Shangri-La Rasa Sayang, Penang

The environment is very comfortable, making it a top choice for a vacation. The hotel's food is also excellent, with a wide variety of authentic options.

We arrived at the hotel at 3 PM, but our room wasn't ready yet. Fortunately, it coincided with the complimentary afternoon tea, so we enjoyed some snacks while waiting. We had booked an Executive Suite, but the hotel kindly upgraded us to a Deluxe Suite. Overall, we had a wonderful stay—while the facilities are a bit dated, they have everything you need, and the service was great. The public areas are even more beautiful; although the beach is practically non-existent, the magnificent large trees were so peaceful and restorative. Breakfast was also very good, with plenty of local specialties.

The hotel's public areas are quite good, much better than Parkroyal. It felt very clean walking around inside, especially compared to the dusty streets outside, it was definitely a pleasant contrast. However, by the time I arrived to check in, it was already 3:40 PM. After completing the check-in process, the South Asian front desk attendant said there were no rooms available and I'd have to wait. When I asked how long, he couldn't give a clear answer, and when I asked if it could be done within half an hour, he still said he wasn't sure. I pointed out that the check-in time was 3 PM and not having a room was unreasonable. There was no apology or offer of compensation either. They just directed me to the lounge, where there were some small pastries and desserts (very limited selection), and they didn't even pour a glass of water. My flight was delayed by an hour, and then the Grab ride took another five or six hours, so I was extremely tired. Not being able to check in was really infuriating. While walking around the public area, I suddenly thought of contacting the platform's customer service. The customer service representative understood the situation and immediately helped resolve it. Less than two minutes after I returned to the lounge from contacting customer service, the front desk informed me that a room was available. Thank you, Trip.com customer service representative! Still, I'm quite speechless about the hotel's conduct. Moreover, when we entered, there was another pair of Chinese ladies waiting there, and when we left, it seemed they still hadn't been attended to. (I wonder if it's just a coincidence that only Chinese guests were made to wait, or if it was intentional.)

An exceptional hotel with five-star facilities that are extremely well-maintained. Bottled water is provided, and there is a large lawn that is great for taking photos. Just a few minutes' walk from the hotel, you'll find local food stalls offering reasonable prices and great flavors—definitely worth a try.

The two hotels, Sands and Sayang, are connected, so you can access both. The breakfast was good, and outside the breakfast area, there were some unique local dishes and coffee. The staff were also quite friendly. You can get towels by giving your room number at the poolside, and there are free balls for kids to play with. It's a 15-minute walk along the beach to Borabora to watch the fire show.

This is an older hotel, but it's very clean, with daily housekeeping. The staff are all very friendly and greet you when you pass by. Basic facilities are all available. The breakfast offers local specialties, including sushi, but I felt there were quite a lot of curry-flavored dishes. The hotel has a main swimming pool which is very comfortable, with beautiful tree views, and it's always being cleaned.

Overall, it was pretty good. I absolutely loved the big tree in the common area 🌳 – it really gave the entire hotel a soul and I could feel so much positive energy from it! I took so many photos there.

Location: It's quite far from the city center. It takes at least 30 minutes or more to go anywhere, and getting to the airport takes well over an hour. Facilities: Some facilities actually need to be shared with the adjacent Shangri-La hotel. We mainly used the tennis courts; there are two courts, and guests can use them for free. However, the courts are very sandy—they're supposed to be artificial turf, but they feel more like dirt courts. Service:

The staff were incredibly friendly, the room was well-equipped, and the breakfast offered a great variety of dishes. The hotel itself was surrounded by lush greenery, making it feel very cool and refreshing. The night view, once the lights came on, was absolutely beautiful, creating a warm and charming atmosphere.