IDYLLIC ISLE

The iconic Datai Hotel, located within a 10 million year old rainforest in Malaysia, underwent renovations that established it as a tropical paradise, where luxury meets ecology

- SOLINE DELOS

Architects Didier Lefort and the late Kerry Hill landed in the pristine bay of the Malaysian island of Langkawi in the early 1990s with the firm resolve to create the country’s first luxury resort. Dazzled by the beauty of the beach skirting the 10 million-year-old tropical forest, the two friends vowed not only to conserve the ancient jungle but also integrate the hotel such that it would lead to the discovery of natural treasures. Their approach to design and the determination to protect this corner of the rainforest and its local culture earned them the Aga Khan Prize for Architecture in 2001. Almost three decades later, when resort manager Arnaud Girodon decided to renovate the aging hotel without compromising its personality, he naturally turned to Lefort and Hill. They ensured that felled trees were reused for roofs, frames, and beams, as well as for the stilts of raised buildings, while local craftspeople were commissioned to make carpets and chandeliers for the rooms.