Hotel Review-Hydro Hotel-Penang Island Malaysia

Ive seen this hotel many years ago when it was named Hydro Majestic Hotel. And since then i promised to myself that i will stay there one day whenever i come to Penang Island. For me it looked so grand standing on the hill overlooking the beach, and true to its previous name....looks "majestic".

Fast forward to the current time, maybe almost 10-15 years since my last encounter with this hotel, i finally got the chance to stay therein moreover i got a fabulous hotel deals from Agoda at the rate of RM 160++ plus breakfast for two.

As it was just a short holiday during the weekend..and my need to have an excursion out of the city, i drove out of the city on Friday evening, after work, for 3.5 hours drive to Penang. Penang is an island state to the north of Kuala Lumpur. It comprised of Seberang Perai, the area within the Peninsular Malaysia mainland and Georgetown, or the island part of the state, connected via the Penang Bridge to the mainland. There are also ferry services connecting the mainland and the island. You may get more info on Penang on this website http://www.tourismpenang.net.my/

We arrived at the hotel around 11pm, the reception area was deserted at that time. But i really love the personal reception desk with proper seating, whereby you''ll be attended personally by the receptionist and your check-in process is done while you're comfortably seated, not standing as in other hotels. As stated earlier, my first impression of the hotel was that i could see the design was of years ago, maybe dated back to the 80's, with sharp vertical cuts of the walls, pillars and ceilings. You will also see those small tilings that were so prominently used during the 80's. Anyway these dated designs surprisingly gave a breath of fresh feeling as they were no longer used in modern designs of new hotels and its originality can easily surpassed those "created" retro looks that some new hotels are trying to portray.

The images below will give you some insight of the lobby area, these pictures were taken the following morning. Notice the retro lamp which i believe have been retained for use since the beginning of this hotel. The lobby is spacious in a simple rectangular area.

On to the room, though originally booked for Standard Room, we were later upgraded to Deluxe room, which comes with a balcony overlooking the sea. The room is spacious. The bed was actually two single beds combined into one, each of this bed was big enough for two people i believe. Even in the room you can see the 80's simple and clean influence in its design and the furnishings of the room. Maybe the carpet had been replaced, but the bed, the single seater, the standing lamp, cupboard and even the fridge were obviously from the past. Not to mention the tv as it was not LCD, but they do have satellite channel here.

 

The bathroom was clean and simple. Mediumly sized, it was equipped with bath tub and shower. Toilet amenities were nothing to shout about, the usuals of shampoo, soap, shower gels.

 Now to the best feature of the room, the balcony. Due to the strategic location of the hotel which was built on the hill side, you will get stunning views of the sea and the hill from here. I can even spend my whole day just sipping coffee and enjoying the seaview and the sunset from this balcony.

Another unique and wonderful feature of this hotel is its "private beach," located across the main street and can be reached from the hotel safely by using the overhead pedestrian bridge, the entrance of which is located at the swimming pool area of the hotel.

i really love the private beach. it was clean and not crowded, just what i needed for my weekend getaway.....

 

i love to sit on the rocks by the beach and just watching the waves come splashing onto the beach...it was a relief to be there and to escape the hustle and bustle of the office............

The breakfast offerings were generous as they offered varieties of local and western dishes. Though our stay collided with the busy school holiday and the cafe was crowded with people, the hotel managed to ensure the foods were replenished and kept to sufficient amount to cater to the crowds. Further, i found the foods to be delicious as well. I really love its Nasi Lemak and it became my favourite dish for breakfast through out my stay here.

There were also a convenient store here (wherein i had a very wonderful chat with the owner, a wonderful lady who had been managing the store since the early days of the hotel), a game room (where you can buy tokens to play electronic games at the machines or play pool with your friends. Not to forget a wonderful swimming pool to take a splash. During our stay it was awfully crowded with children so we stayed away.

general views of the hotel...........

Ive fulfilled my childhood and teenage dreams by staying at this hotel but not that i foresee it would be a pleasant one and memorable too. I will definitely come back to this hotel for a short escape and relaxation out of my normal routine. As far as im concerned this hotel delivered the things that ive wanted for my weekend retreat, a comfortable stay, adequate facilities, good foods, fantastic location and scenery surrounding it and best of all a long stretched of well kept beach side at your perusal...minus the crowds of course-Kay2011

Rating out of 5: 3.5

Hydro Hotel Website: http://www.hydrohotelpenang.com/