Margie T Logarta tours Shangri-La's Rasa Sayang Resort grounds and is introduced to the resident spirit.
What Datuk Hitam wants, Datuk Hitam gets. When the Shangri-La’s Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa in Penang was in the midst of a top-to-bottom redevelopment that shut down operations for 21 months until last September, one of the complex’s oldest tenants made it known he too expected some work done on his “living quarters”.
Dato Hitam (“hitam” meaning black in Malay) is the resident spirit said to inhabit the handsome raintree in the Rasa Sayang wing near the pool. The datuk kong – a soul that has remained on earth instead of going on to the next world – communicated his wishes through a medium, known as a “spiritual adviser”. So, alongside the radical improvements to guestrooms and suites of the 33-year-old property, his once humble abode was upgraded as well to a roomy concrete structure, which also features an iron gate and a neat pathway.
To show someone of authority resides there, a songkok (traditional hat used by Malay men) hangs on a wall while fruits and flowers are offered weekly.
When gardens make up 12.12ha of the grounds, it would be wise to listen well to nature and treasure its bounties, a job where the relaunched Rasa Sayang has succeeded magnificently. Dannil Tan, the Singaporean “environmental architect” tasked to breathe new life into the mature landscape, treated the assignment very much like a production, creating a sense of anticipation from the moment guests arrives at the hotel’s intimate lobby and to the buildup when they come across the lush terrain. In typical design speak, Tan waxes: “It’s just like a crescendo of music, a dramatic statement which reinforces the dynamics of the whole entry.”
Over 50,000 plants (including nine raintrees) are now found in this unique setting – the variety was needed to produce a rainbow of textures, shades and hues pleasing to the eye, inviting exploration and evoking a sense of wonderment that such a place could exist. In the evenings, strategically positioned lighting makes it possible to enjoy the gardens in a totally ethereal way.
While Rasa Sayang’s distinctive Minangkabau architecture was left untouched, its interiors were given a thorough makeover. The Rasa Premier Rooms (pictured below), numbering 52 units, are a generous 62sq m with all the refinements of a suite, including a marble soaking tub for two on the private balcony. Although my butler cheerfully assured me that it was impossible to be seen from below, especially at night, I could not bring myself “to go all the way” and demurely donned a swimsuit to immerse myself in the fragrant bath he had drawn.
For those wanting a different type of experience, 24 Rasa Deluxe Rooms offer direct access to the pool and gardens, each having their own patio framed by a wooden trellis and flowering plants. I personally preferred to be high up among the branches, pretending I was Jane Greystoke.
The makeover provided Rasa Sayang an opportunity to add its second Chi Spa Village. (The first opened in Shangri-La’s Mactan Island Resort in Cebu.) Located in an unobtrusive corner of the grounds, the facility is approached from the discrete entrance by a timber walkway flanked by a foliage of bamboo and aquatic growth and stone walls. From the naturally ventilated Sanctum – housing reception and a boutique – guests are escorted to their villas charmingly named after Himalayan concepts.
Mine was “baskul”, meaning point of journey, which I thought was apt, considering I was embarking on a trip to (physical) nirvana. The Rasa Asmaradana (Loving Feeling) full body treatment, incorporating Malay techniques, proved transcendental, especially when the therapist applied the steeped herbal pound which worked doubly as heat therapy and detoxification. The Rasa Nyaman (Refreshing Feeling) full body wrap, I was told, was good for sunburn.
As far as we know, Datuk Hitam still hasn’t requested for a steam and sauna room.
The rate for Rasa Premier Rooms starts from US$488 and Rasa Deluxe Rooms from US$417.
