Hotel Review: Gaya Island Resort, Sabah, Malaysia - Hotel in Malaysia Blog

<b>Hotel</b> Review: Gaya Island Resort, Sabah, <b>Malaysia</b> - Hotel in Malaysia Blog

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<b>Hotel</b> Review: Gaya Island Resort, Sabah, <b>Malaysia</b> Posted: 30 Sep 2014 01:38 AM PDT Gaya Island Resort, a luxury resort by YTL Hotels is located in Sabah within the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park just off the coast of Kota Kinabalu and the shores of Pulau Gaya. Beautiful sandy beaches and lush rainforest paired with luxurious accommodation and great hospitality makes Gaya Island Resort a wonderful holiday destination for all. Gaya Island Resort is ideal for families, couples or simply anyone looking for a memorable vacation. A few months back, we were here for a family getaway and we had a truly amazing time. My kids were so mesmerized by the whole experience and we definitely made many memories which we can fondly look back on in future. To get to Gaya Island Resort from Kuala Lumpur, you can either fly via Malaysia Airlines or Air Asia to  Kota Kinabalu International Resort. Private transfers via luxury sedan or MPV for families between Kota Kinabalu International Airport and Sutera Harbour Marina can be arranged. We were then escorted to the lounge and refreshed with a welcome treat (lovely sorbet) while being checked in to the resort. Then, it is another 10-15 minutes ride in a speedboat to the resort. Sutera Harbour Marina On the speedboat - towards Gaya Island Resort We were greeted by a natural sanctuary nestled in the hillside of an ancient rainforest with a stunning outline of Mount Kinabalu on the horizon. Breathtaking! There are a total of 121 villas and suites, set amidst lush greenery. The resort's architecture respects local Sabahan elements, by using local materials and blending harmoniously with the natural environment while villa interiors are designed with a contemporary elegance. We have arrived! There are 3 types of villas here - Bayu Villa, Canopy Villa and Kinabalu Villa, each offering a different view (either the mangrove, canopy, tropical rainforest and the South China Sea). There is also a 188square metre 2-bedroom Suria Suite. Luxurious, comfortable beds Large bath tub and two vanity units in each villa Mangosteen toiletries We stayed in the Kinabalu Villa, which has the best views in the resort of the South China Sea, and on a clear day, Mount Kinabalu can also be seen. The 47 square metre villa is luxuriously appointed and features a spacious bedroom, a writing desk, a safe box, a flat screen television with satellite channels, a large open bathroom with an oversized bathtub and two vanity units, and an outdoor verandah with day beds. There is complimentary wifi in the resort, however in the villas, connection may be temperamental. Outdoor verandah, perfect for chilling View from our room Our kids were very excited when they saw their beautiful room and the huge bathtub (which they spent hours in on rainy evenings!). We also love waking up early in the mornings (before 6am!) to catch the sunrise and on our last morning, we were rewarded with a view of Mount Kinabalu plus a beautiful sunrise. Beautiful sunrise As Gaya Island Resort is committed to minimise the carbon footprint within its environment, it is therefore a walking resort. From the resort lobby/beach front to our villa is a 10-minute leisurely walk.  There is a 40-metre lap pool with floating cabanas fronting the beach and a wading pool for the kids at Gaya Island Resort.  Every morning after breakfast, our kids would go down to the beach by the Feast Village and play in the sand or just run at the beach. So peaceful here! Do remember to bring your sunscreen and mosquito repellent. Pool Pretty girl by the pool Happy moments Beautiful, clean beaches Jump if you're happy! Other than the main beach, there is also another private beach at Tavajun Bay. This tranquil beach is a 5-minute boat ride from the resort. Lunch is available here from 12.00pm to 3.30pm or a picnic basket could be arranged. At Tavajun Bay you will also find the Gaya Island Resort Marine Centre which main goals are turtle rescue and rehabilitation, coral reef restoration and conservation through education. There is also a Library located between the Gymnasium and Feast Village and several relaxation chambers for those who want some quiet time. Board games are available at the library. There is also a kids play room as well as KuRi-KuRi (meaning 'play' in the local Bajau language) Kids Club whereby half day programmes are available to keep young adventurers occupied with activities and games designed to nurture creativity and educate on the natural surroundings.  In the resort, there are a myriad of dining selections. Feast Village offers breakfast, lunch and dinner, Pool Bar & Lounge offers a light bite for lunch as well as evening cocktails, and Fisherman's Cove serves fresh seafood for dinner (children under 16 not allowed). Feast Village Fisherman's Cove, serving fresh seafood with a view of the sea and Mount Kinabalu There are also a host of interesting and unique activities to experience the cultural heritage of the region such as snorkelling explorations, guided nature walks, The Borneo Culinary Journey and Singgah Singgarung. Singgah Singgarung showcases the traditional Borneo life,thorugh native arts, leaf-weaving, traditional bamboo dance as well as trying local snacks and a local rice wine called lihing. There is also a Spa Village at the resort, a unique spa hideaway set in the mangroves which offer treatments that reflect the cultural healing traditions of Sabah's indigeneous people.  Learning how to make local handicrafts from leaves Tribal games Guided nature walk Our green friend Daniel's first snorkelling experience With resident marine biologist, Scott Mayback who was also our snorkelling guide Kadazan Tribal Dinner, a private dining experience whereby we were treated to a tribal-style BBQ (moved indoors to Feast Village due to the rain) with live entertainment (Kadazan music, fire-eater and shooting with a blowpipe) Fresh seafood  The Borneo Culinary Journey - a fun cooking class which we thoroughly enjoyed Spa Village Gaya Island - for a pampering, relaxing experience Thank you to YTL Hotels for this wonderful experience. See other posts related to Gaya Island Resort here: Hello from Paradise! Gaya Island Marine Centre Feast Village Pool Bar & Lounge The Borneo Culinary Journey Spa Village Gaya Island Website: http://www.gayaislandresort.com/ Location: Gaya Island Resort, Malohom Bay, Pulau Gaya, Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park, 88000 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, East Malaysia. If you enjoyed reading my posts, LIKE me on Facebook! You can also follow me on Instagram (@babysumo) for more photo updates. Thanks :)

