PARKROYAL Penang Resort: A Review

If I’d have to write about our trip in Malaysia, I’d have to write it honestly. I can’t think about it and write any other way. As a lot of you know, our one month Asian trip has been cut in the middle due to some urgent business Ruben had to arrange back in Spain. We got the not-very-happy news on our second day in Penang, just before our first beach this trip in Batu Ferringhi. Insert PARKROYAL Penang Resort – Our five-star Penang experience. Even though everything felt pretty untimely, staying at PARKROYAL Penang that day felt so right. Read our experience and full review of PARKROYAL Penang Resort. 

PARKROYAL PENANG RESORT

PARKROYAL Penang definitely met our expectations. The grandeur was there, but you will see the touch of local Penang infused in everything. One of Ruben’s concerns about staying in a luxury hotel is that you can forget the real essence of your travel – to meet people, to understand local culture, to integrate with your new surroundings. We are a big supporter of infusing yourself with what’s happening daily in the lives of local people when you travel to a new country. But even in this area, PARKROYAL Penang didn’t disappoint.

Where is PARKROYAL Penang Resort located

As always, everything has to start with the how-to for the trip. Here’s a map of the area surrounding the hotel that you can use to guide your way to the hotel. What I love to do is to drag the little guy from the lower right corner of the map and drag him to the road so you can have a picture of the whole place. Like the real surrounding area. Pretty cool, huh? Go try it!

How to get PARKROYAL Penang Resort

For us, the ride going to the hotel was pretty fast. We were already in Penang that day (coming from the main industrial area of Penang), and all we had to do was ride the bus, Komtar to Batu Ferringhi. It took us about 30-45 minutes to reach the hotel. Bus prices are around $1. Take RapidPenang Bus. You can also go by taxi and it will take you around 20 minutes from Penang.

First impressions at PARKROYAL Penang Resort

We were greeted by very friendly hotel staff (all smiling and asking you how you’re doing) and waited for their marketing manager, Ms. Lim Hui Hui, who personally met us to gave us a tour of the whole hotel. I’d have to say that from all the hotels we were happy to work with on this trip, working with PARKROYAL was amazing. Ms. Hui Hui took the time to meet with us and made us feel that they are very serious in welcoming us, and that they actually care about the people they choose to work with.

We had a great time checking what PARKROYAL has to offer, company visions and values, and just had fun taking in all  the energy and great vibe of the place.

PARKROYAL Penang: Eating and Going around

PARKROYAL Penang Resort is happily situated close to all Penang-local must-sees: Street markets at night, local canteens and eateries, all about 10 to 15 minutes walk from the hotel. Of course, if you fancy the luxury already served to you in the hotel, you just need to take your pick. There are bars between the pools where you can have a cocktail while laying down and sunbathing. There is live music at night in the lobby, too. Check out the main menus being served at the resort’s restaurants at the days of your stay as they also have delicious buffets with special menus they serve on certain days. PARKROYAL Penang has various restaurants to fit your taste – whether it’s local Penang cuisine or European and Mediterranean dishes. Choose from The Tamarind Brasserie, Uncle Zach by the Beach, Cool Bananas Poolside Bar, the Sunset Bar or even the Javana Lounge. Us? We especially loved the breakfast because it showed what Penang is known for – with a big variety of culture and food. You’ll find Indian naan and curries, Brad, pancakes, fruits, Chinese dimsum and noodles, cereals, and Malaysian local dishes. You can also find the typical English breakfast. It’s almost a hybrid of all food Penang has to offer.

Facilities, Services and Staff at PARKROYAL Penang Resort

The hotel has a lot of great areas you can stay at. Tennis court where you can play or take classes with the friendly staff. Meeting rooms, if you are here for business. A small shopping place where you can buy souvenirs and typical clothes from Malaysia. Kids’ play place where you can leave your kids in a big, kindergarten-like room where they can enjoy activities, toys, and  the playground while you attend to your hotel business. Or if you need some personal space to enjoy the hotel vibe. There are entertainment rooms where you can play pool and video games, too. And two of what we were looking forward to the most, the St. Gregory Spa and of course, the swimming pools!

The PARKROYAL Penang Resort Facilities

There are two pools, one of them for kids where they can enjoy the big slides and another one for adults, which is open until 11 in the evening. We spent ample time in the swimming pools where you are able to look at the hotel views, the surrounding areas, or just enjoy conversation together.

