We tried looking for the most convenient hotel in Georgetown which is near to hubby's meeting place but the internet can be unhelpful sometimes. Some websites did not have all the hotels in its listings. Calling one by one can be a hassle so I looked at Asia Web Direct website which I think is a very convenient way of finding accommodation in Penang. You can get a good internet rate and most importantly you can get a room even if you called the hotel directly and they say they are fully booked. That's how we ended up at Berjaya Georgetown hotel which looked like its quite near to hubby's meeting place. I know its near to the Gurney Drive but getting there can be another matter.
I attended a training that day so we can only leave KL after my training ended. We reached Penang at night. A good time to drive around because there's no jam but not so good when you're relying on buildings for landmark and road names for direction. Hubby's on the phone talking with a business contact right after we enter the island through Penang Bridge. How to give direction like that? Maybe I should be the one driving.
We ended up at a not so familiar road so I asked him to stop while I try to look at the map. Maps can be deceiving. It may be on the same road but the map didn't show whether it's one-way or two-way road and there are many small roads which can make finding the right turning a headache. Hubby's Garmin can be unreliable sometimes with message "Awaiting better satelite reception" for minutes and minutes and even hours. Probably difficult to detect the satellite on cloudy days.
Anyway, we found our way after about half an hour of driving around. The hotel and the room is acceptable but we have two complains.
Berjaya Georgetown Hotel is a 4-star hotel. It didn't have wifi in its room. You have to go to their hospitality center and pay for the wifi service. RM5 per hour, RM15 for half a day and RM25 for one day. We have stayed in many smaller hotels in the East Coast and the hotels provide a free wifi service. Can't a 4-star hotel afford giving their customers free wifi service?
I thought Penang is getting wifi-ed. Is it not working yet? Hubby and I paid for one hour service for ourselves and I later discovered a free wifi connection. Hubby tried the same connection earlier but it didn't work. Connected but no internet access. Lucky us it worked after that and we use it to our hearts content.
I hate going to hotels where they don't send iron to your rooms. I want to do my ironing in my pyjamas. Not fully clothed with tudung in a hot room. And for hotels with ironing rooms or area, some make it convenient for you by having ironing room on every floor. Some make your life difficult by putting it on one floor only. Berjaya Georgetown Hotel falls under the later categories.
They provide two ironing rooms for male and female but the female ironing room is locked. I ended up using the male ironing room. If you can't afford to send iron and ironing board to individual rooms, at least make sure the iron and ironing board looks decent. This is what I found. May I double check if this is a 4-star hotel or hostel?
Hubby didn't get to try Nasi Kandar on our first trip to Penang together so I'm making sure he gets one this time. Hubby has something going on with Mamak food hehehe... I remember when we just knew each other, it was fasting month and whenever I ask what he's getting for breaking of fast, his answer was always beriani from our now favorite Mamak restaurant. Other than breakfast where you can also get toasted bread or nasi lemak from the Mamak restaurant, no continuous Mamak food for me please.
We make our way to Penang Road. I'm quite familiar with that area. Later that night, hubby's craving for Pasemboq so we make our way to Gurney Drive. We reached there at midnight and the hawkers were already packing. We saw a fire show by the road side but hubby didn't stop long. He's probably worried he didn't get to taste any Pasemboq that night. Luckily, the stalls at Padang Kota Lama still opens. I also thought that was the first time we went out at midnite to eat something. specifically went out to find food that is.
The next day after hubby's meeting, we went to Penang Road again for Nasi Kandaq lunch at a different restaurant. I started the drive home while hubby dok lepak tersandaq after eating the nasi kandaq :) Hubby's a light sleeper. He's very sensitive to braking. That would wake him up. I almost reached G. Semanggol when hubby woke up. He asked if we've left the bridge. Hubby must have not thought he could sleep that long so soundly while I drive. Could be due to the nasi kandaq or our late night out the night before.
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