We stayed at the Golden Sands for a week in March. The resort itself is quite nice and has good facilities, particularly for families. The rooms are very dated and quite small. We payed for a Sea facing room and upon our arrival we were put on the first floor with a view of only the pool and not the beach at all. We were then told we could upgrade to another room on a higher level but we were charged even more for it. Quite disappointing when you have already payed for something and have to pay for it again because it is not what they described. The bathrooms are very old looking and mould has formed on the bathtub. When we arrived to our room (that we had to pay extra for) was dirty and looked like it was not ready for guests. Stains everywhere, dust and dirt. Very disappointing. The service is good and the staff are lovely but somebody really needs to put some effort into fixing the rooms. The location is good as the night market is set up right outside the resort. However it is quite far from the main town and its not a short ride to get there either. Overall the pictures are very deceiving and if you decide to stay here make sure you get what you have payed for.

Penang is a flight from Kuala Lumpa and after a long flight I began to think this was a stop over too far! A 45 minute flight and then a 40 minute taxi drive with a driver who from his driving thought we were trying to qualify for the Malaysian Grand Prix ! However once at the hotel We were pleased we had made the effort .The bedrooms were well equipped and comfortable .The breakfasts were excellent and the little cafe near the beach delightful especially the band that sang for the guests. The communal areas including pool areas ,lounges, spa and gardens were beautiful .The night market is just beyond the hotels gates which is another plus point.This hotel benefits from close proximity to a sandy beach with a wide array of watersports on offer.

We stayed at The Golden Sands in September 2011 during my friend's wedding. We secured a room on level 3 for $100 per night.

We could not believe the value for money in this hotel. The service was extreemly friendly the staff were never unhappy or unattentive.

The A/C in our room was not working on our arrival but it was fixed within the hour while we enjoyed the pool and gardens.

Right next door is another (and slightly more upmarket) resort which belongs to the same chain. They share the grounds and gardens flow through between the two.

The rooms were very well presented and felt quite luxurious expecially for $100 per night. You could barely get a Motel for that kind of money in my hometown of Perth, Western Australia.

I would not hesistate recommending this resort to my friends and would happily stay there again.

Infact one of my friends and his partner just came back from there in Oct 2012 and were also very impressed.

Love this hotel and have been there 6 times the last being feb this year. The hotel has been updated since we were there 5 years ago now having a cool lounge with computers and library if you fancy 'chill' time. Now free wi fi and this works in the hotel grounds too. The strip had changed since we were last there and there is building work going on so in a few years time guess the area be totally different. The staff are lovely and nothing too much trouble. We had a sea view room which gives great views out to sea especially great to watch the lightening out at sea. We were there over Chinese new year and the hotel was busier for about 4 or 5 days. Recommendations for eating: out of the front of the hotel across the road to your left is a bug building with a bank on the ground floor. On the second floor is a restaurant called Andrew's - he used to be on the main strip road. Excellent food. Does al la carte but also an all you can eat buffet for 24 ringgits. It's not a buffet as such you choose off the menu and you can have as many dishes as you want. We used to have small amounts of 6 different starters and usually 4 mains plus rice, veg etc and ice cream for less than £6 each. His sister has a little place for lunch. Out of the hotel gardens at the back turn left then first left up a little walkway. You can eat there at lunchtime for about £3 each and she also makes sandwiches which we had to ake away. Don't order anything bigger than small for one person as small consists of 4 slices of bread all for just over £1.
All in all a brill hol again and will deinately be back