Review: Hard Rock Hotel Penang

Wanna holiday like a rock star? Hard Rock Hotel Penang is a fun-filled beach holiday resort, where every guest is made to feel like a rock star throughout their stay.

Located along the popular Batu Ferringhi Beach in Penang, Hard Rock Hotel Penang was the first Hard Rock Hotel to open in Malaysia back in 2009. 2019 marks 10 awesome years of fun, cool vibes, and good times for this resort.

Donning our sunglasses, we made our grand entrance through the lobby and were ushered up to the Rock Royalty Lounge for a VIP check-in, like true rockstars. Sit back and enjoy your welcome drink and before you know it, you'll be signing your first autograph and heading off to your comfy abode.

Hard Rock Hotel Penang boasts 250 contemporary guest rooms, with a total of 11 room categories including the Lagoon Deluxe which offers direct access to the pool from your room and the luxurious Kings Suite, fit for the next King of Rock. For families with young children, the Roxity Kids Suite, designed with young rockstars in mind is ideal - kids get a trundle bed in the adjacent room, with awesome amenities such as their very own TV, Playstation 4, soft toys, kids books and a kids-focused mini-bar.

We stayed in the Rock Royalty Seaview Deluxe (35 sq m), which comfortably accommodated our family of four. The trendy, contemporary room, located on the highest floor of the hotel, comes with a plush king-sized bed and the hotel also arranged an extra rollaway bed for us. A large picture of John Lennon sits above the bed. The views from the balcony was pretty amazing, a combination of the stunning seaview as well as the poolside and the rest of the resort.

A sweet welcome from the team

The rooms also came equipped with a 50" LED TV, BOSE sound system and free in-room on demand HD blockbuster movies. The selection of movies were really good and pretty current, so we fully utilised this facility during rainy days.

In the bathroom, you will find a powerful rain shower along with VIP Rock Spa amenities and bathroom mirror that slide open to reveal a picture of the King of Rock. If you like witty puns, you'll have fun discovering them inside your room and around the resort (eg. "Sleep like a Rock" bedding).

For this room category, guests have special access to the Rock Royalty Lounge, a place for you to escape from the paparazzi. Treat yourself to a leisurely morning breakfast, afternoon tea as well as an evening of cocktails and canapes. Furthermore, guests can enjoy free flow soft drinks and beer here throughout the day. They also have a separate TV room, also with the on-demand movies, so this was a popular hangout place for the kids while the parents enjoyed cocktail hour and breakfast in peace. The balcony at the lounge is also a good place to overlook the resort or as we did, catch the beautiful sunset.

Large picture windows in the Rock Royalty Lounge, great for enjoying the seascape

Sunset from the lounge

Choose from the breakfast menu or help yourself to the mini buffet which includes pastries, nasi lemak, cheese and more.

Hard Rock Hotel Penang is home to the largest free-form swimming pool in northern Malaysia, with a sand pool, three water slides and underwater music. And when there's water slides, there's lots of fun to be had. Our kids literally spent hours going down the slides, over and over again. There are plenty of lounge chairs strategically placed around the landscaped pool or beach cabanas for rent if you prefer more privacy. There are also single and double tubes available for rent, if you want to stay afloat and chill in the pool.

Beautifully landscaped gardens

Private beach cabanas for rent

You can also access the beach from the hotel.

For fitness enthusiasts, there is a Body Rock® Gym, where you can work out on an extensive range of equipment with stunning poolside views.

Retune, Refresh & Re-energize with a massage treatment at the award-winning Rock Spa® in air-conditioned treatment rooms or outdoor private garden villas. Rock Spa offers a diverse selection of services such as massages, body scrubs, body wraps, facials, manicure and pedicure and they even have a wide selection of treatments for the young ones.

I had an incredible spa experience here during our stay; I chose the 1-hour Hard Rock Massage (RM190) and my therapist, Rosemary worked her magic and I walked out feeling renewed and rejuvenated. What I also loved was the ambiance; the warm sea breeze gently brushing against your face and body as you lay there enjoying a pampering session in one of the garden villas.

The private outdoor garden villa

Not to be missed during your stay is the complimentary Memorabilia Tour, conducted by their Master Rock Agent every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at 11am. You will be brought around the resort to discover some of the 500 pieces of authentic memorabilia and you can learn the interesting stories behind the legendary memorabilia that adorn the walls here.

While us parents went on the Memorabilia Tour, our kids were safely in the hands of the Roxity Kids Club, hanging out with other Roxstars. Suitable for children aged 4-12 years old, they will be guided through fun activities such as arts and crafts, hand painting and games. There are also a Tabu Teens Club to keep teenagers entertained (pool, foosball, Xbox), and Lil' Rockers Infants Club for the under 3s.

There are six F&B outlets in the hotel, including the world-famous Hard Rock Cafe, an all-day dining restaurant called Starz Diner, a Pizzeria by the poolside, Sand Bar directly next to the Pizzeria, The Shack swim-up pool bar and the Lobby Bar, which is part of the reception desk to get the party started straight away.

Located on the ground floor of the hotel, Hard Rock Cafe Penang underwent a month-long makeover in May this year and now sports an awesome new look, new vibes and new menu. The new menu features 24-Karat Gold Leaf Steak Burger™, Boozy Milkshakes, Buffalo Style-Sliders and more. Click here to read our detailed review.

The Pizzeria is a casual, relaxed spot in the hotel to grab a delicious Italian meal. The menu features an inviting array of appetizers, salads, wood-fired oven pizzas, soups, mains, pastas and desserts. Click here for our detailed review.

In the evenings, you can enjoy a 3-course dinner at Pizzeria, specially prepared by Executive Chef Rodrigo Benedicto and his team.

Grilled tiger prawns with potato risotto

Swim up to The Shack Bar to grab a refreshing mocktail or cocktail.

To commemorate your stay at one of the coolest hotels in Penang, pay a visit to the Rock Shop, featuring the latest and limited edition Penang-specific music collectibles such as Hard Rock branded tees, jackets, pins, bags, caps and more. 

We certainly had a rocking good family time here, thanks to the welcoming hospitality of the staff and the fantastic amenities that hotel has to offer. Rock on, baby!

Check out the latest room and dining offers here. Room rates start from RM340 per night. 

Location: Hard Rock Hotel Penang, Jalan Batu Ferringhi, 11100 George Town, Penang, Malaysia.

Tel: 04-8811 711

Website: https://penang.hardrockhotels.net/



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