Casuarina Beach Hotel, Penang
Batu Ferringhi, 11100 Penang, Malaysia
Tel: (604) 8811711 Fax: (604)-8812155
The URL link http://www.casuarina.com.my is no longer valid.
News Flash
The hotel is closed for upgrading and rebranding exercise. The hotel is not expected to re-open until second half of 2008 (or later).
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Beach
Pool
Exterior
Interior
Penang, Casuarina Beach Resort
Casuarina Hotel Review
The most outstanding value of this hotel is its combination of beach and room pricing. For the price of a 4-star hotel, you get a decent hotel which shares a beautiful stretch of beach with 5-star hotels. Most hotels with direct access to the beach along this stretch are 5-star hotels with higher room rates.
This is a beach hotel suitable for a family vacation. If you are looking for a business hotel, this hotel may disappoint you. There does not seem to be a 24-hour restaurant available in the hotel, and it is one of the hotels that are further away from downtown. There is a total two restaurants in this hotel.
For families, your kids get to spend a lot of time on the beach. Sand on the beach is very fine, which can be as fine as or finer than ground pepper. The beach is clean and well kept with no sea shells and trash lying around. For those who have not been on a beach before, sea shells can be sharp and may cut the bottom of a person’s feet if one walks on them.
There are quite a number of beach activities available like parachute sailing, water scooter, yatching and swimming. I don’t really know the costs for these activities, but they should run around RM50-RM60 per ride.
Although the beach is nice and clean, sea water is not as nice as other islands like Redang and Langkawi. Overall, sea water is clean and safe to swim in, just not crystal clear as compared to Langkawi. The sea is always calm because it is protected from the open sea by Sumatera in Indonesia. Do not expect strong waves like those that you find on the beaches of California due to the unprotected nature of the beach from the Pacific Ocean. Do expect nice gentle waves. The sound of waves washing ashore 24-hours a day relaxes everyone.
The hotel is not of 5-star quality but is certainly of 4-star quality. The hotel is designed with an open concept and blends well with the outside surrounding, which is always hot and humid in tropical Malaysia. There is no air-conditioning for its lobby. Nice hot tropical heat will penetrate the hotel, which is what beach goers enjoy. One of the things I dislike is the choice of the hotel to keep the hotel dimly litted during the day. Since the hotel has many access to the outside (many doors and windows letting in bright sunlight), bright sunlight outside the hotel makes the hotel feels dark from the inside. I personally dislike dark ambience during the day and prefer brightly litted interiors. This is, however, a personal preference.
On cleanliness, the hotel does a good job of keeping its beach and surrounding clean. No trash can be seen littered around, no flies, no foul smell. The bathrooms are kept clean.
The hotel seems to have aged somewhat. Furnishing in the lobby are not new but a little worn. Bathroom stools and wash basins show their sign of aging. This is somewhat of the expectations of a 4-star hotel. However, everything is kept clean and well maintained.
Beach
There is a nice shade by the pool overlooking the superbly kept garden and also the beach. The shade is located within the grounds of the hotel. This picture was taken from inside the shade looking out to sea.
Horse back riding is available by the beach for around RM50 per ride. For those who do not know how to ride a horse, the operators will sit you on the horse and pull the horse along for a walk along the beach. For those who do know how to ride a horse, you get the freedom to ride solo up and down the beach.
Wind surfing and water scooter sports are available by the beach. I did not ask the operator and do not know the charges for these activities. I suspect the prices range around RM50.
There is a long stretch of beautiful and well kept beach 10 meters (30 feet) from the hotel. There is no garbage on the beach, no sea shells that will cut the bare feet of anyone strolling bare footed on the beach. Sand on the beach looks fine and feels soft.
This is how the hotel would look like if you were to look at the hotel from the beach. There are nice umbreallas and beach chairs for guests to relax in and enjoy their time by the beach. Entrance for cars is on the other side of the hotel.
I happen to stumble upon this couple enjoying their day by the beach. I cannot help but take this picture. This is a good way to relax and not get sunburn. This is certainly what everyone of us would love to do more.
Pool
There are a lot of coconut trees located on the hotel grounds. In addition, there are a number of large trees growing on the bech providing beach goers with natural sun shades from the hot mid-afternoon sun. There are two swimming pools, one for children and one for adults. There are also two restaurants in the hotel. The Garden Terrace is on the left of the picture. The other restaurant is on the right, serving drinks to those at the pool. The pool is quite large, providing children and adults with a lot of space to swim in.
I like the sea breeze you get to enjoy from this location. Due to the proximity to the beach, the wind will always be blowing, the leaves on the coconut trees will always be swaying. To the right of this picture is the sea.
Exterior
There is a big well kept lawn located between the hotel and the beach. If you have children, this would be a good place for your children to run around. The swimming pool and restaurant are about 10 meter (30 feet) behind the photographer who took this picture.
This is the driveway where you would stop your car to unload your luggage. If you had x-ray vision and can look past the trees and driveway, you will see the entrance to this hotel from the main road. Across the road will be some shops where you can purchase groceries, drinks and food.
This would be the first view of the hotel from your car or taxicab. There is a lot of parking spaces for hotel guests and the hotel does not charge parking fees.
Interior
This is where you will be once you enter the hotel through the main entrance. The main entrance is to the right of the picture. The doorway to the left of the picture leads you to the pool. Behind the photographer is the reception desk.
This is a common area close to the lobby and restaurant with tables and chairs for guests to use. My observation is most guests do not use these chairs because they can be uncomfortable to sit on for too long a period. The sofas near the reception area are more comfortable and much frequently used by hotel guests. The restaurant is in the far end. Walking through the doorway to the greens leads you to the pool.
This restaurant has lots of greens and is constructed from timber. It has an open air concept. It does not seem to be frequented by hotel guests when I visited. It may be because it is hot in the afternoon. After night fall, this may be a nice place to sit and sip a drink.
This is an aisle leading to rooms on your right and left. Some sofa for guests exists but usually left vacant. Most guests are in the lobby and garden or beach.
This is a common area close to the lobby and restaurant with tables and chairs for guests to use. My observation is most guests do not use these chairs because they can be uncomfortable to sit on for too long a period. The sofas near the reception area are more comfortable and much frequently used by hotel guests. The restaurant is in the far end. Walking through the doorway to the greens leads you to the pool.