hard rock hotel, batu feringghi, penang

Hard Rock Hotel was officially opened on 19 september this year. Two weeks later we decided to try out one night's stay, just for fun. After all, it's the very first Hard Rock Hotel in Malaysia :P

Upon arrival the first impression I had of the hotel was the minimalist design and layout of the hotel lobby (below).

Being welcomed by the Beatles once you step into the hotel.

People could sit and relax while listening to the in-house band jamming every night.

There are a number of Lagoon suites, each with their own lounging deck and direct access to the swimming pool.

Bird's eye view of the suites from our balcony (yes, it's facing the sea!)

Saw a couple of beach cabanas - ideal for lazing the day away :)

Side note:

The hotel is occupying the same spot as the former Casuarina Hotel. As I recall the most memorable thing about Casuarina was its long stretch of sandy beaches with plenty of trees and shade. I was a bit let-down to see the gigantic swimming pool occupying most of the space, with a few sorry-looking palms here and there. Furthermore, the gardens weren't exactly... neat. Should have put more effort into the landscaping.. >.<

Enough of the hotel compound... it's time to check in!

We received a special gift to mark the hotel opening. It's a 'platinum record', beautifully framed and with it's unique serial number. Fabulous ;)

Even the bed sheets had guitar prints. Oh. and did I mention that the bed was really, really comfortable? :P

The hotel bathroom. If viewed from sideways, the space seems to stretch into infinity...

Back to the lobby... saw the quirky signs for the washroom. Very cute.

The King of Pop, sitting outside the entrance of Hard Rock Cafe.

I wanted to take a lot more photos but unfortunately my camera battery ran out.

Overall we left generally satisfied with our one-night stay. Next time it would be to catch the Hard Rock Cafe in action (it was fully booked so we decided to come back on some other day) !