Opened on 1 March, 1979, the Tanjong Jara Resort was formerly owned by The Tourist Development of Malaysia (TDC). YTL Hotels & Properties later took over the management of this Resort and initiated a plan for the extensive refurbishment of the property to restore it to a deluxe international resort. It is now one of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World.

This vision of an exclusive resort in Terengganu was based on the belief that the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia was fast developing as a significant destination for tourism. The challenge in the major refurbishment and renovation exercise was to preserve Tanjong Jara's 17th century traditional Malay architectural structures, which won the coveted Aga Khan Award for Architecture. The design of this Resort is derived from the elegantly crafted wooden palaces of Malay sultans from long ago and involved extensive research into traditional forms of craftsmanship, mainly from the East Coast of Malaysia.

The Malay culture and heritage are clearly present in every aspect of this Resort, from the way the rooms and suites are designed, the elaborate details in the woodwork, to the Gamelan music played every evening. Tanjong Jara Resort promises you an experience that is "Unmistakably Malay".