Missing a bit of seaside vacation atmosphere, DoubleTree by Hilton Penang

After spending six days and five nights exploring George Town, Penang, we decided to move to the northern part of the island to experience the coastal scenery of Penang, which is humorously referred to as the Langkawi substitute. The first stop was staying at the DoubleTree by Hilton. The hotel's location is not ideal, situated at the far edge of Tanjung Bungah Beach near the city, and about two to three kilometers from the quieter Batu Ferringhi Beach. It is awkwardly positioned at the intersection of bustling and secluded, making it difficult to decide whether to have dinner locally or go back to the city. Although the hotel is backed by mountains and faces the sea, it is not built on the beach but separated by a main urban road. Guests can use a self-built pedestrian bridge to cross, requiring a room card to enter and exit. The beach is underdeveloped, very small, and has many variously shaped reefs, making it unsuitable for swimming. The beach faces northeast, but fortunately, there is still a beautiful sunset slightly obscured by distant mountains in the evening. Generous treatment for Diamond members, no need for prior communication, directly upgraded to a sea view suite. Even though the sea view is partially blocked by trees, in the case of full occupancy during the summer, this courtesy is still appreciated. The room needs no further description, standard layout and decoration of an old-style resort hotel. The bathroom is not small but the shower is cramped, causing water to overflow when taking a shower. The air conditioning must be set to a low temperature, otherwise, the humid seaside smell will quickly invade. Additionally, as the main road is outside the window, the sound of large vehicles speeding by at night is incessant, so those with poor sleep quality may need earplugs. No executive lounge, but there is afternoon tea, though with a peculiar rule: Gold members can only enjoy it from 3 to 4 PM, while Diamond members are scheduled from 5 to 6 PM. Since no one informed us during check-in, we, one Gold and one Diamond member, booked two rooms and missed the Gold member dining time. However, trying out this member benefit, it turns out not eating it is no loss. The outdoor pool after sunset is crowded with half of the guests, and lounge chairs are in high demand. If you want to join, it is recommended to change into your swimsuit in the room, otherwise, you will have to go back and forth several times. The next day's breakfast in the basement restaurant was bustling and chaotic, making it difficult to find a seat. Is the food really worth fighting for? The salad leaves were wilted, and the watermelon was dehydrated. There were also foreign children touching every muffin. Overall feeling, the vacation atmosphere is insufficient, and the sleep quality is not good. So we decided to move to the deeper Batu Ferringhi Beach. Room details: Room number: 621 Official name: One-Bedroom Sea View Suite Area: 50 square meters Mattress: Simmons Bedding, fabrics, and bathrobes: Canasin Bedroom TV: Samsung Living room TV: Samsung Shower and metal fittings: TOTO Basin and bathtub: TOTO Toilet: Manual TOTO Amenities: Large bottles of Crabtree & Evelyn Electric kettle: Swissmann Capsule coffee machine: Nespresso Capsule coffee: Nespresso 2 capsules Instant coffee: Nestle Tea bags: Dilmah Teacups: Fusion FKF Bottled water: Glass bottle Crystal Pure Mini bar: None