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Monday 14 September 2015

Hotel Review: Evergreen Laurel Hotel, Penang




In August this year, I went to Penang on my own under #MyFascinatingPenang2015 blogging programme for 5 days and stayed at 4 different hotels. Two of them are chain hotels, i.e. St. Giles Wembley, Penang and Evergreen Laurel Hotel, Penang; while the other two are independent hotels, i.e. The Chambers Hotel and Ren i Tang Heritage Inn, Penang.

Below is my review of Evergreen Laurel Hotel following my overnight stay at the hotel.

1. The Hotel


Evergreen Laurel Hotel Penang is a 5* business hotel that is part of Taipei-based Evergreen International Hotels group. It has well over 300 rooms in an 18-storey building on Gurney Drive, which is a popular coastal road in the northern part of George Town.


1a. The Reception



The lobby is quite spacious with plenty of sofas for guests to use. I didn’t have any problem checking-in quickly as there was no other guest checking in at the same time. It’s probably because I was there earlier than the normal hotel check-in time. 


1b. The Room



I was assigned a Superior City View at the hotel, which comes with the city view of George Town. Another type of room at the hotel is Deluxe room, which offers a sea view instead of city view. The rooms however are essentially the same, except for the views. I was informed that the same concept and style applies to all hotels within the group so if you’ve stayed at one of their hotels, you’d know what to expect from other hotels within the group.

My room has plenty of space for luggage and stuff, and comes complete with two bedside tables, a work/dressing table, 2 sofas & a coffee table, and a wardrobe. Even with all these, there’s still space for an extra bed, if required. The room also has a tea/ coffee making facility, an LCD TV, a minibar, safety deposit box and a hairdryer. Iron & ironing board are also available.


A few cans of soft drinks in the minibar along with the usual bottled water are complimentary with the room. All guests are greeted with a fruit platter too upon checking into their room.

The mattress and bed are very comfortable. Linens and towels are okay. The bathroom (bathtub & shower) is not bad either in terms of size.


Overall, the room is well furnished like you’d expect of a 5* establishment. Although the hotel is essentially a business hotel, the room should be good for both business travellers and for a leisure stay.


1c. Breakfast 



Selection for porridge & noodles
Breakfast may or may not come with the room, depending on your booking. If it’s covered under the room (or if you’re paying separately), it is served at Café Laurel on the ground floor. The café however was still under renovation at the time of visit so I had my breakfast at Evergarden Chinese Restaurant on the first floor of the hotel. Breakfast buffet selection is quite good, with local, Asian and Western options available for choosing. The kway teow is quite good, in my opinion, I helped myself to a second serving. :)


1d. Internet Access


Internet access is available for free via Wi-Fi at the hotel. The password is given at time of check-in.


1e. Other Facilities



Evergreen Laurel Hotel has 2 swimming pools (1 adult and 1 for children), a gym, jacuzzi (hot & cool), sauna, steam room, massage, tennis courts, a Business Centre and a children playroom too.


As mentioned earlier, while the hotel is essentially a business hotel, it still caters for guests with families who are in Penang for a holiday. And in line with its status as a business hotel, it has a large ballroom to cater for any conferences, weddings, and large scale events.


2. Where to Eat


The hotel has three in-house restaurants, namely Café Laurel (International), Lobby Lounge (beverages only) and Evergarden Restaurant (Chinese). Evergarden, with its spacious dining area (seats 220 guests) and private rooms (the largest seats 18 guests) is a very popular Chinese restaurant in Penang, not only for its food but also because it’s halal-certified.

With the hotel location being on Gurney Drive, there are also plenty of restaurants & food courts along the road near the hotel. In addition to that, there are 2 shopping malls nearby, Gurney Paragon and Gurney Plaza, where more eatery options are available.


3. Getting Around


How to get there:
The best way to get to the hotel is probably by driving or taking a taxi. 

Interesting places nearby, if any:
The location of the hotel is a bit outside of the Core Heritage Zone. The central attraction of the location is basically the sea although it’s not a proper beach where you can go to have a swim. There are also 2 shopping malls nearby where you can do your shopping, have meals or catch a movie, among others.

To get elsewhere, it’s probably easiest to just take a taxi. There is a Hop On Hop Off Penang bus stop near Gurney Plaza but that’s probably around 15-20 minutes’ walk away.


4. Location




5. Further Information


Address:
53 Gurney Drive, 10250 George Town, Penang, Malaysia
Telephone:
+604-226 9988
Email:
elhpen@evergreen-hotels.com
Others:
Website | Facebook

Check in 2 p.m. / Check out 12 noon.



A Thank You & Disclosure Note

I would like to thank the organiser of My Fascinating Penang, My Amazing Malaysia, as well as the management of Evergreen Laurel Hotel for the arrangement to stay at the hotel. The stay was sponsored as part of My Fascinating Penang 2015 programme. The sponsorship however has in no way affected my review of the hotel.

Other official sponsors for the programme include the following: 
Hotels:
St. Giles Wembley, The Chambers Hotel, Ren i Tang Heritage Inn
Attractions:
Escape.My, Tropical Spice Garden, The Camera Museum, Made in Penang Interactive Museum
Transportation:
Hop On Hop Off Penang, Easybook.com



For all other blog entries on My Fascinating Penang, click here.

For more photos, please check out Ramble and Wander's Facebook page

13 comments:

Comments and feedback are always appreciated. So do leave one or two if you have the time. Thank you!

  1. Besides the kway teow, what else should we be expecting in the brekkie spread? :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ooer... nasi lemak, porridge, fried rice, all sorts of breads and buns, muffins. There are some Japanese fares too. Western, if I recall correctly, sausages, eggs, and... hmm... what else... haha! There's quite a variety in the spread actually, the buffet is spread over two rooms when breakfast was served in Evergarden Restaurant. I believe the new Cafe Laurel has now reopened so breakfast is served there.

      Delete
  2. Looks comfy! Looking forward to go to Penang, it's my next adventure!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Woot! Woot! Enjoy Penang! Do check out my post on Penang street art too if you're going on a street art hunt! :)

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  3. Looks like a lovely hotel too. The rooms look comfy and nice and so does the rest. fab option in Penang

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And the location is great too if you're in Penang for food. There are plenty of restaurants & at least a couple of hawker centres along the same beach road the hotel is on.
      :)

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  4. Penang has been on my list for quite sometime! I personally like the more rustic accommodations in those parts of the world, but a clean, comfy room can go a long way, too!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Luckily Penang has enough variety of hotels to choose from, including rustic accommodations. :) But you're right, a clean and comfy room certainly can go a long way, and a 5* stay every now and then wouldn't hurt either. ;)

      Delete
  5. This hotel looks great! That breakfast is quite the spread, the rooms look comfy, and you can get in a solid workout in their exercise room.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Their gym is totally something! They even have tennis courts in the building itself, on the same floor as the gym! And not to forget, steam room and saunas too, on top of the swimming pool! A great place to be if you decide to stay indoor for a day instead of out exploring the city.
      :)

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  6. The pool and the proximity to the beach would be enough for me to be happy :) Great pool photo.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Slightly old but still convenient for stay at Penang. Although the hotels decor is old but they are well maintained. Hotels location near with Gurney Paragon Mall and many shopping, dining, everything you need for your stay is nearby.

    Marlene
    Informative URL for Goshen NY Maid Service information

    ReplyDelete
  8. I wasn't expecting much after looking at the outside shot but the inside is gorgeous! That pool looks absolutely amazing! And I always love a hotel with a gym ;)

    ReplyDelete
 
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