I have faxed to Equatorial hotel my credit card details to confirm a room for tonight. The price is RM295++ with RM100 credit for food and beverages. This is a 5-star hotel near the air port and is popular amongst executives with business dealings in factories in Bayan Lepas. I have dined and had buffet dinner before in Equatorial Hotel but never stayed there. This is a good opportunity to experience the room ambience just before Chinese New Year.

The air seems to smell of money and ang pows during the Chinese New Year season. And there will be lots of hampers, promotions, deals during this festive season. Also, I shall be going to Haadyai to avoid nosy relatives during Chinese New Year from 7th to 9th February. A van will come to my house and pick us up (me, my youngest sister and parents) and bring us to Lee Garden Hotel in Haadyai. My youngest sister booked online for the hotel while my father arranged for the transport to Haadyai. Wish me journey mercies.

Tags : Equatorial Hotel, Lee Garden Hotel, Haadyai, Chinese New Year

The weekend has arrived finally and last week I stayed in G Hotel beside Gurney Plaza. Today I have already booked and reserved 1 night in ParkRoyal hotel in Batu Feringghi. The room rate was supposed to be RM370++ but with the coupon posted in the letter box, we only pay RM270++ with buffet breakfast. And the promotion is valid from 1st January 2008 till 31st March 2008. Right now I am recharging my camera batteries that conked off on me last night while I was in Queensbay Mall. The Chinese New Year decoration was beautifully done and I had wanted to take some snap shots but my batteries went flat on me. Next time.

Last weekend, I checked into G Hotel beside Gurney Plaza at 3pm on a Saturday. I could actually check in at 2:00pm but my friend was still busy with his work. Below is the photo taken from my room showing the super condominium Regency on the left and Gurney Park condominium on the right. The swimming pool decked with palm trees belong to Regency while further on the top right side is the swimming pool of Gurney Park. Don’t they look stunning? Now I feel like going for a swim.

This is the bathroom and the sink of G hotel. They used red seeds or known as ‘biji saga’ which grows abundantly in Malaysia for interior decoration. Ok, the colors of the hotel theme are brown, beige and red. I used to collect a lot of these red seeds in Dalat International School and last time in Gurney Drive before the upgrading.

I took this photo in the lobby of the hotel. It is different from other olders hotels which have big flower vase and hanging chandelier. Here, the ambience is more romantic, lights dimmed down and plenty of sofa sets for you to lie flat on your back. The platform is wooden with lights surrounding it.

The charge per night is 255++ and after taxes and service charge, the total amount came to almost RM300 for 1 night of stay. May be a bit on the pricey side for most people but once in a while, it is ok to splurge. You can be sure, I will not be staying here every weekend, but I love to try different hotels and experience the settings.

Below is the list of hotels that I have stayed so far in Penang.
1) G-Hotel
2) Gurney Hotel
3) Northern Suite Hotel
4) Cititel Hotel
5) City Bayview Hotel
6) Traders Hotel
7) Red Rock Hotel
Sunway Hotel
9) Vistana Hotel
10) Hydro Majestic Hotel
11) Naza Hotel
12) Berjaya Hotel
13) Penang Hill Hotel
14) Pulau Jerejak Apartments
15) Cruise to no where, 1 night
16) Dorset Hotel

Today is the last day for the year 2007. It brings many happy memories for me in terms of making money and as well as some tragic news like the unlikely assasination of Benazir Bhutto on 27th Dec. She died a martyr. She was full of confidence and victory in the election just minutes before her death by a suicide bomber in Rawalpindi. There is just no explanation to all these terrorists acts.

Also today, I just came back from RHB Bank in Jalan Teh Ewe Lim, near my house. I managed to cash out RM367.59 from my Google Adsense via Western Union for the first time after one and a half years. The bank exchange rate was 3.30 today in RHB. And this month alone, I watched a few movies too like Alvin and the Chipmunks, National Treasure and Golden Compass. As I have promised in my previous post, here are the many photos taken in Genting Highlands during my trip from 21st to 23rd of December.

Genting’s very own Statue of Liberty in First World Plaza.

Stage in First World Plaza in preparation for Christmas.

Giant Santa Claus.

Santa Claus sitting on a bench in maroon velvet costume.

Genting Walk in brightly lit neon lights.

Many decorations and items for sale in Genting Highlands.

Eiffel Tower in Genting Highlands. This was taken in First World Plaza, the happening place to be in Genting where most attractions and fun rides are abound everywhere.

Christmas decorations and water fountain outside Genting Hotel.

Chrysanthemum flowers grow abundantly outside Genting Hotel.

First World hotel, the largest hotel in the world with 6118 rooms. This was where we stayed.

Escalator decorated with pots of geniune poinsettias and christmas trees.

The two elephants remind me of my recent trip to Bangkok and Pattaya. They are part of the interior decoration of Genting Hotel where we roamed about.

This is one of the entrance to a casino. We were not allowed to go in as I was holding a camera in my hand while my boyfriend was holding newspapers. Since we don’t gamble, we did not attempt to go in again and instead enjoyed the cool mountain air in our room.

Christmas House.

Happy New Year 2008 to all and Good Bye 2007. Let’s hope 2008 will be another year full of excitement, enjoyment, food, travels and making more money.

On Saturday, I stayed in Vistana Hotel with my boyfriend for the weekend. Then we headed straight to Max Gourmet, opposite Queensbay Mall for Tim Sum dinner. The place was crowded with diners as usual from breakfast to dinnner. It is opened from 9:00am to 9:00pm everyday and close on Mondays. I had 2 sets of ‘har kau’, deep fried prawn dumpling in soya bean skin, almond balls, and boiled ginseng with water chestnut drink. I have stayed in Vistana many times before and they offer 4 soft white pillows for a king size bed. I just love this hotel for its comfort but the breakfast buffet was not so attractive and we have to queue up for limited tables and chairs. The selections were very few and not too good. Other than that, the overall stay was perfect.

This is one of my collection of photos taken from a trip to Port Dickson not too long ago. It is a resort that we visited for site inspection and I took the opportunity to snap some shots for posterity.

Here is another shot from the poolside view. See the turquoise swimming pool that is so inviting.

My Guess handbag carried by my boyfriend. I quietly snap this photo while he was checking on his new Nokia handphone for sms.

Green green grass and well kept lawn of the hotel. It leads to the beach with lots of pebbles.

Two young kids playing by the beach with their spades and pails. Their mum and a maid was nearby watching out for them.

Another view of the beach in Port Dickson.

Last night, I stayed in Vistana Hotel in Bayan Baru for the weekend. The rate was RM195 per night without breakfast which I thought was expensive. But due to the locality, it is near the Bayan Lepas free trade zone where expatriates fly in to stay overnight and visit the Multinational companies nearby. Between Traders Hotel in town and Vistana Hotel, the latter has better view of the housing estate nearby and Bukit Jambul Shopping Complex. Looks like we are paying more for convenience than the facilities.

Yesterday, I called up telekoms for the number to Vistana Hotel and promptly called them as soon as I got the telephone number to book a room for two tonight. The booking has been confirmed. The rate was RM195 without breakfast. Vistana Hotel in Bayan Lepas has the same management as Traders Hotel (Formerly Shangrila Hotel) near KOMTAR. These hotels are catered more to guests on business trips. Now comes my weekend stay in a local hotel with my boyfriend of 4 and a half years.