Ta’aktana, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa

Every so often a hotel quietly ruins you for all the others. This was that hotel — faultless service, food we are still daydreaming about, and Komodo Island practically on the doorstep. So far, it is the best stay we have ever had, full stop.

Arrival

Ta’aktana, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, is tucked into the almost unfairly beautiful landscapes of Komodo country in Indonesia — more precisely, Labuan Bajo. Getting there takes a little devotion: flights are few, so we broke the journey with a night in Bali before the short, roughly one-hour hop the next morning, where a chauffeur was waiting for us at the airport (a very civilised way to arrive anywhere). The hotel is part of Marriott Bonvoy and, as Platinum members, we were treated to a few extra perks. We rolled in that evening and the service was flawless from the very first hello. We were handed our own butler (a big shout out to Rini, she is efficient, kind and overall amazing!), who quietly ran our diary all week — sightseeing tips, restaurant bookings, the lot. We booked the Wae Rana Suite (King, Resort View, Balcony) at around £225 a night, but we used our Nightly Upgrade Awards to upgrade to a one-bedroom villa with sea view (only the overwater sea villa sits above it). The 112 square metre villa was a minimalist stunner — genuinely one of the most beautiful rooms we have ever set foot in.

The curtains were all electric, and the next morning they glided back to reveal the view like a little theatre curtain. The only tiny catch: it is not quite the full sea view of your dreams, more a hopeful corner of sea — but we happily took it.

Room

Bedroom

The bedroom was the more understated part of the villa, but with a great view and a bed so comfortable we may have overslept once or twice. The one quibble: the TV sat off to one side, not exactly built for a cosy watch — though with a main one in the living room, it never really mattered.

Amenities

Thoughtful extras were everywhere — hats, flip flops, umbrellas and all manner of useful bits. The fridge and snack selection punched well above the usual minibar weight, and the tea and coffee were properly good too.

Private pool

The villa came with its own private pool and two seating areas — one with chairs, and a covered spot with a couch and table for when the sun got a little too enthusiastic.

Bathroom

The bathroom was a showstopper, one of the best we have ever seen — vast, modern, his-and-hers sinks, and amenities that clearly meant business (yes, a Dyson hair dryer). The villa had two toilets in total, one in the main bathroom and one near the entrance, which is the sort of small luxury you do not know you want until you have it.

The bathtub was a thing of beauty, and the garden view turned a daytime soak into something rather special. Bath salts were provided alongside the usual line-up — a lovely touch.

Food

Breakfast

If we had to crown one thing at the resort, it might just be the food. Almost everything is locally sourced, and it all tasted impossibly fresh. Breakfast was a la carte with a little buffet to top up, including a sambal section (pure joy if, like us, you like a bit of fire with your morning). The selection was small but faultless — from fruits to pastries and proper local Indonesian flavours.

Eating both inside and out was a pleasure, and with the restaurant usually near-empty the atmosphere was blissfully calm. The service would not have looked out of place in a Michelin-starred dining room — attentive without ever hovering. Breakfast was one of the highlights of the whole trip.

Dinner

We do not usually eat at our hotels (breakfast aside), but with an early start and a late finish one day, we made an exception — and the Indonesian restaurant Umasa turned out to be a revelation. We rather overdid it with starters, mains and dessert, but every flavour earned its place and the service matched. The staff even snapped a photo of us, then framed it and left it in our room as a gift — the kind of attention to detail that stays with you.

Facilities

Resort

The resort itself is beautifully laid out — a main building, a few tiers of villas, and seven overwater villas a short bridge away. The pool is on the small side but lovely, and mostly deserted (we stuck to our private one, admittedly). Water activities are unlimited, including kayaking, snorkelling, stand up paddleboarding — there is a little coral reef within the hotel’s waters that is well worth a look.

Our one gripe: there is not really a beach. There are scrappy public patches to the left and right, but they were a touch grubby and uninviting, at least while we were there. So if a long, barefoot beach walk straight from your room is the dream, this is not quite the place.

Gym

The gym is compact but has everything you need, and it was empty every time we wandered in. Some of the kit is a little older, but it does the job without complaint.

Lounge

The stay included an afternoon tea in the lounge — three “courses” of tea taking us on a little Indonesian journey. The tea was superb, but so were the theatre and the history that came with it. The lounge also looks out over the sunset, and we caught a couple of real beauties across our five nights. Lovely music, lovelier ambiance.

Also on the agenda was an Indonesian fighting ritual at sunset, complete with the story behind the tradition and, naturally, a few photo opportunities. It felt authentic and genuinely special rather than staged.

And the sunsets here? Truly, ridiculously gorgeous…

WiFi

WiFi was complimentary, however there were a few issues with it in certain days. The service was however outstanding as they installed a router in our villa to ensure the connection is strong.

Benefits

Regardless of the Marriott Bonvoy membership, the resort offers the following benefits to all:

• Complimentary 24 hours breakfast for two persons served at All Day Dining restaurant (LEROS) or in-room breakfast at guests’ convenience with the exclusive options
• Return airport transfer
• Three types of local indigenous amenities upon arrival
• Pressing service up to 2 pieces per person per day
• Minibar (non-alcoholic beverages), including sweet & savoury snacks per stay
• Daily turndown service with special amenities
• In-room and resort-wide high-speed Wi-Fi internet access
• Complimentary access to facilities such as Gym, Sauna, Kids Club and daily activities as per resort schedule (charges may apply for selected activities)
• Complimentary in-house water sport activities such as Kayak, Stand-up paddle, snorkelling gear and water scooter