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Hotel Review: InterContinental Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur ... - Hotel in Malaysia Blog

<b>Hotel</b> Review: InterContinental Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur <b>...</b> - Hotel in Malaysia Blog

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• <b>Hotel</b> Review: InterContinental Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur <b>...</b>
• First World <b>Hotel</b> @ Genting Highlands, <b>Malaysia</b> - Always Travelicious
• Best Western International to Open First <b>Hotel</b> in Shah Alam, <b>Malaysia</b>

<b>Hotel</b> Review: InterContinental Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur <b>...</b> Posted: 24 Sep 2014 10:59 AM PDT I flew into Kuala Lumpur on Air Asia after spending a week on beaches around Krabi, Thailand and was looking forward to spending a few days in a larger city. After I made the initial reservation at the Intercontinental Kuala Lumpur, I was able to make a successful Best Rate Guarantee claim for my stay which was in a Grand Premier Room. IHG offers one of the most generous BRG programs, it offers a free first night if you find a lower rate on a site other than IHG.com. I've written before about the basics of how to find and get a free night with IHG and you can find the article here. Standard award nights at this hotel cost 30,000 points per night and the Grand Premier Room normally runs around $200+ per night. The InterContinental Kuala Lumpur ranks #18 out of 268 on Tripadvisor for best hotels in Kuala Lumpur. Location The Intercontinental Kuala Lumpur in ideally located within a 5-10 minutes walk of the Petronas Towers, a handful of shopping districts, and there is also a sky train stop within a few blocks to get you anywhere in the city. The location and the hotel itself definitely feels more oriented towards the business traveler, but you're also very close to all the main tourist sites in Kuala Lumpur and the location is ideal if you are just going to spend several days exploring the city. Petronas Towers Hotel exterior Entrance to the Intercontinental Kuala Lumpur Entrance The two nights prior, I had been staying in the Renaissance Kuala Lumpur which was just a 5 minute cab ride away. Upon arriving I was greeted by the door staff and pointed towards the IHG member check-in. The lobby was enormous and looked to be rather new and flashy. To the right as you enter you will find reception and to the left there is a bar, restaurant, and atrium garden on the lobby level. Lobby Reception desks  I was early for check-in so I was told that I could wait for an upgraded Executive Room without lounge access or take a Grand Premier room. It seems a little weird to consider it an upgrade to the Executive floor without lounge access as the rooms are pretty much the same as standard rooms (at most slightly larger), so I asked which room she preferred, in which the she said she preferred the Grand Premier because they were recently refurbished. The Club Lounge at the top of the hotel is undergoing renovations, but there is a temporary Club Lounge on the 2nd floor. There was some confusion because even though I agreed to take that room, we were told to wait until 2:00 pm for the room to be ready. Luckily the hotel was close to many sights, so we headed off to KLCC. After returning, I quickly got my key and headed up to the room on the 9th floor. Intercontinental Kuala Lumpur hallway Grand Premier Room Entryway Bathroom The room itself looked very new and the renovations made it feel fresh. Everything was light, clean, and nothing looked worn out.  All of the furniture fit nicely in the room and offered several options for places to sit and work including a glass desk and lounge chair. Bedroom and seating area It's nice that the renovations were from floor to ceiling and the design of the whole room felt integrated. I particularly liked the modern furniture that made the room feel open and spacious—and nothing took up more space than necessary. King bed TV and work area with desk The view from the room was quite bad, and didn't offer anything to look at thanks to a large construction site—it was actually almost better to keep the blinds shut. This is a stark contrast to most high end hotels in Kuala Lumpur that offer views of the Petronas Towers from at least one side of the hotel. Less than stunning view Small mini bar selection Of course there was an overpriced mini bar that offered beers 7x the price of walking down the street to a 7-11. More mini bar Safe and closet There was only a small safe in the closet, as well as a iron and other closet amenities. Bathroom