Haven by the lake
Located in the midst of natural and pristine surroundings, The Haven Resort Hotel Ipoh offers a comfortable getaway, writes Hanna Hussein
AFTER two hours of driving from Kuala Lumpur, my family and I finally arrive at our holiday destination, a place we can call home for the weekend, The Haven Resort Hotel Ipoh, Perak.
Thayalan, one of the security personnel at the guard house, greets us upon our arrival at the lakeside hotel.
We hand over our booking information from AirAsiaGo.com, a reliable booking site that we have used to purchase our stay for two nights at The Haven. Thayalan briefs us on security and the layout. “There are three towers, the lobby is at Block B which is in the middle. Enjoy your stay, ma’am,” adds Thayalan.
LAKEVIEW WONDER
At the lobby, we are greeted with a welcome drink each — the Haven’s all natural recipe made of lemongrass, ginger, cinnamon, lime and chamomile flower. It has a strong taste but is very refreshing.
Check-in is easy because payments have been made via the AirAsiaGo mobile app. So we head directly to our 2+1 bedroom apartment.
The apartment hotel is spacious and homely. It has a modern living room, with fully-equipped kitchen, and a large balcony overlooking the natural surrounds of the 280 million-year-old limestone outcrop and natural pristine environment. We also have a view of a huge pool, said to be one of the biggest in Ipoh.
Our apartment can fit up to five people. There are three bedrooms — one king, one queen and one single.
My husband and I opt for the roomy master bedroom with en suite bathroom and a bathtub. Our room has a floor-to-ceiling window, with the same stunning view of nature. Really luxurious and romantic.
LUNCH AT CUISINES
Our stay at The Haven for two nights includes breakfast at its main restaurant, the Cuisines. It is a poolside bar and restaurant that offers the best of local Asian and International cuisines and opens daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
It’s not a spacious restaurant, and since it’s the weekend, itcan’taccommodateeve- ryone during peak hours. But it has opened up a space for the guests to breakfast comfortably.
The choice of breakfast buffet is extensive. There are fried rice, sausages, hash browns, eggs and more.
We order from the lunch a la carte menu at Cuisines. I recommend crab meat soup and pomelo salad, and cheesy tortilla and beef fingers.
For mains, go for chicken rice or seafood aglio olio.
WHAT’S NEW
This isn’t my first time at The Haven. The last visit was a couple of years ago and I had enjoyed my stay here. Since then, it has opened a spa!
However, I don’t get a chance to visit the spa since it’s fully booked. I had not made a booking earlier.
Open daily from 11am to 10pm, it offers an extensive range of beauty and wellness therapies and treatment using the finest natural products and essential oils.
Instead of the spa, I enjoy a walk around the lake, enjoying nature at its best.