The Best Resort In Desaru

I was searching for the best resort to stay in Desaru and narrowed my choices down to two. It was difficult choosing between Lotus Desaru and Pulai Desaru but I finally decided on the former. Now having stayed there for 2D/1N  and visiting the nearby  Pulai Desaru (just to compare), I can confidently say I have made the right choice. Lotus Desaru is the better of the two and I think the best available resort in Desaru. 

Lotus Desaru Beach Resort is owned by Lotus Group which started the The Lotus Family Restaurants, a chain of restaurants specialising in Indian cuisines. I was rather surprised by the immensity of this resort as it  consists of many accommodation blocks with a total of 647 one, two and three bedroomed-apartments.  

The reception is quite far from the entrance. A RM100  refundable deposit is collected here. We were given our breakfast vouchers and wristbands for entry into the water park. The concierge counter set up nearby  sells various excursions like fruit farm visit, etc. The resort was also busy promoting its buffet dinner priced at RM40 net pp. (at the time of my visit).  

The lobby lounge is not altogether cosy but comfortable enough. There are a couple of hundred chairs like these and a few TVs. This is the place to be if you want free WIFI which is not available in the accommodation apartments.

Help yourself welcome drink at the reception lobby

The blocks are labelled in alphabets from A to ??  Can't remember. Parking is available outside the apartment blocks as well as in gazetted open-air car parks.

Open air car park where we parked our vehicle

The block with the most centralised location is Block "I". We stayed at Block "G" which is not too bad a location either.  Nearby blocks are dintinguished by different pastel colours.

Well manicured garden around the apartment blocks

The Apartment

G115, our apartment

Our 1 bedroom apartment is double storeyed. The bedroom is on the upper floor while the lounge, dining and pantry is on the lower floor.

The facilities include, electric jug, microwave oven, some crockeries, complimentary mineral water and sachets of coffee and tea.

There is a small washroom on the lower floor as well.

The flight of stairs that takes you up to the bedroom is pretty narrow and the topmost step which is a small triangular step is precariously positioned. A misstep may cause a bad fall if one is not careful. 

The 2nd washroom on the upper floor beside the bedroom is bigger and better equipped.

basic toiletries

Apart from the flaws seen in the stairways, I think the apartment as a whole is appealing, clean, well equipped (with safety box, fridge, hair-dryer and all) and very comfortable.

View of the lower floor from our bedroom

The resort spans over a huge area. Even though shuttle service is provided, it is still feasible to walk from one destination to another around the entire resort. The layout of the resort is placed at convenient locations to guide resort guests along.

The Water Park

The main attraction of the resort is the water park which is sandwiched by a few accommodation blocks. Even though we were given wristbands to wear for free usage of the facilities here, the staffs did not even bother to check. 

This well landscaped water park features a number of recreational attractions. Small children and young teenagers in particularly may love spending their time here as it is really fun-packed.

This is the lagoon pool which is also the largest pool in the resort.

Aqua Play for small kids

The falling coconut features a giant coconut that is gradually filled with water and pours out when it is full.

There will be a sizable group waiting below to get this shower of blessings each time the coconut is about to pour.

Get splashed if you do not want to miss out on the fun!

A man made grotto with an elephant head is constructed beside the lagoon pool, adding sprightliness to the park.

The lazy river where the young and old enjoy.

Lazy River fun

Other Free Recreational Activities

There are three swimming pools in the resort . This is swimming pool No 2

Swimming pool No 3

Fitness Centre

Pay Facilities

A few types of indoor games including electronic games are available here. 

The spa service at Lotus Suria Spa is a pay service with price ranging from RM90 to RM350 and with ayurveda abhyanga massage as the signature.

Karaoke for those who must sing.

Usage of computers and internet

Lotus Desaru is a beachfront resort with a wide stretch of beach. A number of water sport activities are organised by the resort for interested patrons during the non-monsoon season. (March till October). During my stay the sea was very rough and we were constantly reminded by the lifeguard to stay away from the sea so naturally all these activities came to a standstill.

Bungee Jumper - RM30 per session

GENERAL FACILITIES & ATTRACTIONS

A bird house

A vintage car on display

A quite well stocked variety store

Open air BBQ pits, tables and benches are available for interested patrons who want a DIY bbq gathering.

The Beach

I love collecting seashells but there were only tiny weeny ones on the beach.

Swimming?  Not Allowed!    Jumping? Go ahead!

A long row of sun decks

A nice place to watch the sunset.

Dining Options

The main restaurant in the resort is Teratai Coffee House. This is where we took our breakfast (which came with our room) and buffet dinner (which we paid RM40 pp). The food here is reasonably priced and we chose to dine in the resort as outside restaurants are pretty far away.

Just to give you an idea of food pricing here.

The breakfast crowd during our stay.

breakfast choices

We got to choose from quite a fair variety of local, Indian and western cuisines for breakfast.

Some tasted average, some above average.

Among the more delectable ones are the lontong and the roti canai.

The buffet dinner was a good option as there was a nice selection of food most of which tasted above average.

Outside Teratai Coffee House

Another dining option is at the Rhu Seafood Restaurant which is located near the sea.

The Beach Hut which serves alcoholic beverages in addition to light meals.

The Beach Hut.

The ambiance of the ocean and the sound of the splashing waves are the ingredients of a romantic dining experience. Agree?

At Night

The water park and swimming pools are closed at night, shifting activities to the dining areas and the lawn nearby.

You can also choose to hang around in the quieter part of the resort.

Our apartment block at night.

CHECKING OUT

With so many activities to do our 2D/1N passed in the wink of an eye. We only paid RM200 for our 1 bedroom apartment which comes with breakfast for two. We were happy with the facilities in our apartment and the resort in general. There are ample dining options at very reasonable price and the food is generally good. The staffs are friendly and we appreciate the neat and beautiful landscape around the resort and the nice and clean beach. 

We happily checked out, collected our deposit and left Desaru.