I still used the MAS site but did not log into my profile (that still had the old booking locked in) as you can buy the tickets as a guest (don't need to register a profile with them) and I used a non Lloyds TSB credit card.

I have used MAS from heathrow to KL quite a few times and they have always been good and have a generous amount of leg room in economy, but I have never flown on a domestic flight with them.

I thought about Air Asia but the price was not much cheaper for the times we wanted after airport taxes, and they are moving to a new terminal next week which is still at KLIA but is 20KMs away if you travel by road with no info on how to get there I thought MAS was the safer bet.

I'm confused

The Pelangi Beach Hotel (mentioned by Sunbear) seems to be well located on a good beach but is getting some very mixed reviews.

In the holidaytruths review section there is one fairly good review but the tripadvisor reviews are less favourable.

Is there an 'attitude' problem with the staff at this hotel?

I appreciate that the 'tired' appearance of the property can be fixed by a refurbishment (due in 2006) - attitude, however, is not so simple to change.

Any comments or comparisons between standards of service in Malaysia and Thailand (which I am familiar with) would be most welcome.

Thanks

Peter

I think service levels in Malaysia can be variable...I've stayed in hotels where service is as good, if not better than the service I have received in Thailand (possibly due to the better understanding of English in Malaysia).

But I've also stayed in properties where its evident that there are problems with the service(one meal where it took me two hours to get a beer comes to mind), and at one the attitude was surly...something I've never come across in the Far East before. But in general I don't think there is a lot in it, in both countries service quality is very high.

We've had friends just come back from the Pelangi...they are frequent visitors (and travel agents) and they seemed perfectly happy with it.

Before I chose the andaman for my up coming trip I took a close look at the Pelangi Beach Hotel as it is part of the Meritus group of hotels and their standard of hotels I have found to be always very good (although I noticed that when their hotel in KL The Istana started to look a bit rundown the seemed to get rid of it very fast).

I have to admit I was surprised at the amount of bad reviews on trip advisor , but they are just a persons opinion of dismay when a bit of the hotel had not stood up to their expectations.

If people do a bit of investigating as you are before they book they would know what to expect, whereas I think some people still just go straight from the brochure therefore taking the word of whoever has written the hotel intro who inevitably makes it sound like heaven on earth, which obviously never live up to expectations.

In the end my decision came down to the fact that the beach near the Andaman was supposed to be better so I chose that. (as the Andaman has the same type of critical reviews as Pelangi Beach Hotel)

I have always found a good level of service in Malaysia but as with every where there will always be a chance you will have an experience with someone with a bad attitiude.

Thanks chaps - I feel a little better now. Will defer decisions and travel later - perhaps this is one for early next year (this may fit with their refurbishment plans - mentioned in one of the reviews).

If anyone else has experiences or views, I would be grateful.

Thanks

Peter

Have just spent 3 days at The Andaman and I have to say it is well worth the money. The location is amazing, excellent service (with no pressure to give tips), a free evening nature walk and other free events seemed to be planned each day, and got a free upgrade to a sea view room (they all face the sea but some views are obscured by the rain forest), The only downside is the restaurants are expensive but you can taxi it to other locations or even rent a car (which they almost seem to beg you to do when you arrive at the airport). I will post a review when I return to the uk as I am still relaxing/shoppiing in KL at the moment.