sink The bathroom was very clean and light with natural stone and granite counters. It had both a walk-in shower and a separate bathtub on the far side of each other. The one part I did not like is that the toilet was not separated and yet the whole bathroom shared a glass window with the bedroom, so if you want privacy you have to shut the blinds over the tub. Shower Toilet and mirror Bathroom amenities The amenities were from Agraria and from what I've found that line of product to be the standard across most InterContinentals in Southeast Asia. Nice, but nothing too special in my opinion. Window between bathroom and bedroom Breakfast Breakfast is offered at Serena Brasserie, which is the hotel's main restaurant located on the lobby level. The dining area is quite large and offers both inside seating and also a small outside seating area next to an Asian inspired garden. InterContinental Kuala Lumpur breakfast InterContinental Kuala Lumpur breakfast Outside seating Small garden area InterContinental Kuala Lumpur breakfast  InterContinental Kuala Lumpur breakfast In general the breakfast spread was great and fresh, and on par with other InterContinentals within Asia offering a variety of foods—both western and Asian. The fresh fruit and juice bar was particularly nice and had a great selection. Baked goods were delicious and featured some regional coconut based sweets. InterContinental Kuala Lumpur breakfast InterContinental Kuala Lumpur breakfast InterContinental Kuala Lumpur breakfast InterContinental Kuala Lumpur breakfast InterContinental Kuala Lumpur breakfast InterContinental Kuala Lumpur breakfast  InterContinental Kuala Lumpur breakfast InterContinental Kuala Lumpur breakfast The choices varied from western dishes, cereals, fresh fruits, and a variety of Asian breakfast dishes. InterContinental Kuala Lumpur breakfast  InterContinental Kuala Lumpur breakfast InterContinental Kuala Lumpur breakfast InterContinental Kuala Lumpur breakfast The Pool and Gym The InterContinental Kuala Lumpur has a small gym that wasn't too impressive, but it did have several tread mills and free weights for a quick work out. The pool featured a nice garden area which surrounds the pool area with trees and even though the temperature in Kuala Lumpur is hot, the water was too cold for comfort. Pool Poolside Pool Gym The Bottom Line on the InterContinental Kuala Lumpur My stay at the InterContinental was only for one night using IHG's Best Rate Guarantee for a free night. Overall the property is in a great location and as a whole seems in very good condition and is new. I really liked the the newly refurbished Grand Premier room and I would love to see the Club Lounge as soon as it is done with its renovation. One of the drawbacks of the property at this price point is that none of the rooms have views of the Petronas, but you are within a 10 minute walk. ✈ If you enjoyed this post, sign-up to receive blog posts via email (max of 1 email per day) or like us on Facebook! And as always feel free to ask questions in the comments below or email me.

First World <b>Hotel</b> @ Genting Highlands, <b>Malaysia</b> - Always Travelicious Posted: 19 Sep 2014 10:11 PM PDT The First World Hotel has an impressive 6118 rooms, which makes it the world's  largest hotel in the period of 2005 – 2007 and it is listed in the Guinness World Records.  If you are visiting Genting Highlands, there are high chances that you will be staying in this hotel because the other two hotels Genting Highlands and Maxims are reserved for high rollers.     First World Hotel is at present the world's fourth largest hotel where the check in process is no joke with more than 30 check in counters. On top of that, there are many self service check in kiosks beside it.  We were there on the weekend of 31st August and the lobby was like a market, full of people waiting to check in. If you are waiting too long while checking in, take a stroll at the the rain forest hall with conical Chinese lanterns next to the lobby. The room is basic and quite tiny it reminded me of the hotel that we stayed in Japan, but then I guess if you are in Genting, you probably won't be spending too much time in the room.  There is no aircon so you'll have to make good use of Genting's cool weather by opening the windows.  The price was RM 400 plus per night (peak season). Plain bathroom. Have fun at Genting – be it shopping, casino, food hunting, shows, and theme parks.  Below are a few photos of the indoor theme park :) More Info First World Hotel Official Website Address :  Genting Highlands Resort, 69000 Genting Highlands, Pahang, Malaysia Like this: Like Loading... Related

