Golden Sands Resort by Shangri-La is an upscale beach resort located at Batu Ferringhi and managed by the Shangri-La hotel chain group. The group also own other nearby hotels like Shangri-La’s Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa and Jen Hotel in Georgetown. Listed below are the pros and cons of what this beach resort has to offer to you.
Pros
- Strategic location
- 11 kilometres away from Gurney Drive, Penang’s seafront promenade
- 14 kilometres away from Penang Botanical Gardens
- 7 kilometres away from Penang Escape Theme Park
- Nearby to lots of cheap and affordable food eateries
- There is a bustling night market in front of the beach resort if you are looking for things of good value but be warned that most of them are pirated goods
- There is a bus stop right in front of the beach resort and you can catch the 101 bus to Georgetown
- There is also a complimentary bus shuttle to take you to Georgetown and its drop off and pick up location is at Jen Hotel, the sister hotel of this beach resort
- The bus is very comfortable and clean
- There is a taxi stand and petrol station opposite the beach resort
- There is also a convenient store inside the petrol station hence you can stock up on your snacks and drinks
- McDonald’s and Kentucky Fried Chicken is just a few minutes’ walk away
- Breakfast buffet is delicious with Asian and Western choices along with vegetarian and non-vegetarian selections
- Money changers can be found across the road
- The service staffs are friendly, warm, genuinely helpful, accommodating, excellent, attentive and welcoming at all times
- This is a more family friendly beach resort with a Kid’s play area, Kids club and shaded kids pool area compared to Shangri-La’s Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa
- Other facilities include a lobby lounge, outdoor pool, pitch and putt golf course, a gym and 3 tennis courts
- The beach resort is clean and the grounds are well-maintained
- There are also plenty of chairs for everyone to sit down on
- Good locations within the beach resort for relaxing and reading
- The pool is manned by lifeguards which is an additional bonus if you have kids swimming in the pool
- You can relax by the pool while your kids are happily occupied and well supervised in the Kids club called the Adventure Zone
- The beach resort has fun activities for all ages
- Some guests got free room upgrades upon check-in
- Free breakfasts and additional beds were given to some guests with families so I guess you can try to request for them
- Check-in is a breeze
- The rooms are spacious, clean and equipped with free Wi-Fi internet access, flat-screen TVs with DVD players, a mini fridge, coffee and tea makers and safety box
- Certain upgraded rooms feature balconies and have pool or sea views while suites also come with living areas
- Room service is prompt and available 24 hours daily
- Large bottles of drinking water (1 litre) are also provided to guests and these are topped up twice daily
- The soft feather pillows are an absolute bliss to sleep on
Cons
- Hotel is considered rundown for certain guests
- The beach is not a private beach as some guests expected to have for a 5-star beach resort
- You can’t swim in the sea because of the risk of having stung by a jellyfish
- The breakfast buffet can be overcrowded and poorly managed especially during peak hours so go there at 9.30 AM for lesser crowds
- The rooms need some new refurbishments as the furnishings in the room look dated, old and tired
- Certain rooms are very old and dusty
- Certain guests was not given newer and refurbished rooms despite being a member in the hotel’s loyalty program called Golden Circle
- The rooms are not soundproof so you can hear everything that is going on along the corridor and the room beside yours
- Certain rooms’ beds were not well made and the floor is not cleaned and swept thoroughly
