Showing posts with label hospitality. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hospitality. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 20, 2023

RELAXING YEAR-END GETAWAY AT AMARI SPICE PENANG


A splendid haven to revel in. The Executive Lounge on level 25 of Amari SPICE Penang is not only a serene breakfast spot but also a great place to get some work done anytime of the day.
The team on duty is courteous and friendly, quick to attend to your every need; from serving breakfast to whipping up an evening cocktail, they’re ever-ready to lend a hand.
 
This time we stayed in an Executive Deluxe room which accorded us access to the Executive Lounge. We love lounging by the floor-to-ceiling windows where expansive views of the nearby golf course and the park adjacent to the SPICE Convention Centre and SPICE Arena are visible.
 
We were stoked to find an in-room coffee machine in addition to the regular kettle for tea-making. In addition to complimentary Penang tau sar pneah (mung bean biscuits) and nutmeg sweets, we discovered the mini bar stocked with water and soft drinks were on the house.
The smart workspace with international plug-points and Wi-Fi proved to be a boon when I needed to tackle some work. For a spot of reading, the cushy chaise lounge with ottoman was perfect.
 
As Executive level guests, we have the luxury of enjoying breakfast at Amaya Food Gallery or ordering our choice of complimentary breakfast in the Exec Lounge. We barely needed to lift a finger as the team pampered us at every turn; plying us with coffee and tea and serving our choice of breakfast.
Whether it’s Nasi Lemak and Fried Kway Teow to Welsh Rarebit and Breakfast Egg Set, guests can order from the a la carte selection listed.

Out of curiosity, I had Welsh Rarebit – basically a sandwich of rye bread with Cheddar cheese, fried egg, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and salad. Simple but I liked it. My hubby’s Boat Noodles passed muster.

Laid out on the counter are assorted cold cuts, cheese, cereals, dried fruit and nuts, fresh fruit slices, French pastries and condiments: butter, jams, honeycomb, etc for toast. Bottled juices, detox water, yoghurt and muesli are found in the chiller.

Opened from 6.30 am to 10.30 pm, light refreshments are served throughout the day. From 5.30 pm to 7.30 pm, you can order classic cocktails and creative mocktails, house pouring wine and selected liquor drinks to complement hors d’oeuvres whilst enjoying the view at dusk from the lounge.

Other privileges for Executive level guests include private check-in and check-out services, complimentary pressing of 3 garments on arrival and complimentary meeting room use (maximum 2 hours, subject to prior booking and availability).
Dinner at the spacious Amaya Food Gallery, the all-day dining restaurant on Level 4, also made our stay truly memorable. During our visit, Amari SPICE Penang hosted Thai chefs from its sister hotel in Bangkok for a promotional stint so the dinner buffet highlighted a myriad of delicious Thai specialities.
Among the tempting dishes we tried were stir-fried glass noodles with prawns, miang kham (wild betel leaves with condiments), som tam salad, mee krob, seafood tom yam, green curry, Thai iced tea, ‘crying tiger’ grilled beef with chilli dip and tom yam fried rice.
The hotel location is also strategic. Just a short drive away, we enjoyed watching the sunrise and went for a nice morning walk along Karpal Singh Drive, visited the Chew Jetty and as usual, went to eat our fill of local food.

Local life is best experienced at Chowrasta market and its surrounding environs: there’s a wet market, lots of mom-and-pop shops around the vicinity, hawker’s stalls and street-side vendors selling household stuff, casual wear, footwear and toys.    

   
For the year-end school and festive holidays, Amari SPICE Penang has been all decked up with pretty decor and a special 'gingerbread house' selling festive goodies. If you're keen to bring your family for a staycation, Amari SPICE Penang currently has some great packages online:

https://www.amari.com/penang/special-offers/hotel-packages

For reservations at Amari SPICE Penang, tel: 04 683 1188. Address: 2 Persiaran Mahsuri, Bayan Lepas, Pulau Pinang.

Wednesday, December 06, 2023

GREEN IS THE WORD THIS CHRISTMAS AT DORSETT GRAND SUBANG

 


From now until 31 December 2023, give to those in need with Dorsett Grand Subang’s Greener Me Charity Tree Project.
The fund-raising initiative features three towering “Christmas trees” built from repurposed wooden pallets, fashioned into multi-level decks holding pots of money plants and festooned with fairy lights. 

Guests of honour (top pix) Vice Chairman of Dorsett Hospitality International (Malaysia), Datin Jasmine Abdullah Heng (right) and Area General Manager of Dorsett Hospitality International (Malaysia), Datin Christina Toh (left), together with Datuk Zainal Abidin Putih, Chairman of Telekom Malaysia Berhad g
raced the festive light-up ceremony.

