MMaryHow do I put this? I looked at so many beachfront hotels when planning a few relaxing days by the sea in Penang, and almost none of them seemed perfect. The photos looked good, but reviews often mentioned they were old or that the sea wasn't great.
I booked this Parkroyal after much deliberation, canceling my previous bookings at Shangri-La and Hard Rock. I had a good impression of the Parkroyal from my previous stay in Langkawi, so I booked a family room here, hoping for more comfort.
Perhaps my expectations were too high. When I arrived, it was okay, but not amazing. However, there was a lovely Chinese lady who greeted the kids with welcome drinks, which immediately brightened my impression. But then, once in the room, I found the sliding door wouldn't close. I called for help right away, but after a long wait, no one came. Since there were monkeys and insects outside, not being able to close the door was really uncomfortable – I couldn't even go out for a walk. I went downstairs myself to the front desk, and still had to wait for maintenance to come fix it. I honestly couldn't understand why there was a gap in the door; it seemed impossible. I ended up having to use a lot of force to get the door closed myself.
On the bright side, the room provided a generous amount of drinking water.
Also, the sunset was truly beautiful, visible right from the balcony. And I didn't hear the mosque's morning call to prayer, unlike on a certain Indonesian island where it started at 4 AM.
There are two pools: one is 1.5 meters deep and open until 9 PM, but since I don't swim, the lifeguard wouldn't let my child in. The other is 1 meter deep with a slide, where my child could play safely even if I didn't get in. My daughter didn't want to get out until they closed the pool. I didn't go on the swing because I saw grass and was worried about insects.
Conveniently, there are Starbucks, 7-Eleven, Coffee Bean, Bora Bora, Japanese restaurants, and Coco Nana nearby, so dining options are plentiful.
Overall, aside from the little mishap with the balcony door, everything else was satisfactory.
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