Mandai Rainforest Resort by Banyan Tree

This location is perfect for animal and wildlife lovers. There were several opportunities for my parents to interact with nature. Wildlife here is comfortable with human presence. The experience was very special for my father's 66th birthday.

Toby was exceptional throughout our entire stay! From the moment we checked in until the moment we checked out, he never failed to make sure we had everything we needed. He made our check in process incredibly smooth and was always so attentive and thoughtful. Travelling with a young child is never easy, but Toby went above and beyond to make our stay so much more comfortable. He even took the time to entertain our little one and surprised him with a soft toy tortoise, which was such a sweet and thoughtful gesture. It’s the little touches and genuine hospitality that really make a difference, and Toby definitely made our stay extra memorable. Thank you so much, Toby, for taking such great care of us!

Banyan Tree at the Mandai Rainforest is an exceptional experience. The sounds of birds and flowing water gently break the silence in the otherwise very serene facility. ?Being surrounded by such flora and fuana in enriching but what really stood out was the hospitality of the team here. Toby went out of his way to make sure my family and I felt welcomed. He showed us the most beautiful parts of the property and made us feel at home. Thank you Toby for the tour and clicking wonderfull pics for us.

We stayed at Mandai Rainforest Resort by Banyan Tree for three nights as a family, and overall we had a pleasant stay. The concept of the hotel is truly unique, and its location in the middle of the rainforest creates a very special atmosphere. If you’re visiting the Mandai Wildlife parks, it’s an excellent base, especially for families. Three nights felt like the perfect length of stay. Before arriving, I had requested an early check-in because we were landing after a 13-hour flight, but unfortunately it wasn’t possible. While I completely understand that rooms cannot always be ready early, I did feel the reminder about the official check-in time at reception was a little abrupt. Thankfully, we had purchased the 5-Day Mandai Pass, so we spent our first afternoon exploring Bird Paradise instead. We had originally booked a standard room but were kindly upgraded to a Family Room, which we really appreciated. Our daughters absolutely loved the bunk beds and the little lounge underneath, and the curtain separating the children’s area from the parents’ bed was a nice touch. The bathroom overlooking the rainforest was also lovely. However, I was surprised by how small the room actually was. The photos online make it look much more spacious than it is. Storage space is very limited, so we mostly kept our clothes in our suitcases. For a three-night stay it was manageable, but for a longer stay it could easily become inconvenient. One of our biggest disappointments was the breakfast. After reading so many excellent reviews, we were expecting something much better. In reality, the restaurant was extremely crowded every morning, many items disappeared very quickly, and the overall quality of the food was fairly average. As a coffee lover, I have to mention the coffee. It comes from automatic machines and was honestly one of the worst coffees I’ve had in a hotel. Fresh orange juice was not always available either. On our first morning there wasn’t any, and on the following days it was only available on request at the bar and ran out quickly. There is a nice children’s corner at breakfast, which is great for families, but overall I simply don’t understand why the breakfast receives so many outstanding reviews. Also, if you choose to sit indoors, bring a light cardigan—the air conditioning is extremely cold. I also ordered dinner through room service one evening, and this was actually a very pleasant surprise. The food was delicious, well prepared, and arrived in good time. We really enjoyed our meal and had no complaints at all. So while the breakfast was disappointing, I would definitely recommend trying the room service if you’re staying at the hotel. Another disappointment was that the hotel knew we were celebrating my husband’s 40th birthday, yet there was no small gesture or acknowledgement. During the rest of our trip, every other hotel surprised us with at least a small birthday cake or thoughtful attention. Of course, this isn’t something guests should expect, but these little details make a stay feel more personal. Because the hotel is so busy, it feels like it’s difficult for the team to provide those personalized touches. At times, the resort feels more like a large, busy hotel than an intimate luxury property. That being said, I have nothing but positive things to say about the staff. Everyone we met was friendly, welcoming and smiling throughout our stay. Housekeeping was also efficient and the room was always clean. The swimming pool is beautiful and relaxing, although there are not enough sun loungers considering the number of guests staying at the resort. The location is excellent. The complimentary shuttle makes it very easy to reach all the wildlife parks, and there are several casual restaurants and fast-food options nearby, making meals outside the hotel very convenient. Overall, I feel the hotel is significantly overpriced for what it offers. The rainforest setting is spectacular and absolutely worth experiencing, but the room size, breakfast quality, overcrowding and lack of personalized service don’t justify the premium price. I also think the online photos and some of the reviews create expectations that don’t quite match the reality. Would I recommend it? Yes—for the unique location and experience, especially if you’re visiting the Mandai parks. But I would also say: go with realistic expectations. It’s a memorable place to stay, but not the luxury experience that the price and reviews may lead you to expect.

Sharing this review as I have been unable to get a resolution from the Mandai team themselves - checked in for just a one night staycation with an extended group of family and friends. We booked a total of 4 rooms, made under two separate bookings. When we checked in, the check in lines were extremely long and there were oddly no fans or airflow in the lobby area. The check in staff were unclear about whether breakfast was included in our package or not, so we left unclear too. We had to returned to the front desk at night to clarify, but they were not confident in their answers either. We checked our own payment trail/booking and figured it had not been paid for, but was included in the booking as a pre-booked option at the Planters Shed. In the daytime, we had to come to the Poolside which was really beautiful but extremely small, with barely enough seating options or sheltered areas. So when there was a lightning alert we all had to go back to our rooms even though we had ordered food at the poolside. The terrible part has been that we did an express check out as there was a large crowd due to school holidays and we had young children with us. However, we never eventually received any itemised bill from the resort over email but received a lumpsum charge on my credit card with no breakdown. I had to Whatsapp and email numerous times to request for this - after they eventually sent me the breakdown, I realised that they had charged all 4 rooms of breakfast buffets to my one card even though there had been no authorisation to combine bills as they had done. I have been emailing them since end June to clear this up and seek a refund accordingly, and after multiple attempts to contact them, they did promise me one in the first week of July, but until now no refund has been made and I am still waiting for their email on why this is so. I am so frustrated, and cannot believe that a premium Banyan Tree resort experience has been like this. Total mishandling / lack of managing the issue. Very upset and disappointed. The beauty of the place cannot make up for mismanagement.