Staying at PARKROYAL Penang Resort in Malaysia
We recently spent an incredible week in Penang, Malaysia, with 3 nights at the incredible PARKROYAL Penang Resort in Batu Ferringhi. It turned out to be the most relaxing part of our family holiday in Malaysia. Our days were spent by the pool, with the kids fitting in as many times on the waterslides as possible. They loved getting creative in the kids club, the huge buffet breakfast and always having a beautiful room to come back to. We loved that we didn’t feel like we had to plan out every day, because there was always something happening at the resort to keep us and our kids entertained.
Disclosure: Our stay at PARKROYAL Penang Resort was hosted by the resort. All opinions and experiences shared in this post are my own.
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Is Parkroyal Penang good for families?
As we’ve stayed in multiple resorts around SE Asia, we personally found Parkroyal to be very family-friendly. The highlights were definitely the Amazonia Water Playground and the two waterslides. Though, the kids also loved the kids club and the access to the Nintendo switch located there. The breakfast buffet was a huge hit! The selection was huge, with plenty of Western and Malaysian options alongside several other cuisines.
One thing I personally loved as a parent was the fact that the resort isn’t huge! If you forgot something in your room when heading to the pool, it didn’t feel like a 10 minute journey to go retrieve one item.
The Room
We stayed in the Deluxe Family Room which had plenty of space for our family of five. Our older two slept on the fold out couch and our youngest slept in the portable cot provided by the resort. If you’re traveling with slightly older children you might want to consider booking adjoining rooms or a Premier Family Room for additional space.
The entire room was beautiful. The bathroom was huge and the balcony overlooked the incredible gardens and out to the ocean. We found there was enough space for our luggage (although we did travel quite light). But, if you have a lot of luggage, there are cupboards that you can unpack your essentials into. This would save having open suitcases sprawled across the room.
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The Facilities & Activities
The fact that this resort isn’t huge means that there aren’t an overwhelming number of facilities to choose from. However, the facilities they do have are definitely family-friendly and are all done very well! While we didn’t experience every facility on offer, this is our personal review of the ones we did.
The additional facilities that we didn’t experience include the St Gregory’s Spa, Steam Room & Jacuzzi and the Fitness Centre.
Two Swimming Pools & Waterslides
With the exceptionally warm Malaysian weather, two swimming pool options is so nice to have! We spent the majority of our time in the second pool as it is the one with the waterslides. Both were incredibly fun, and used in excess by all three of our kids – even our 2 year old. While the enclosed slide is reserved for single riders, the open red & white slide allowed our little one to ride on our lap (which she absolutely loved!)
The first pool (closest to the lobby) often had less kids in it during the day, making it a more relaxing option for guests without kids. We noticed that between 5 – 8pm (when the second pool was closed) that this pool was absolutely packed with families going for a late afternoon/ evening swim.
Just a note on the waterslides and swimming pools, they do close them if there is any thunderstorms in the area for safety reasons.
Amazonia Kids Club
The Amazonia Kids Club offers so many fun activities and crafts for kids every day of the week. If you’re planning a stay here make sure to check out their current schedule to see if there is anything your kids would love to do. Once you are checked into your room, it is recommended that you book any activities they would love to do.
Now this is the part where I’ll get a little critical. We found that while the staff in the kids club were amazing and the activities were so much fun for the kids, overall it felt a little rundown. The outdoor playground was too hot for the kids to play on (they couldn’t go down the slide as it was too hot to touch) and the indoor playground was essentially closed off.
Our oldest did thoroughly enjoy playing Mario Kart against some other kids on the Nintendo Switch though! And our younger two loved the huge building blocks and playhouse.
Amazonia Splash
We found that the Amazonia Splash pad was a little bit of a hidden gem at Parkroyal Penang. If you didn’t know it was there, I’m not sure many people would find it! If you’re looking for it, it is located just to the right of the stairs up to the waterslides.
The water playground is a lot of fun for the kids to run around in, with multiple tipping buckets, and water spraying from every direction. Just from a mum perspective, the ground is quite rough – which is great to prevent slips. But, if a fall does happen it is likely to result in a decent injury. Not a reason to avoid – but just something to be aware of if you have any accident prone toddlers (like us).
