Our car ride from Bao Sheng Durian Farm to G Hotel Kelawai took about an hour so we arrived at the hotel just before 12 noon. The moment our car came to a stop at the entrance, the bell-boy on duty immediately took our suitcase out from the car boot.
We approached the front desk at ground level where we showed the staff our passports. They then ushered us to the 24th floor for a private check-in at the Executive Lounge as we had booked the Executive Room. Top-notch service.?
G Hotel Gurney • G Hotel Kelawai
There are actually two G Hotels in Penang – G Hotel Gurney and G Hotel Kelawai. Both hotels are located in the same area, within a short walking distance from each other. We chose to stay at G Hotel Kelawai as it looked more hip and trendy. It’s also a newer hotel compared to G Hotel Gurney.
One advantage of staying at either hotel is that they allow cross usage of both hotels’ facilities.
Convenient location
Location of G Hotel Kelawai is excellent. It’s close to Gurney Plaza, Gurney Paragon, Gurney Drive Food Centre and Pulau Tikus Market with lots of shopping, dining and entertainment options in the area. It’s only a 10-minute taxi ride away from the city centre / CBD.
Tasteful & stylish interior
The hotel boasts a combination of modern and minimalist design. Lots of dark tones with different shades of wood.
Personalized check-in at the Executive Lounge
The whole check-in process was a breeze. We only had to provide our passports to the staff who would then do the needful while we sat back on plush cushion seats and enjoyed some welcome ice cream or rather ‘eyes scream’, lol.
Rooftop infinity pool with a panoramic view of Penang
Just outside the Executive Lounge is this rooftop infinity pool with a breathtaking view of forested hills and a sea of clouds.
And just beside the pool is Gravity rooftop bar which is open from 5.00pm to 1.00am daily.
Spectacular 360° view of Penang
We could get a 360° view of Penang while being on the top of the hotel including…
…a lovely sea view! Would have been perfect if the view wasn’t blocked by the condos.
Executive room benefits
We booked the Executive Room for 2 nights, which included the following benefits:
- Exclusive use of the Executive Lounge from 6.30am to 10.00pm daily
- Evening cocktails at the Executive Lounge from 6.00pm – 8.00pm
- Welcome ice-cream at the Executive Lounge upon arrival
- Personalized check-in and check-out at the Executive Lounge
- Buffet breakfast available from 6.30am to 11.00am
- Complimentary shoe shine service
- Complimentary local city calls
- Complimentary call forwarding service
- Complimentary usage of VCD / DVD players
On top of the above and as part of our room package, we also had:
- Complimentary minibar (replenished daily)
- Free WiFi
Room tour
Our suitcase was promptly sent up to our room. Let’s now take a look at their Executive Room.
Bathroom
All Grohe fittings. No bath tub, just normal shower and rain shower. Water pressure and temperature – all good.
Bath toiletries were of an Australian brand, Appelles Apothecary & Lab. There were skin lotion, hand & body wash, shampoo, conditioner and bar soap. Toothbrushes, toothpaste, cotton buds & pads, and shower caps were also provided.
✓ Bath robes ✓ Slippers ✓ Ironing board + iron ✓ Plenty of space to hang up clothes
What’s in the room?
The complimentary minibar consisted of 4 canned drinks, M&Ms and KitKat. These would be replenished daily.
Capsule coffee machine, kettle, bottled drinking water, instant coffee sachets (regular & decaf), instant Milo sachets and tea bags were available as well.
The safe was next to the mini fridge. Big enough for a 15″ laptop.
Bedroom
The whole Executive room was approx. 36sqm in size, which was relatively big and spacious. Floor was carpeted. Overall, very clean and well-maintained.
King size bed. Serta Royal Platinum mattress. Good support. Pretty comfy.
Herman Miller work chair with ergonomic design. Comfy to sit on while working on laptop.
55” Smart HD LED TV. Can access YouTube and internet. Too bad no movie channels. The closest we could get was AXN. Basically, just Bloomberg, BBC World, Nickelodeon, Nat Geo Wild, Diva, some Australian one, 2 sports channels and local channels.
Ooh, I always love pillow menu, lol. We got the latex and microfiber pillows. So comfy to sleep on and to hug, lol.
Hairdryer was provided in one of the drawers.
We were also given a box of snacks/confections. Such a thoughtful gesture!
24-hour gym
Evening cocktails and canapés at the Executive Lounge
Enjoyed the evening cocktail hour at the lounge where alcoholic drinks, soft drinks, juices, light bites and canapes were served.
Yes, everything was free-flow so you can just drink to your heart’s content.
Good variety of food that included cold cuts, cheeses, hors d’oeuvres, hot dishes, desserts and fruits. Everything just made up a satisfying meal. Didn’t even need dinner after that.
At the same time, we could enjoy the stunning night view of Penang.
Breakfast buffet at Spoon
Huge breakfast spread consisting of the regular American breakfast fare, local delights, Asian selections, pastries and sweets. There were also live stations for roti canai, roti jala, eggs and noodle soup.
Overall taste and variety were not bad. I actually enjoyed the Western sweets/carbs more than the savouries – like the pastries, cakes, chocolate fondue (so indulgent!) and pancakes. Maybe because we had eaten too much during this Penang trip so it was quite refreshing to have a change of flavours.
Breakfast at the Executive Lounge
We also headed to the Executive Lounge just to see what was served at breakfast. The spread was much smaller but still pretty decent. The lounge wasn’t as busy and noisy as Spoon so if you prefer having breakfast in peace, this place would be more ideal.
Here, you could also request for eggs to be cooked in your preferred style.
I got hooked onto my self-made concoctions of San Pellegrino sparkling water and juices, lol. Something I would make for myself whenever I came by the lounge.
Final thoughts
We were extremely pleased with the service of the hotel staff. They never failed to greet us with a smile. Wherever we were in the hotel, we were always treated like distinguished guests.
When we mentioned that our departure flight home was in the late afternoon, we were immediately given a complimentary late checkout even without us requesting for it. The staff truly managed our needs competently and were very thoughtful and attentive throughout our entire stay.
All in all, we had a very pleasant stay at G Hotel Kelawai and will definitely stay here again if we’re back in Penang.
Check-out at 12pm