Dressed in red, children from Rumah Charis also added to the merriment with their rendition of popular Christmas songs. Members of the public are invited to pledge minimum RM10 for each pot of plant. The plants can either be taken home or replanted later by the hotel upon request when the charity project has concluded.

Each contributor will have their name(s) displayed on the Christmas Charity Tree until 31 December 2023. In addition, contributors stand a chance to win weekly lucky draw prizes such as complimentary hotel stay and dining vouchers from the hotel.

Names of the donors will then be compiled for the Grand Draw on 2 January 2024, entitling them to win hotel stay vouchers from Dorsett Kwun Tong and Lan Kwai Fong @Kau U Fong in Hong Kong as well as Dorsett Grand Subang.

Funds collected from will be presented to the National Heart Institute Foundation and Subang Jaya Community Ambulance Service.

For further information on the Greener Me Charity Tree Project, WhatsApp +60 12 355 1257 or email: troy.tang@dorsett.com

  

‘TIS THE SEASON TO BE FEASTING
 
After the charity project launch, invited guests were treated to a preview of Dorsett Grand Subang’s Christmas Eve & Christmas Day Delights.

Terazza Brasserie has decked its dining hall with a sumptuous buffet, starting with the Christmas Eve Buffet Dinner (6:30 pm to 10 pm) at RM188 nett per adult, RM158 nett for senior citizens and RM108 nett for children.

Expect more tempting delights at the Christmas Day Buffet Brunch (12 noon to 4 pm), priced at RM138 nett for adults, seniors at RM118 nett, and children at RM78 nett.

Usher in 2024 by partaking in a New Year's Eve Buffet Dinner (6:30 pm to 10:00 pm) at Terazza Brasserie. Priced at RM188 nett for adults, RM158 nett for senior citizens and RM108 nett for children.

There’s also a New Year’s Day Buffet Brunch priced at RM138 nett for adults, RM118 nett for senior citizens, and RM78 nett for children.


For the complete list of festive offerings at Dorsett Grand Subang, visit
http://www.dorsetthotels.com/dorsett-grand-subang

Early reservations are highly recommended, so call ahead at tel: 03 5031 6060 or email: 
bookfnb.subang@dorsetthotels.com
 

Friday, October 20, 2023

AN UNFORGETTABLE ESCAPADE AT TEMPLE TREE LANGKAWI


Never in my wildest dream did I think I’d be staying in Temple Tree Langkawi. After seeing all the alluring social media posts of the resort, I was ecstatic to be invited for a staycation.


Resort Manager Irene Vairo (4th from left) and team welcomed us within Temple Tree Langkawi’s reception lounge within the imposing Ipoh House – the first of several heritage houses found here.

Originally owned by wealthy tin miners from lpoh, Perak, this Grand Dame of the resort comprises the colonial-style front portion built in 1903 and an Aceh-style back portion built in 1900.
Rustically beautiful with modern touches, the reception lounge is flanked by a walk-in wine cellar. Steps away is the retro chic restaurant and bar is aptly named Paloh, the Cantonese name for Ipoh.

Roaming around Paloh Restaurant and Bar, we found numerous picturesque nooks and corners; its retro-inspired soft furnishings, brass fittings and a distressed wood beamed Bar dominating its heart.

Another eye-catching centrepiece here is a 150-year-old barn door propped up on antique sewing machine legs, repurposed as a dining tabletop.
Steps away at the lawn is the verdant banyan tree with a little red shrine at its foot that gave Temple Tree Langkawi its name.

Our attention is drawn to the elongated swimming pool set amidst lush green lawns. Tucked at the furthest corner is Pool House, a traditional wooden kampung house on stilts; the resort’s distinctive therapeutic haven for massage and foot reflexology sessions.
Having recently bagged Travel Trade Gazette (TTG) Awards for Best Boutique Hotel, Temple Tree Langkawi boasts 21 suites located within 8 Heritage Houses, two swimming pools, and the newly opened Paloh Restaurant & Bar (separate story to follow on the resto’s F&B offerings).
I was assigned to Penang 2; one half of the quaint Penang House. I marvelled at the painstaking care, committed efforts and time it took to relocate and rebuild this 1930s bungalow from its original Gurney Drive site to Temple Tree Langkawi.
The white façade with green trimmings and two entrances have been retained. Upon entering the rustic interior, I love the wholly whitewashed scheme. 

A central skylight in the high-ceiling, cozily furnished living room brings in plenty of natural daylight. A welcome basket filled with tidbits from yesteryears brought back good childhood memories; cherished treats proffered by my grandparents.

