Golden Sands resort is a very relaxed and comfortable hotel with all the amenities you need and a good location for a it of rest and relaxation.

We were upgraded to a sea view room free of charge on arrival which was a welcome surprise and were very happy with our stay.

The breakfast was very good (Even having just come from Shangri La KL!) and staff always very friendly and helpful.

Cocktails at Sigi's bar were of a very high standard although priced quite high (To be expected in a hotel bar).

We had lunch most days while soaking in the sun in the gardens from Sigis and the food was always very good and actually a reasonable price, although we found the 'wave a flag for service' quite amusing (but beats having to get up!)

The resort is right on the beach which was very useful when a very kind skipper gave us a ride back to the hotel from Monkey beach in a VERY fast speedboat... Great fun.

The shuttle bus from Batu Ferringgi to Traders Hotel in Georgetown is very useful for getting into town and saves a bit of cash getting a taxi which would probably cost about 40-50RM.

All in all, a very pleasent stay and we were sad to leave.

We have had regular holidays at the Golden Sands Beach Resort, Penang over the past 18 years and have enjoyed every stay.

The hotel has had a recent face lift which compliments the high standards and service of the staff who are always happy to assist guests.

If we had one complaint it is that the rooms do not have a seperate shower recess and one has to negotiate the bath and shower curtain. A small price to pay though. There is a wide range of food options available at breakfast each morning and the food is always excellent.

The strip outside the hotel still boasts very good restuarants at very reasonable prices. Our faourite this trip was the Wizard of Food Restuarant - go left 100 meters from the front of the hotel. The Hawkers food hall to the right of the hotel is also of excellent value with a wide range of food options.

Always nice to return to this hotel.

Went to this hotel in a beginning of March 2013, just for a weekend getaway from KL. The taxi ride from the airport was around 1hour, but it was OK. Hotel stuff was very nice, I mean very!! nice, once we got there. Room looked good, not so old furnished as I read in some reviews, bathroom was nice as well. We got the Ocean view, but since we were in third level, it was basically a pool view, also great. Pool area was nice looking, water was for my taste to warm, and surrounding floor to hard to walk on barefoot. But drinks were very tasty and happy hour long enough:-) (from 5pm to 8pm). Beach is for to max.walk around, I would not dip in a see. To dirty and smelly, although we went for a jet ski ride, and that was amazing with a coming sunset. Breakfast was good enough, but coffee (as I am coffee lover) was terrible! Selection of food was good and very variable, but nothing so special or tasting amazingly. In conclusion I would go there again, but looked for something better and new first.

As a family we finally returned to the Golden Sands after visiting regularly with expats from 1988 until 1995. We were apprehensive. Would it be as good as we remembered? YES it was. We were greeted warmly by the traditionally dressed staff at the grand entrance and led to reception where we were greeted with a cold drink. Some of our family and friends were on the 6th floor and we were on the 5th. The 5th floor is a smoking floor and as we explained to the staff we were not smokers. They effortlessly moved us to the non-smoking 6th floor and we had 3 lovely rooms. The rooms on the “hill side” of the hotel are much bigger and spacious due to the curve of the building and they get beautiful sunrises over the hill. They have also been extended and have double glazed windows. Back in the nineties these rooms had balconies but the traffic noise is now decreased by filling in the balconies. We prefer theses rooms even though the sea view rooms have a view they are quite small. The king size beds are great and our room also had a full size couch and a desk. The curtains are fully block out and the room is dark which was very good for us sleeping at night. There is very good lighting and also a night light which turns on under the bedside table and also in the bathroom for night use. The free wifi worked very well and we were able to continue business in our room.

The Buffet Breakfast is just as extensive as our past visits. We could choose from an enormous array of foods including 4 different types of roti and other Malay and Indian dishes, omelets and egg dishes prepared by the chef, soups, fresh fruits and of course all western style breakfast food. The usual pancakes, waffles, pastries, breads and cakes were available and fruit juices and cappuccino to wash it all down. 2 chefs were available to cook your own individual breakfast. I had a delicious breakfast of noodles, bean shoots and vegetables with a tangy sauce all freshly cooked by the chef. We stayed 7 days and each morning there was a different choice of Malay and Indian curries with beef or chicken. The breakfast area has been extended and this helped with busy mornings which are mostly Saturday and Sunday. The dinner buffet was very good and we ate at the Seafood evening and the Surf and Turf evening. Deserts were beautifully presented with a mixture of Malay and French offerings and the Tiramisu was yummy. They even had desserts for children with fairy cakes, sprinkles and ice cream. Staff for all meals were attentive and always had a smile and tine to chat.

The resort grounds are extensive. There are many pools of different shapes winding around rocks and excellent landscaping. There is a slippery slide for children and a hot pool for adults. The palms and other mature trees provide great dappled shade and there are more lounge chairs and small tables than needed which made for a pleasant stay. Activities include a short nine hole golf course, two le petanque pitches, table tennis, tennis, organised jungle walks, cooking classes and more. Every day the activities were advertised around the resort and well in advance too. You could feel confident in doing everything or nothing and just lazing away under a palm with the gentle sea breeze and a foot massage. In the evenings there is a night market every night stretching along the Batu Ferringhi road and it was good to walk along and meet the locals who loved us looking at their goods but did not pester us if we then moved on. There is also a good selection of eating places along the road and mini markets too. Just watch out crossing the road! The Happy Living Room Café Bar and Gallery was our favorite.

The resort has a shuttle bus to their sister hotel in Georgetown. It is free but advisable to book the day before. The economy of Penang is hurting a bit right now so some shops have gone and other shops have extensive sales. We didn’t find the shopping as good as previous visits but it is worth a visit to Georgetown to view the old colonial houses now being saved and to see the rows and rows of 2 storey original shops and houses and the general hustle and bustle of the town. We enjoyed our leisurely walk along Gurney drive and into the new shopping mall, Gurney Plaza. The shuttle bus will let you off here if you wish.

Overall we were very happy and enjoyed our return visit after so many years being away. All staff were very professional and very friendly. They genuinely wanted our stay to be a good one. Thank you Golden Sands.