Hotel Review: Evergreen Laurel Hotel, Penang

In August this year, I went to Penang on my own under #MyFascinatingPenang2015 blogging programme for 5 days and stayed at 4 different hotels. Two of them are chain hotels, i.e. St. Giles Wembley, Penang and Evergreen Laurel Hotel, Penang; while the other two are independent hotels, i.e. The Chambers Hotel and Ren i Tang Heritage Inn, Penang.

Below is my review of Evergreen Laurel Hotel following my overnight stay at the hotel.

1. The Hotel

Evergreen Laurel Hotel Penang is a 5* business hotel that is part of Taipei-based Evergreen International Hotels group. It has well over 300 rooms in an 18-storey building on Gurney Drive, which is a popular coastal road in the northern part of George Town.

1a. The Reception

The lobby is quite spacious with plenty of sofas for guests to use. I didn’t have any problem checking-in quickly as there was no other guest checking in at the same time. It’s probably because I was there earlier than the normal hotel check-in time. 

1b. The Room

I was assigned a Superior City View at the hotel, which comes with the city view of George Town. Another type of room at the hotel is Deluxe room, which offers a sea view instead of city view. The rooms however are essentially the same, except for the views. I was informed that the same concept and style applies to all hotels within the group so if you’ve stayed at one of their hotels, you’d know what to expect from other hotels within the group.

My room has plenty of space for luggage and stuff, and comes complete with two bedside tables, a work/dressing table, 2 sofas & a coffee table, and a wardrobe. Even with all these, there’s still space for an extra bed, if required. The room also has a tea/ coffee making facility, an LCD TV, a minibar, safety deposit box and a hairdryer. Iron & ironing board are also available.

A few cans of soft drinks in the minibar along with the usual bottled water are complimentary with the room. All guests are greeted with a fruit platter too upon checking into their room.

The mattress and bed are very comfortable. Linens and towels are okay. The bathroom (bathtub & shower) is not bad either in terms of size.

Overall, the room is well furnished like you’d expect of a 5* establishment. Although the hotel is essentially a business hotel, the room should be good for both business travellers and for a leisure stay.

1c. Breakfast 

Selection for porridge & noodles

Breakfast may or may not come with the room, depending on your booking. If it’s covered under the room (or if you’re paying separately), it is served at Café Laurel on the ground floor. The café however was still under renovation at the time of visit so I had my breakfast at Evergarden Chinese Restaurant on the first floor of the hotel. Breakfast buffet selection is quite good, with local, Asian and Western options available for choosing. The kway teow is quite good, in my opinion, I helped myself to a second serving. :)

1d. Internet Access

Internet access is available for free via Wi-Fi at the hotel. The password is given at time of check-in.

1e. Other Facilities

Evergreen Laurel Hotel has 2 swimming pools (1 adult and 1 for children), a gym, jacuzzi (hot & cool), sauna, steam room, massage, tennis courts, a Business Centre and a children playroom too.

As mentioned earlier, while the hotel is essentially a business hotel, it still caters for guests with families who are in Penang for a holiday. And in line with its status as a business hotel, it has a large ballroom to cater for any conferences, weddings, and large scale events.

2. Where to Eat

The hotel has three in-house restaurants, namely Café Laurel (International), Lobby Lounge (beverages only) and Evergarden Restaurant (Chinese). Evergarden, with its spacious dining area (seats 220 guests) and private rooms (the largest seats 18 guests) is a very popular Chinese restaurant in Penang, not only for its food but also because it’s halal-certified.

With the hotel location being on Gurney Drive, there are also plenty of restaurants & food courts along the road near the hotel. In addition to that, there are 2 shopping malls nearby, Gurney Paragon and Gurney Plaza, where more eatery options are available.

3. Getting Around

How to get there:

The best way to get to the hotel is probably by driving or taking a taxi. 

Interesting places nearby, if any:

The location of the hotel is a bit outside of the Core Heritage Zone. The central attraction of the location is basically the sea although it’s not a proper beach where you can go to have a swim. There are also 2 shopping malls nearby where you can do your shopping, have meals or catch a movie, among others.

To get elsewhere, it’s probably easiest to just take a taxi. There is a Hop On Hop Off Penang bus stop near Gurney Plaza but that’s probably around 15-20 minutes’ walk away.

4. Location

5. Further Information

Address:	53 Gurney Drive, 10250 George Town, Penang, Malaysia
Telephone:	+604-226 9988
Email:	elhpen@evergreen-hotels.com
Others:	Website | Facebook
Check in 2 p.m. / Check out 12 noon.

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* * *   Check Room Availability & Rates HERE   * * *

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A Thank You & Disclosure Note

I would like to thank the organiser of My Fascinating Penang, My Amazing Malaysia, as well as the management of Evergreen Laurel Hotel for the arrangement to stay at the hotel. The stay was sponsored as part of My Fascinating Penang 2015 programme. The sponsorship however has in no way affected my review of the hotel.

Other official sponsors for the programme include the following: 

Hotels:	St. Giles Wembley, The Chambers Hotel, Ren i Tang Heritage Inn
Attractions:	Escape.My, Tropical Spice Garden, The Camera Museum, Made in Penang Interactive Museum
Transportation:	Hop On Hop Off Penang, Easybook.com

For all other blog entries on My Fascinating Penang, click here. For more photos, please check out Ramble and Wander's Facebook page