Shangri-La's Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa

Will always book this hotel, can’t wait to go back

The service is excellent, staff is well trained and highly engaged. The maintenance of the gardens is very good. The plants and shrubs are beautiful, giving guests a totally relaxed and sense of well being. I like the evenings, where you could sip a drink, have some light food in front of the beach before going to have a good dinner. My husband and I have been going back frequently and look forward to our next holiday there.

We go Penang for the beach and to relax. The other activities are secondary. Eating and dining in the hotel is preferred but for local fare there are eateries in Gurney Drive.

Great facilities - a bit far from town

Great facilities. Although a shuttle to town a bit far. Spa was tremendous and grounds were gorgeous.

Would NOT go back. Not what one would expect from Shangri-La and beach holidays

There are two wings of the hotel. Rasa wing is renovated and more expensive, the Garden wing is run down, tired place, but cheaper. It is the best hotel in that area but certainly not as good as one expects from Shangri-La. Only public beach with a lot of illegal water motor activities. As a result the water is dirty and it’s totally UNSAFE to go in. Forget about peace and quietness. You’ll be listening to the engines running non-stop. Do NOT go there for beach holidays. Hotel staff is nice and friendly. Service is very good. The mix of guests during summer months is unusual. Lots of people from the Middle East. So even when the hotel is full you feel lonely at the bar or some other areas. Being a woman and wearing a bathing suit makes you feel a bit uncomfortable.

Traveler's tip

You do not need to negotiate the taxi rate in Penang. It’s fixed depending on how far you are going. All the drivers I met spoke good English and were very friendly. They will give you lots of useful tips about anything, including local attractions. We went to Georgetown (capital) during the National Heritage Festival (last weekend of July). That was fantastic. On every conner there were Chines, Indian, Malay, Christian, Buddhist, Islamic, you name it festivities.

Very nice facility - gaps in service level

The facility is on a large plot of land and nicely maintained - probably the best location in the area. Service levels vary - some staff are very friendly and considerate (e.g. restaurant), others are a turn-off and need to work on friendliness (e.g. reception) or are too aggressively hunting for their commission (e.g. pool-side/beach services).

Traveler's tip on local attractions

Use the free shuttle bus to Georgetown for sightseeing and shopping.

Good for families

Shangri La is an excellent family resort destination. I was not there with children but facilities seem well organized for them. Wish we had known about the adults only pool.

Be careful; they have many levels!

Penang Shangrila has two branches; one is golden sands which is not recommended; then there is Rasa Sayang which is the higher calss; the catch is even Rasa Sayang has two branches; The Rasa Wing is the good one; To get there, you will have to pay for an upgrade that makes it not worth the value you pay, but I had to do it because I am already there and wnat to enjoy my stay (very expensively!)

Total relaxation and great service

I spent two nights at this hotel and was extremely pleased with my stay. Apart from being clean, comfortable and well serviced here is a list of other great things. 1) Check-in took a whole of 2 minutes, check out the same 2) Pool open till 9pm, beautiful and spacious 3)Beachfront and not many people hassling you to buy stuff 4) Lots of lounges, towels, etc surrounding the pool and garden (there were lounge hogs...you know who you are! but it’s hard to find a resort that doesn’t have them) It would be nice if they instituted a 30 min absence rule and thenhave the hotel staff clear the lounger. They do this on lots of high end cruises and it works. 5) Excellent extensive buffet breakfast 6) Free shuttle to Georgetown and some malls. 7)Most comfortable beds in Asia so far and I’ve only been staying at 5 star 8) Really good advice and tour arrangements from the concierge...they really know what they are doing which really counts if you have limited time. Can’t say enough about the experience, just perfect.

Traveler's tip

Be aware that the traffick in Penang is very bad at rush hour. Allow extra time to get to your destinations. Even on the weekend things can get jammed as there are only a few central roads.