While spending a few days in Georgetown is well worth it for the delicious food, artsy vibes, and unique architecture, you’ll likely feel like you need a few days’ rest and relaxation afterwards. Most people head to Batu Ferringhi to spend some time at one of the resorts along the beach. My choice was the Golden Sands Resort Penang by Shangri-La because of its overall good value when looking at the price and facilities offered. Although the sea isn’t exactly swimmable at this beach thanks to the copious amounts of jellyfish in the water, there was still plenty of space to lounge around by the pool or on the grass close to the beach to get that much needed R&R.

First impressions of Golden Sands Resort Penang by Shangri-La

After spending two scorching days in Georgetown, I couldn’t wait to throw my bags down and just zen out. Golden Sands Resort Penang is a massive 387-room hotel with great facilities. The hotel lobby is open concept and the hotel staff are quick to assist you with whatever you need. Check-in was relatively seamless, but I had paid extra for a “balcony sea view” room and the original room they put me in was on the first floor with a building directly in front of the room which obstructed any view. After a call to reception to ask for a new room, they managed to switch us to a higher floor with a much better view.

*Note – I would definitely recommend asking for a room that faces the pool/sea, as you’ll likely be able to hear the call to prayer if you’re on the east side of the hotel and are facing the street.

The room

The room was a good size for two and came with a comfy big bed, which was hard to part with at the end of my stay. The spacious bathroom had two sinks, a bathtub/shower, and a range of amenities that came in handy. My favorite part of the room was definitely the balcony. Perfect for early in the morning and later on at night; I enjoyed a morning coffee outside before breakfast and a nighttime tea before bed. Overall, I really did like the room. The only thing I will say is that quite a lot of it does seem to be outdated – as an example, built into the desk is what appeared to be some sort of radio tuner with electric outlets. I do think the resort could use a bit of an uplift, but for the price, I won’t complain (too much).

Breakfast

Breakfast was included and I found it funny that the hotel actually had these traffic light signs up showing the busiest and least busy times to go for breakfast. The Garden Cafe accommodates well over 100 people and was always busy in the morning when we went down for breakfast. The buffet spread had a large international selection of hot and cold dishes, so even the fussiest eaters will likely find something they enjoy. For my breakfasts, I mainly stuck with fresh fruit, eggs, and toast with kaya spread.

Facilities

Golden Sands Resort is a great place for families, with slides and water activities, an indoor play area, and supervised kids’ activities throughout the day. For those without kids (myself included), I still enjoyed the facilities here, though for me personally, it was a bit too family friendly at times. There are a number of pools, mainly swarming with children, but there was one pool that was for adults only. If you’re looking for a bit of an escape from the screams of excited children, find a lounge chair on the grass away from the pool area.

I liked that you could order drinks and food that were brought to your lounge chair and the poolside bar also had a good happy hour of buy one get one free drinks (hello pina coladas!). The resort was within walking distance to the night market and a fantastic cooked food center with deliciously cheap eats that you should go to instead of eating all meals at the hotel.

Overall thoughts on Golden Sands Resort

I really enjoyed my stay at Golden Sands Resort. Although the majority of the hotel could use a modern update, the price point for the facilities and quality of service more than made up for it. While I think this hotel is great for families, I also enjoyed my time there though did find the constant running around and screaming of children to be a bit taxing at times. Ultimately, if you’re looking for a quick beach getaway in Penang that’s good value, I would recommend Golden Sands Resort.

Golden Sands Resort Penang by Shangri-La
Batu Ferringhi Beach