During our swimming conversations, Ruben and I talked a lot about the difference of traveling and visiting local places and staying with local people versus staying in grand hotels. There are certainly the differences. We wouldn’t deny that it was such a great and relaxing experience to be greeted with drinks in the grand hotel lobby, to relax in private bathtubs, lay down in super comfy beds, and have all the luxury you will need when traveling. We didn’t even have enough time to enjoy every bit the hotel has to offer. And if you are looking for great comfort and grandeur, staying in an amazing hotel like the PARKROYAL Penang Resort is certainly a great choice. It has perfect venues for romantic events, too. If you are getting married and fancy a ceremony by the beach, or celebrating your honeymoon in Penang, Malaysia, PARKROYAL is certainly the perfect spot for you. Even for personal retreats. Definitely a great choice to stay here.

There is that worry, for hardcore travelers,  maybe, that staying in hotels are not worth it. We definitely didn’t miss the local scene around the area since we made sure we’ll go out for dinner and try local dishes, visit the local market, and walk around, feel the local vibe of Penang. It’s nice to have that balance. Enjoy the local scene, and come home to a great luxury and comfort.

St. Gregory Spa at PARKROYAL Penang Resort

One of the things we were really excited about was the couples massage. It was both Ruben and I’s first time. Ruben had the deep Balinese massage while I had the Aroma Therapy massage.

When we arrived at St. Gregory Spa for our scheduled session, we were greeted by the wonderful staff and were offered ginger tea (and really good ones at that) to relax us and prepare us for the massage.

Our masseuses for the day were two Malay massage therapists who had nice beautiful smiles, great demeanors and were really cool with us with all the whole massage session. They guided us, and made sure our massage experience will be safe, relaxing, and flawless. It was great, fun, and sexy. A vibe Ruben and I enjoyed really well. Massages feel really intimate and just rejuvinating. The masseuses guided us through the whole experience making sure to ask us all the time if we are feeling good. Coincidentally, Ruben and I both have some issues (my shoulders and Ruben’s back) so we were particularly concerned about how the massage will affect us. The masseuses  made sure that they listened properly to us, to make sure that they won’t be doing anything too hard for us to take. It was finally an enjoyable one. We can’t help but make some sexy selfies.

Here are the prices of the massage St. Gregory has, and the different packages that they have. According to Ms. Lim, the spa is particularly popular especially for wedding preparations and couples who are celebrating romantic moments – and the St. Gregory Spa definitely hits that spot.

After the spa, we immediately headed to the beach to watch the sunset. The side of Batu Ferringi was very beautiful and the sunset was just exquisite. I would say that you can´t find better place to watch the sunset in Batu Ferringhi. This was my favorite moment of the whole trip. We were a little sad knowing we would have to part shortly after, but we just loved and enjoyed the moment.  This trip was a test for us. Of how we will feel working with brands, working with each other, and doing all that while traveling. We definitely learned so much from this month’s experience and will guide us on how we will work, especially remotely for a couple of weeks.

The room

Of course, we will not forget to mention our complimentary room for the night. 🙂 We stayed at PARKROYAL Penang Premier Suite, a special and fully equipped room – a king sized bed, two TVs, a separate lounge/living room area, a working area, a private garden, and an exquisite bathroom (with supplies from the St. Gregory Spa). There’s a minibar, also equipment to prepare your coffee or tea, and store food for eating. Room has good wifi too which allowed us to work properly during our stay. There were televisions (2) for entertainment in the room. We had a very comfortable stay and could’ve stayed in the room if we wanted to (although we love the outdoors a lot for that). The room was fully equipped with all we needed (and more)..

For a complete list of all the PARKROYAL Penang hotel rooms and suites, check out this link. All details can be found with prices included so you can pick the best room for you that matches your budget and the convenience that you want during your stay with PARKROYAL.

Going back to PARKROYAL Penang.

Would we recommend it?

It would be an understatement to say that we enjoyed our stay with PARKROYAL Penang. Our experience was definitely delightful. The people were all lovely and accommodating, and the service and amenities just top class. If you are hoping to have a romantic celebration, a time-off for yourself, with your loved-one of your family, or enjoying Penang and Batu Ferringi, PARKROYAL Penang is seriously one of the best options you definitely need to look at. And if we are personally coming back to Batu Ferringi, we will surely have them on top of our mind. We definitely love every moment we spent with them. x

For more details about PARKROYAL Penang Resort, make sure to check out PARKROYAL Penang Resort and find our more detailed information of what you can enjoy when staying with them.

Traveling to Malaysia yourself? Don’t forget to check out our Malaysian travel guide where you will find detailed information on how to move around the country. Or our things to do in Melaka.

Drop your questions and thoughts in the comments below because we’d love to hear them. x