Staff at The Datai Langkawi in front of the main building
On the mystical island of Langkawi, nestled in the heart of a 10-million-year-old rainforest, The Datai Langkawi resort has always been seen as an unparalleled luxury destination. Since its inception in 1993, the resort has ranked among the top 10 in the world, and held steadfastly to the number one position on the island for many years. While it was still held in high regard, when general manager Arnaud Girodon arrived on our coast to take on his post four years ago, the resort was facing some challenges.
“When I arrived at The Datai it was on a downward spiral. It was considered as old, even though it did not look that way,” said the dynamic Frenchman during a sit-down at the Themed Attractions Resorts and Hotels office. “One of the biggest challenges was that I couldn’t close the hotel on a downward spiral... because then the trust in the market wouldn’t be there. I couldn’t command the rate that I wanted, I wanted to get the rate up and be able to close on an upward spiral.