Garden Nature Tour
One of the free experiences offered by Parkroyal Penang is the Garden Nature Tour. We took the tour on our first morning at the resort and we had an even better time than we expected! Our guide was so knowledgeable about all the plants, and made the experience super engaging for us and our kids too. Unfortunately it started raining during the tour, but we were able to wait out the rain and complete it.
Afternoon Tea
Parkroyal Penang Resort serves Afternoon Tea in the Javana Lounge daily, from 2:00-5:00pm. While this is an additional cost, we found it to be a great way to keep the kids hunger at bay until dinner time. There was a huge selection of food, and games to keep the kids entertained.
The Beach
One of the best things about Parkroyal Penang is that it is located right on the beach. Which means, stunning views over the ocean, incredible sunsets and lots of fun water activities for older kids. However, we found that the beach wasn’t great for swimming as the water looked quite murky and uninviting. But maybe we’re just fussy because we have so many incredible beaches here in Australia, and our kids preferred swimming in the pool anyways.
The Food
All the food we ate at Parkroyal Penang was fantastic. However, it is worth noting that you should expect to be paying resort prices. If you’re on a budget, make sure you have the buffet breakfast included in your nightly rate. Then, you can enjoy a big brekky and find more affordable places outside of the resort for your other meals.
The Buffet Breakfast
One of the highlights of any resort stay is the buffet breakfast. The buffet breakfast at Parkroyal Penang did not disappoint! The selection was huge, with a good mix of Western, Malaysian and other cuisines. They also brought in different specialty items each day of the week, which meant there was always something new to try. Although, I don’t know how one person could possibly try all the food here anyways!
The highlight of the buffet breakfast, for me, was the Roti Canai, a classic Malay breakfast and absolutely delicious. It was so cool to watch them cook the roti fresh! Recommend giving it a try, even if you normally prefer a Western brekky.
Gustoso by the Beach
If you’re looking to enjoy a dinner at the resort, we really enjoyed our dinner at Gustoso by the Beach. It is an Italian restaurant with lots of kid friendly options. I’d highly recommend booking a table by the ocean for stunning sunset views while you enjoy your meal!
Staying in Batu Ferringhi
We found that during our stay at Parkroyal Penang we didn’t leave the resort much. Our kids thoroughly enjoyed going from the buffet breakfast to the Pool, to the Kids club, back to the pool. However, here’s a quick overview of the places we went, all within walking distance from the resort.
Long Beach Hawkers Market
This is an undercover, open-air hawkers market, about a 10 minute walk from Parkroyal Penang. We went here for dinner on our first night in Batu Ferringhi and ate some delicious (and very spicy) food! If you’re ordering for kids, make sure to be very specific about no spice. We ordered our kids a Western meal, from the one Western stall and somehow it was covered in chilli sauce!
The Long Beach Food Court opens at 6:00pm. The ordering process is quite simple. First you choose a table and take note of the table number. Then head to the stall you’d like to order from and give them your table number. They will bring the food to your table when it’s ready. You pay for your food once it is delivered.
Batu Ferringhi Night Market
The Batu Ferringhi Night Market is a series of stalls selling souvenirs, clothes, toys and more. However, as it runs along Jalan Batu Ferringhi, it is located on a very busy road. If you plan to go with kids, make sure to keep an eye on them!
Apom Balik Station
You’re probably looking at the name of this place and wondering what it is. Apom Balik Station is a local pancake spot, that serves crispy pancakes stuffed with all sorts of fillings. We came here for dessert after our dinner at the Long Beach Food Court. It is located right outside of Parkroyal Penang, making it a great option for breakfast if you don’t have the buffet breakfast included in your stay (it’s very affordable).
Penang Fireshow
One of the top things to do in Batu Ferringhi is experience the Penang Fire shows that light up the beach every night of the week. We found it hard to know where to go to see the fire show, but quickly realised there are multiple fire shows up and down the beach. Most are situated in front of the beach front restaurants, so I’d highly recommend choosing one for dinner and a show!
The fire shows occur around 7:30pm & 9:30pm – though we found some started earlier, and others later. Online it says that they are closed on a Tuesday, however we went on a Tuesday so not sure if that’s true. It is also recommended to book a table, however again, we didn’t do this and were able to find a table easily enough.
Overall
Overall we thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Parkroyal Penang Resort and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a relaxing, yet fun stay with kids!
Want to stay at Parkroyal Penang Resort yourself? Check Rates & Availability here! Have a great stay!