Anantara Desaru Coast – Worth it?

As parents of very small humans, we’ve become quietly, almost stubbornly loyal to the Anantara Hotels. There’s something about the way they hold space for chaos and calm at the same time that feels rare. We’ve stayed at Anantara Angkor Wat, Anantara Mai Khao Phuket, Anantara Koh Yao Yai, and Anantara Golden Triangle, and each time, we felt understood as parents: the sticky fingers, the early wake-ups, the quiet, desperate need for five uninterrupted minutes of stillness. Family-friendly, but never at the expense of beauty, or space, or that soft, luxurious exhale.

So when we arrived at Anantara Desaru Coast Resort & Villas, I already had a feeling I knew what to expect. But still, the way the light hit the water features at the lobby, the hush of the sea just beyond, it caught me off guard in the way good places do.

First things first: getting there & booking

If you’re coming from Singapore, it’s honestly an easy escape. About a 1.5-hour drive, depending on traffic and how many snack breaks your toddler demands. The nearest airport is Senai International Airport, roughly an hour away from the resort.

The resort itself sits along Desaru Coast, lush and a little removed from everything, in that way that makes you feel like you’ve stepped out of your life for a while.

There are 108 rooms and villas here, ranging from spacious guest rooms to private pool villas and residences tucked into greenery.

And if you’re booking—this matters—go through Anantara Journeys (which we are a part of!). It’s one of those small decisions that changes the whole experience:

✨ Special welcome amenity
✨ Early check-in
✨ Late check-out
✨ Complimentary room upgrade (when available)

It’s the difference between arriving tired… and arriving cared for.

Our room (or: the art of surviving naps)

We stayed in two connecting Deluxe Garden View rooms, and I can say this without hesitation: it was perfect for this season of life.

Close enough to everything: the restaurant, the pools, without ever feeling noisy or crowded. Getting around with a stroller was easy, which is not always a given.

The bathroom was large in that quietly indulgent way. The balcony became my small sanctuary during nap times – a cup of tea in hand, watching the trees move, listening for the soft rhythm of sleeping babies behind me.

If you’re craving more privacy, the pool villas are gorgeous. But for us, this setup struck that delicate balance between comfort and practicality.

The pools, the sea, and that rare kind of ease

The main pool is where we kept returning to, like a ritual.

💧 Wide, open, and thoughtfully designed
💧 Shallow sections (around 20cm) where tiny feet can splash safely
💧 Daybeds close enough that you can almost relax

What I loved most is this: the kids’ areas aren’t hidden away. They’re woven into the main pool. So you don’t feel like you’re choosing between being a parent and being a person.

Then there’s the second pool, stretched along the beachfront. This one feels slower, softer—perfect for late afternoons when the light turns golden and everything quiets down.

Just steps away is the private beach. Soft sand, clean waters, and the kind of calm sea that feels forgiving.

We’re right by the South China Sea here, but it doesn’t feel wild or overwhelming. My two-year-old could walk into the water on her own, steady and curious, and I didn’t feel that sharp edge of worry I usually carry near the ocean.

The small things that make a big difference (especially with kids)

Anantara, in our experience, just gets it:

👶 Baby cot
🛁 Baby bathtub
🪜 Step stool
🍽 High chair
🍼 Bottle warmer & steriliser
🧴 Kids toiletries

All available upon request, and all quietly delivered without fuss.

Restaurants have dedicated kids’ menus, and the staff are kind and willing to adjust.

There’s a kids club, and it’s decent. But honestly? Our kids wanted the endless, simple rhythm of water and sun.

The food (a gentle truth)

The dining here is… a mixed bag.

It leans pricey for what it is, and while everything was good, nothing quite lingered in memory. We ate there happily, of course, because convenience matters when you’re traveling with little ones, but it wasn’t the highlight.

And maybe that’s okay.

Would we come back?

Yes. For a few days, especially.

Because this is what Anantara Desaru Coast offers, quietly and without spectacle:

🌿 Greenery in every direction
🌊 A calm, endless sea
🏊 Pools that gently exhaust your toddler (which means (hopefully) real naps and actual sleep)
🛋 Corners of stillness where you can remember yourself again

It’s not perfect. But it holds you, in that imperfect, human way.

And sometimes, that’s exactly what you need.