Much to my surprise, the jalousie windows with wooden louvres still work! Tilting the louvres not only controls air-flow into the house but one can also surreptitiously check the surroundings outside without opening the main door.

Comfortably furnished with a king bed, the air-conditioned master bedroom made me felt right at home. In addition to ceiling fan, bedside lamps, wardrobe and clothes stand, the resort has thoughtfully provided two batik sarongs and a canvas tote bag (available for purchase) for our use. The second room is also air-conditioned and has a single bed in it.
My favourite space has to be the spacious bathroom with its separate rain shower cubicle. A languorous soak in the huge wooden tub with bath salts was a splendid experience I’d highly recommend.
Mod-cons include WiFi, fans, flat screen TV, safe deposit box, iron and ironing board, coffee/tea making facilities, a mini bar, and a wicker basket filled with mozzie repellent stuff.

The following day we toured the different heritage houses on-site. A stone’s throw away from Ipoh House is Estate House which exemplifies typical housing in the 1940s for rubber plantation workers in Pasir Puteh, Ipoh.

Painted pastel blue with yellow trims, the single level, long house layout consists of five separate suites. Each one has a front verandah and tastefully integrates a myriad of rustic touches and essential mod-cons as well as a little private rear garden.

Facing the main elongated swimming pool is Johor House, an imposing hundred-year-old, double-storey dwelling with a wraparound verandah at the front and sides – this inviting space offers splendid sea/mountain views. Formerly a Chinese farmhouse, Johor House used to belong a Taiwanese family in Batu Pahat, Johor so Chinese design influences are apparent from the exterior.

Guests can either book the ground level Johor 1 or upper-level Johor 2, or the whole house. Space won’t be an issue here as one practically has the run of either the upper or ground floor.

Once a Malay artisan’s dwelling, the grand two-storey Plantation House was built in Penang back in the 1930s. Later sold to a Chinese Hakka family who owned rubber and durian plantations, the house’s notable features include colonial style window shutters, high ceiling, thick wooden support beams and a central courtyard.


Three separate common areas with vintage furnishings are found within, with six units (Plantation 1-6) available for separate booking. The entire Plantation House can also be taken as a single unit to accommodate a group of 18.

Built by Penang’s Arab goldsmith traders in the 1920s in Georgetown, the stately double-storey, five-room Colonial House incorporates intricate European cornices, Peranakan floor tiles and the front porch bearing a fish-scale patterned canopy.
 
The Colonial Hall alone can fit a party of 20 whilst the cavernous living area includes a bar, a ten-seater dining table and several lounge spaces.
 
Separate entrances and outdoor private gardens with sun loungers and wooden bath tubs add extra allure to the two ground level bedrooms.

The villa’s showpiece upper-level patio is adorned with a shuttered verandah. Besides a separate living area, there’s a spacious suite with a separate bath hall and wooden bathtub.


Straits House used to be a charming 90-year-old Eurasian dwelling originating from Penang. Its sunny yellow and vibrant sky-blue living room leads to cozily furnished bedrooms; each with its own ensuite bathroom.

Negeri Sembilan House used to be a family home in Mantin, Negri Sembilan. This ornate, raised single-storey house with beautiful colour stained-glass windows and a spacious front verandah was built in the 1920s.
Now, it features two bedrooms, a living/dining area, and an outdoor porch. The shared ensuite bathroom comes with twin basins and a separate walk-in rain shower.

You can enjoy an Unforgettable Escape 3 days/2 nights’ package at Temple Tree Langkawi. Priced from RM1,700 upwards, the package includes:

• 1 x “Dinner under the Stars” romantic dining experience for 2 persons (1 time per stay)

• Complimentary romantic room decor and additional bath bombs (for room with a bathtub)

• Daily buffet breakfast

• Return Airport Transfer for 2 persons

• 1 x time Floating Breakfast

• 1 x Malaysian High Tea set for 2 persons

• 1 bottle of champagne/sparkling juice OR 1 slice of cake for the occasion

• Island hopping day trip for 2 persons

• 20% discount on laundry services

• 15% Food & Beverage discount voucher (one time usage)

• Malaysian “Childhood Memory” welcome amenities

• Stocked selected non-alcoholic minibar (upon arrival)

The above package must be booked via Temple Tree resort’s website – www.templetree.com.my or email: enquiries@templetree.com or WhatsApp/Call: +6017 5995935. Additional terms & conditions apply.

TEMPLE TREE LANGKAWI, Lot 1053, Jalan Pantai Chenang, Pantai Cenang, 07000 Langkawi, Kedah




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