PARKROYAL Penang Resort is a beautiful five-star resort with a private beach in Batu Ferringhi. It is one of the most popular resorts in Batu Ferringhi, in terms of luxury similar to the Hard Rock Penang and the Golden Sands Resort where we stayed in the past. The resort is at a perfect location in the village of Batu Ferringhi, the popular daily night market starts right in front of the resort. Within walking distance, you have several nice restaurants, shops, small car (and motorbike) rental companies, and several popular food courts where Penang is famous for.
Although Penang does not have those typical crystal clear waters and beautiful white beaches that Malaysia is so well known for, PARKROYAL Penang has a truly wonderful tropical vibe. The magnificent pool and beautiful garden appear to come straight out of a travel brochure.
The lobby was beautiful. There is a beautiful lounge with chairs where you can relax. Every now and then a staff member comes along from the lounge to ask if you want to order something to drink. Checking in went smoothly and you see most of the new arrivals walk straight to the beautiful garden and the big pool, ourselves included.
Rooms
Rooms are spacious and all contain a pleasant and stylish interior. Design is contemporary, and each room contains everything you would expect. Especially rooms overlooking the sea are worth the upgrade. Upon check-in, it is best to ask for a room that is located on an upper floor because the view is the best. Rooms have a mini bar, air conditioning, LCD TV, safe and a beautiful bathroom. Furthermore, you will have free Wi-Fi throughout the resort, and also in the rooms (although the connection wasn’t too fast).
Breakfast
You have your breakfast at Tamarind Brasserie; a large restaurant where you can also have lunch or dinner. It consists of a large indoor section and a large terrace so you can also sit outdoors. From your table, you will have a great view over the garden and the sea in a distance. The breakfast was good overall, with a wide variety of choices. The coffee was delicious, there were several large coffee machines where you could get your daily coffee fix just the way you like it.
During peak season, the resort can sometimes be quite busy, and, as a result, many guests have their breakfast simultaneously. This sometimes (especially between 8 and 9) leads to a significant queue of hotel guests waiting to be seated. The sooner you have your breakfast, the greater the chance that it is still nice and quiet. If it is really crowded, you can also choose to sit outside. Most guests, however, prefer to sit inside because the air conditioning.
Restaurant(s)
Uncle Zack By The Beach is PARKROYAL Penang’s signature restaurants. This is an alfresco beach restaurant, offering delicious à la carte food with a stunning backdrop. Every Sunday to Thursday, there a themed buffet dinners, with a particular cuisine on the menu. One of the most popular themes is the BBQ buffet (Roast & Grill International Buffet Dinner), and this buffet dinner is truly fantastic. The atmosphere is superb and the service very efficient and friendly. Prices fall within local standards, for RM50 you already have a complete meal including drink. Uncle Zack is also the perfect place to enjoy a delicious dessert after dinner (for example if you already had dinner at one of the food courts or local restaurants in the area). Arrive early at Uncle Zack, and enjoy a magnificent sunset, perhaps one of the best in Malaysia.
The Sunset Bar is located near Uncle Zack. Here you can enjoy a tropical cocktail or any other drink while relaxing with your feet in the sand. Again, head over there just before the sun goes down and enjoys a truly wonderful sunset. Drinks are quite affordable for Malaysian standards, but just as anywhere else in the country, alcoholic beverages are definitely not cheap.
Cool Bananas is another bar, it is the indoor bar of the resort, perfect to escape the heat for a bit during the day, or to cover from the rain. Here you can enjoy a meal or a drink while watching a sports event or movie at the humongous screen in the back. The bar is open throughout the day, and it is the perfect place for a nightcap after a long day full of activities.
Since Penang is known as the food paradise of Malaysia, there are restaurants and food courts on nearly every street corner. If you like to eat outside for a change, there are several nice restaurants and also a very good food court (Long Beach Food Court) within walking distance of the resort, just along the main street running through Batu Ferringhi.
Swimming pool and other facilities
The pool is magnificent. It gives the resort a delightful tropical vibe. A nice detail is that the pool is open until very late in the evening (11pm), great for those that like to do some swimming after a long day of activities. The 2nd pool has two slides, great for young and old. The children’s pool is great fun for the little ones, a lifeguard is on duty to keep an eye on them.
The resort also has a spa with a very good reputation. At St. Gregory Spa you can undergo various treatments. Reservations can be made in advance by calling the spa from your room. The spa is open daily between 10.00 and 20.00. For example, a Balinese massage cost RM220 (one hour).
Furthermore, you have a gym and a playground called the Koko-Nut Kid’s Club for children between 4 and 12 years old. There is a fun daily program, and kids can stay for free if they can play unsupervised. The resort also offers day care facilities (for RM24 per hour).
Attractions in the area
The night market of Batu Ferringhi is a popular attraction on the island, and it runs right in front of the resort (every day between 19.00 and 24.00). At only a 5-minute drive from the resort, you can visit the Tropical Spice Garden, an interesting herb garden where you can learn all there is to know about almost all existing spices. Just down the road, at the village Teluk Bahang, are various attractions such as the butterfly garden (currently being renovated), a small activity park called ESCAPE well as the stunning Penang National Park, the smallest national park in Malaysia. At about 20 minutes by car lies Georgetown, the capital of Penang Island. Here you have so many great attractions that it may be wise to consider staying there for a few nights.
How to get there?
If you drive a rental car, follow the signs from Georgetown to Batu Ferringhi. First you drive through the village of Tanjung Bungah, another popular seaside village on the island. After driving through this village, it is another 10 minutes along a winding road until you reach the village of Batu Ferringhi. PARKROYAL Penang Resort is halfway through the village on the right, located directly between the road and the beach. You can easily park your car at the big parking lot in front of the resort.
If you arrive in Penang by plane or some other form of transportation, simply take a taxi to the resort.
Our final verdict
PARKROYAL Penang Resort is a beautiful resort in Batu Ferringhi. If you have a few lazy days planned in Penang and like a nice tropical atmosphere somewhere along the beach, then this resort is highly recommended. It is a great 5-star resort and only a handful other resorts on the island offer more luxury. The location is perfect, especially with the popular night market right in front of the resort. Sea-facing rooms are very nice, you wake up each morning enjoying the stunning views. The breakfast was very nice, and dinner at Uncle Zack By The Beach was definitely an evening to remember (that sunset is breathtaking).
It is an ideal resort if you are traveling with children, especially because of the beautiful swimming pool and large garden. There is plenty to do in the resort itself, and also in the nearby area.
The resort can often be booked at competitive prices at hotel websites like Booking.com and Agoda.com. If you are looking to stay for a longer period of time, you should definitely check the offers on the official PARKROYAL website, as these are sometimes much better than the hotel sites. We have had a great stay and will consider it again at an upcoming visit to Penang.
