Long weekend stay at PARKROYAL Penang Resort
It was the National Day long weekend and we decided to spend it overseas.
PARKROYAL Penang Resort offers stunning views of the Straits of Malacca.
We have decided to spend it at Parkroyal Penang Resort, as we have heard from our friends that it is a nice place to stay with direct access to the beach. The hotel is under the Pan Pacific Group, which is part of the Global Hotel Alliance (GHA) Discovery. Parkroyal Hotels, Parkroyal Collection and Pan Pacific Hotels are included in GHA Discovery programme. I am a member and I am entitled to member rates of up to 10% off room rates, and 25% off selected dining options in the hotel, late check-out, complimentary daily breakfast, earn 7% more in Discovery$ (D$) that we can use to offset on our next hotel stay.
Parkroyal Penang Resort is located at the Northern part of Penang Island in the town of Batu Ferringhi. Traveling from the airport to the hotel took us about 1 hr 20mins as it is further away than Georgetown. We took Grab and the journey cost RM86 for a distance of about 38km, which was about S$26.
At check-in, we were ushered to the Javana Lounge. It is a relaxing and breezy lobby lounge with high ceilings. We were served with non-alcoholic welcome drinks and local snacks. Check in staff began explained to us details of our stay at the resort. With our GHA Discovery status, we were able to enjoy 25% off dining and St. Gregory spa but in-room dining is not included.
Javana Lounge, PARKROYAL Penang Resort
They have two pools - a 1.5m deep pool and a wading pool, and another pool behind the first pool that has two water slides. Interestingly, water in the pools is heated to room temperature, which is not very common but highly appreciated as we would need to worry about our little one feeling cold in the water. They also have Amazonia Splash, which is a mini waterpark with streams and buckets of water to splash on your face or body. The park is located behind the water slides and the entrance is located in between the rear of the Gustoso and the blue water slide (shown in the photo below).
One of the two swimming pools in the resort. This one has two water slides for both adults and kids.
They have two restaurants - Gustoso and Cinnamon Asian kitchen, which is the restaurant to go for our complimentary breakfast. There are two bars with one that is situated inside the Javana Lounge called the Passion garden and an outdoor beach bar called the Sunset bar. Facilities wise, they have the usuals like the gym and a business centre.
Daily breakfast is served at the Cinnamon Asian Kitchen. (Photo from TripAdvisor).
One thing that makes Parkroyal Penang Resort special is it is very family friendly. It has an in-house kids playzone called the Amazonia Kids’ Club. It also has curated activities throughout the week - each day will have a different activity such as, drawing and origami workshops. Majority of the activities are complimentary. There have indoor and outdoor playgrounds, and playstations and Nintendo switch. There are dedicated staff manning the club, who doubles up as instructors for the various workshops. So parents can drop off their children at the club and do their own thing. We brought our little one there and even though he was too young to play most of the activities, he still had fun moving blocks with another older kid and trying to run/crawl after another kid in the indoor playground - all while being accompanied by us.
Entrance to Amazonia Kids Club (photo from booking.com).
For the room, I booked the Deluxe room with a King bed option. It is 33sqm which was enough space for the three of us and a baby cot. You can also request for baby bathtub and a steam bottle steriliser. There is a mini fridge in the room and an ice and cold water dispenser machine located near the lift lobby area on the same level. The room also has a balcony, which offers breathtaking views of the beach and the Straits of Malacca. We were able to see a beautiful sunset with shades of purple and pink.
Deluxe room with King bed, actually its two extra big twin beds combined into one.
A decent size bathroom with a separate shower and toilet sections.
The deluxe room has a balcony facing the sea.
There are many food options nearby the hotel and one of it is the Long Beach cafe, a foodcourt with stalls selling Chinese, Western, Muslim and Indian cuisines. It can be spotted by the big neon sign called Ferringhi Station. There is also an apom stall, called the Apom Balik Station that situated just a short walk from the entrance of the hotel. Apom is a crispy pancake with fillings inside. It offers over 32 varieties of flavour and their popular flavours are with the Nutella options. Both places are open in the evenings.
Apom Balik Station located just a few steps outside the hotel. (Photo from Foodcrush.com.my)
Ferringhi Station, a hawker centre located off the Main Street of Batu Ferringhi.
We also travelled out of Batu Ferringhi to Georgetown, where we visited this lunch place called Makan Pagi. They serve a muslim and chinese halal options. We ordered the chicken satay, toast topped with half-boiled egg, char kway teow and wanton mee. We particular like the satay and the toast. It is also located in the same area as the famous chendol stall in Penang. Our little one likes dogs and we managed to find a dog cafe called Hunt & Hound. Besides it is a dog cafe, it also has a collection of reptiles that are kept inside secured cages, thankfully.
Makan Pagi is quite a popular eating place in Georgetown, Penang.
The menu taken in Aug-2024.
Roti Bakar Telur Goyang - the best dish we tried (red plate).
A dog cafe located in Georgetown.
Overall, my family enjoyed our stay at the resort and it is one of most relaxing experience for us, as we spent a lot of time in the resort. I would recommend to families and couples who are looking for a relaxing time to come stay at PARKROYAL Penang Resort.