Stayed at the G Hotel Gurney over the Easter weekend from 19-21 April 2019.
After confirming our reservations, the hotel emailed me a few days before our arrival to give me the option of an early check-in with an extra charge. We took a 1.00pm check in for an extra MYR25.
The hotel is a short 30-minute ride from Penang International Airport. Checking in was a breeze and we were offered some free ice cream while we waited. The Deluxe room we had was really spacious with rather sparse furnishings. The desk in was in a separate nook in the room, kind of a strange layout. It was as if they had too much space and did not know what to do with it. You can do a few cartwheels if you are so inclined.
Our room had a partial view of the sea, though it looked like there had been some land reclamation and the sea view will completely disappear soon. The bathroom was spotlessly clean, as was the rest of the room. The drinks and snacks in the minibar were free of charge. Plenty of bottled water was available and restocked everyday. The free wifi was fast and stable throughout our stay.
The hotel gym and pool are on the third floor. The gym is very big and well equipped for a hotel gym. The infinity pool was a great way to cool off in the searing April Penang heat.
Breakfast was served at the Taste restaurant on the ground floor. It had a good mix of local dishes as well as the normal continental offerings of eggs and sausages. While the variety of food was pretty good, we became quite tired of it by the second day.
The hotel is located between two huge malls - the Gurney Paragon and Gurney Plaza. This proved to be really convenient if you are after some run-of-the-milk shopping or just some air-conditioning to ward off the stifling heat outside. Because of the two malls and Gurney Hawker Centre just down the road, traffic to and from the hotel can get very heavy at times. So plan some buffer into your traveling time.
Checking out was quick and painless, there were no mistakes in our bill. The Malaysian tourist tax of MYR10 per night was a minor annoyance.
We got around all over Penang by using Grab. It’s a ride hailing app very similar to Uber. All of our rides picked us up within minutes and drove us to our destinations (including to and from the airport) without incident. Be sure to download the app when you are in Penang.
We had originally planned on staying in one of the heritage hotels in Georgetown. If you are looking for a more modern and luxurious stay with 5-star amenities and facilities, you can’t go wrong with the G Hotel Gurney.