Best Western International to Open First <b>Hotel</b> in Shah Alam, <b>Malaysia</b> Posted: 13 Aug 2014 05:03 PM PDT       August 13, 2014 18:48 ET | Source: Best Western BANGKOK, Aug. 13, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via PRWEB - Best Western International will arrive in yet another fast-growing Malaysian city later this year, with the launch of its first hotel in Shah Alam. Strategically located in the heart of this up-and-coming city, BEST WESTERN i-City Shah Alam will be a modern midscale hotel, offering optimum comfort, convenience and connectivity for both business and leisure travelers. "As the capital of the state of Selangor, Shah Alam is a key economic hub in Malaysia. Located just 25km from Kuala Lumpur and 30km from KLIA, the city is at the heart of the country's development, and provides an ideal setting for Best Western's new generation of contemporary hotels," said Glenn de Souza, Best Western International's Vice President of International Operations for Asia & Middle East. "I am delighted to be able to introduce the BEST WESTERN i-City Shah Alam, bringing our famous international standards to yet another exciting city of Malaysia," he added. Scheduled to open in the fourth quarter of 2014, BEST WESTERN i-City Shah Alam will combine modern design and amenities with the traditions of service excellence for which both Malaysia and Best Western are famous. The hotel will feature a total of 216 contemporary guest rooms and suites, all equipped with such modern amenities as 32-inch LCD televisions, minibars, working desks and tea and coffee making facilities. And as with all Best Western hotels worldwide, high-speed Wi-Fi is complimentary. Guests will be able to sample local and international dishes at the hotel's Coffee House restaurant, while the corporate market is well catered-for with a choice of three meeting rooms, able to handle up to 120 delegates. "Malaysia is an incredibly exciting market for Best Western International. With four hotels already open in the country and a further ten in the pipeline, we look forward to serving the needs of ever more Malaysian and international guests in future," Mr. de Souza concluded. BEST WESTERN i-City Shah Alam will join Best Western International's existing collection of midscale and luxury hotels in Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh, Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan. Currently, Best Western has a portfolio of more than 200 hotels across Asia. And the company expects to increase its regional collection to 300 properties in the next few years. Best Western first launched in Asia & the Middle East in 2001 and now covers 27* countries in the region. For more information on global development opportunities with Best Western International, please visit bestwesterndevelopers.com. To learn more about a specific hotel or discover other Best Western hotels across the world, visit http://www.bestwestern.com. About Best Western International, Inc. Best Western International, Inc., headquartered in Phoenix, Ariz., is a privately held hotel brand made up of more than 4,000* BEST WESTERN®, BEST WESTERN PLUS®, BEST WESTERN PREMIER® hotels in more than 100* countries and territories worldwide. Now celebrating 68 years of hospitality, Best Western welcomes hundreds of thousands of guests nightly. Best Western provides its hoteliers with global operational, sales, marketing and promotional support, and online and mobile booking capabilities. More than 20 million travelers are members of the brand's award-winning loyalty program Best Western Rewards®, one of the few programs in which members earn points that never expire and can be redeemed at any Best Western hotel worldwide. The brand's partnerships with AAA/CAA, and Harley-Davidson® provide travelers with exciting ways to interact with the brand. In 2013, Best Western earned our highest level of brand recognition, including our fifth AAA/CAA Hotel Partner of the Year award, third Compuware Best of the Web Gold award, fourth No. 1 ranking in Brand Keys Consumer Loyalty Engagement Index for midscale hotels and seventh TTG Asia Best Mid-range Hotel Brand. Forty-one percent of Best Western hotels worldwide won TripAdvisor Certificates of Excellence for customer satisfaction. For more information or to make a reservation, please visit http://www.bestwestern.com. *Numbers are approximate and may fluctuate. This article was originally distributed on PRWeb. For the original version including any supplementary images or video, visit http://www.prweb.com/releases/2014/08/prweb12094615.htm Best Western International, Inc. Laura Cherry +1 (602) 957-5668 Related Articles other press releases by Best Western

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