PARKROYAL Penang Resort – a tropical paradise to luxuriate in
For two consecutive years, my daughter has requested for the same birthday gift – a weekend at PARKROYAL Penang Resort. The Resort has been one of her favourite places to kick back and lose herself in a tropical paradise.
Living in Penang, we are indeed fortunate that we can just take a 35-minute drive from home to Batu Ferringhi sans the arduous plane and taxi rides (e.g., my cousin from Toronto took some whooping 23 hours to reach Penang).
Following a MYR55 million refurbishment plan (completed in February 2018), the resort's transformation has been remarkable, adding exciting, trendy and contemporary spaces to luxuriate in.
Upon check-in, my family and I were ushered to the Javana Lounge where we were served oshibori (wet hand towels), refreshing welcome drinks and some tidbits. Instead of standing over the reception counter to finalise registration details, it was wonderful to sit back, enjoy a glass of chilled fruit punch and have everything brought to you.
The lounge has an elevated ceiling with stylish oversized fans that generate cool breeze. The open-concept interior is awash with warm beige hues and looks out to the palm-fringed gardens and swimming pools. In the evenings, the lounge, which features live entertainment with soothing tunes, is an ideal venue to relax in and unwind.
The pool area is like a secluded oasis. Surrounded by beautiful landscaped gardens and balmy coconut trees, its greenery envelops the pool's surrounding, turning it into a private lagoon.
Relaxing by the pool was a luxury for me to while away the time on a lazy afternoon, a stark contrast from my daily fast, hectic pace of “a million things to do before the sun sets” routine.
Imagine my surprise when I was in the pool, that I could borrow a snake from a snake charmer who was setting up a performance. I just could not resist the photo opportunity with this beautiful creature.
The children’s pool tucked in a secluded area of the resort features a baby wading pool and two water slides.
The gardens all over the resort are handsomely landscaped with well-manicured lawns. Even spaces within the buildings have pockets of greenery.
A complementary fruit basket, a rich chocolate birthday cake and a plate of chocolates were delivered to our room. My daughter was thrilled to bits to receive them. She made a hard and long birthday wish and blew out the candles. It was such a thoughtful gesture from the management of the resort and we appreciated it greatly.
Dining in was so convenient. All we had to do was walk down to Cinnamon. This restaurant overlooking the gardens offers a combination of indoor and outdoor seatings.
The seafood buffet was awesome! It had a wide delectable spread of popular Asian dishes plus a galore of fresh seafood. Pairing local ingredients with a liberal use of herbs and spices, the dishes were simply lip-smacking.
The contemporary open-concept kitchen, with several cooking stations, provided us the opportunity to see chefs in action – tossing flaming woks and manipulating sizzling grilles. There was just so many tempting dishes to sample and as always, I was stuffed to the gills before the night was over. Contented and happy, we headed back to the room after a very satisfying feast.
The room was comfortable, tastefully decorated and well furnished. Equipped with modern amenities, it was spacious and there was even a pillow menu for us to select our preferred ones. The resort's in-house St. Gregory brand of toiletries was lovely too.
After a good night's rest, we woke up to more glorious food. I was impressed by the fabulous and plentiful offerings prepared for the buffet breakfast. I started at the egg station and had my omelette made the way I like it – with a generous helping of cheese within. From nasi lemak to roti canai and from pancakes to tim sum, there was nearly everything a Penangite would want for breakfast. Even the char koay teow was authentic and mouthwatering. Again, I ate too much.
My wife went to the gym but I was too full to do anything except to relax under the swaying coconut trees, listening to the sound of rolling waves and watching puffy white clouds move gently across the clear blue sky. I count my luck stars for being able to live in a tropical paradise like Penang.
A big thank you to the management team and all the friendly staff who were always welcoming and attentive. They made our stay so relaxing, enjoyable and memorable.
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Located along the famed Batu Ferringhi beach, PARKROYAL Penang Resort consists of 309 guestrooms comprising 284 rooms and also 25 suites fitted with modern comforts.
PARKROYAL Penang Resort
Batu Ferringhi Beach, 11100 Penang, Malaysia
T: 1800 220 021 or +60 4 886 2288
www.parkroyalhotels.com/penang
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Written and photographed by Adrian Cheah
© All rights reserved
26 May 2019