you see Reginald walking around the resort if you do plan a vacation here. He has a very strong belief in management by walking and observing, day or night.

You can also visit the Tanjung Rhu Resort website for more information which includes some interesting new getaway packages for couples.

One of the packages is called Rest, Relax and Rejuvenate, which is a three day and two-night getaway for two persons.  

The place still looks great, the staff is professional, polite and friendly, while the location of the resort is still considered one of the best in all of Langkawi Island.

Malaysia Asia

Blogging since 2007, but writing online since 1997. I belong to the 1st generation of worldwide bloggers, which is of course old-school. Since 2008, I created Malaysia Asia and this travel, flood, gadget and lifestyle blog has won numerous physical awards from tourism boards around Malaysia. (Not those online awards). After 12 years of blogging, I have semi-retired and now blog about things I like, do product reviews and enjoy life. My work has been featured in Lonely Planet, CNN Travel, Yahoo Travel, Wall Street Journal, and many other international publications. Find out more about me and thank you.

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