Gurney Bay Hotel was formerly the Evergreen Laurel Hotel Penang, a property that had been around for decades before Pan Pacific Hotels Group took over management in September 2024 and rebranded it under the PARKROYAL flag. It’s now part of the GHA Discovery programme, which was the main reason we ended up booking it for a short trip to Penang.
We booked a Superior Cityview Room for four nights through the hotel’s direct booking channel. The rate wasn’t anything special, just a standard flexible rate, but what we ended up getting was significantly more than what we paid for. That’s largely thanks to how the property treats its GHA Discovery members.
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Location
Gurney Bay Hotel sits right on Persiaran Gurney, also known as Gurney Drive, one of the most recognisable stretches of waterfront in Penang. If you’ve been to Penang before, you’ll know this area. Gurney Plaza and Gurney Paragon are both within walking distance, which gives you access to a reasonable range of dining and shopping options without needing to hail a Grab.
Georgetown proper is about 10 to 15 minutes away by ridehail, depending on traffic. It’s not walkable in the Penang heat unless you’re particularly determined, but it’s close enough that popping over for a meal or to explore the heritage zone is easy and cheap.
The esplanade directly outside the hotel makes for a decent evening walk. There’s a stretch of seafront promenade that gets fairly lively after sundown, with locals out exercising and hawker stalls further down the road. It doesn’t feel isolated from the rest of the city, which matters. Some of the beach resorts further north along Batu Ferringhi can feel quite cut off, and that’s not what we were after for this trip.
The drive from Penang International Airport takes about 40 to 45 minutes, depending on traffic.
Check-in
We got to the hotel late. Much later than planned, in fact. There had been a massive influx of passengers at the airport that evening, and waiting for our turn at the immigration counters ate into our schedule significantly. By the time we pulled up to the hotel, it was well past 12am.
Despite the late arrival, check-in was handled quickly and efficiently. The front desk staff were friendly and professional. Here’s where GHA Titanium status started paying off: we were informed that we’d been upgraded from our booked Superior Cityview Room to a Premier Seaview Room on a higher floor. That’s a jump of two room categories, and crucially, it meant we’d be waking up to actual sea views rather than a cityscape.
For context, we hold GHA Titanium status, which is the programme’s top tier. Titanium is relatively easy to obtain right now. Visa Infinite cardholders get it automatically through a partnership with GHA, and there’s also a Mastercard route. It’s one of those status matches that’s almost too good to be true, and this stay demonstrated exactly why it’s worth activating if you haven’t already.
The front desk also mentioned that the Tiffin Set promotion applied to our booking. We hadn’t booked the specific rate that advertises this (we were on a regular rate), so this was unexpected. More on this later, because it turned out to be one of the highlights of the stay.
We were told the complimentary minibar was stocked with Coke and Sprite, and that free beer was available on request too, though we didn’t end up taking them up on that offer. Still, good to know it’s there.
The room
The Premier Seaview Room we were upgraded to measures 35 sqm. For those keeping score, that’s a reasonable size for a hotel of this category in Penang. Not enormous, but certainly more than adequate for a short stay.
The room came with a king bed, a work desk, a sofa area, and a wardrobe. Let me walk through each section.
The king bed was comfortable. Nothing to write home about in terms of the mattress or linens. It’s not going to compete with what you’d find at a luxury hotel, but it was perfectly fine for our four nights here. The pillows were decent, and we slept well despite checking in late.
The general layout of the room is straightforward. You enter into a small foyer area, with the bathroom to one side and the main room opening up ahead. It’s a classic mid-range hotel layout.
A fruit platter was already set up by the sofa area when we arrived, a GHA Titanium perk. It’s not the most extravagant welcome amenity I’ve seen, but the gesture is appreciated, and the fruit was fresh.
The sofa area deserves a specific mention because it’s genuinely larger than what you’d expect at this price point. There’s enough space to sit comfortably, have a drink, and unwind without feeling like you need to retreat to the bed. At a lot of hotels in this category, the “sofa” is more of a chair wedged into a corner. Here, it actually feels like a proper seating area. That was a pleasant surprise.
The TV works, but it looks dated. The panel itself is older, and the interface feels like it hasn’t been updated in a while. This is one of those areas where you can tell the property is still transitioning from its Evergreen Laurel days. It’s perfectly watchable for catching the news or having something on in the background, but it’s not going to impress anyone who’s used to the smart TV setups at newer properties.
The work desk is well-positioned by the window and usable enough if you need to get some work done. There are power outlets within reach, and the chair isn’t exactly very comfortable for longer work sessions. I wouldn’t want to spend an entire day here, but for checking emails or handling something quick, it’s fine.
Standard coffee and tea sachets are provided, along with bottled water. Nothing remarkable. Your usual Nescafé and BOH tea selection. If you’re particular about your coffee, you’ll want to head downstairs or order from the restaurant.
The wardrobe is a decent size, enough for a few days’ worth of clothes, which is really all you’d need for a short Penang trip. There’s a safe deposit box inside, which is standard. Hangers, an iron and ironing board are provided.
The bathroom was clean and well-maintained. In terms of design, it’s nothing particularly modern or eye-catching, but it was spacious enough and, importantly, came with a bathtub. That’s a nice touch at this price point, as a lot of comparable hotels in Penang only offer walk-in showers.
No bath salts were provided, which was a small miss. I’m not sure whether these are available on request (we didn’t ask), but it would be a simple and inexpensive addition that would elevate the experience slightly. The shower pressure was good, and towels were fresh and plentiful.
Since we checked in so late, we didn’t actually see the views until the next morning. And when we pulled back the curtains, honestly, they were really good.
The sea view from the Premier Seaview Room is not one of those “technically you can see water if you lean out at a 45-degree angle” situations. It’s proper, unobstructed sea views. The water is right there, directly opposite the hotel, with the Gurney Drive promenade below and the Straits of Malacca stretching out ahead. On a clear morning, it’s the kind of view that makes you want to linger over your coffee rather than rush out the door.
This is, honestly, the view that made the upgrade worthwhile. Had we stayed in the Superior Cityview Room we booked, the experience would have been fine but forgettable. The seaview room elevated the entire stay.
The facilities
Gym
The gym is properly equipped. Not just a token pair of dumbbells and a treadmill from 2008. There’s a reasonable mix of cardio machines and free weights, enough that you could get a meaningful workout in without having to improvise. It won’t rival a dedicated fitness club, but for a hotel gym in this category, it’s above average.
Pool
The pool is a decent size and well-maintained. It’s not a sprawling resort-style infinity pool, so don’t come here expecting Batu Ferringhi vibes, but it’s pleasant enough to spend an afternoon at. Whether you’re doing a few laps or just floating around, it serves its purpose. The poolside area has enough loungers, and it wasn’t overcrowded during our stay.
Jacuzzi
The jacuzzi is well-kept and positioned near the pool area, together with the sauna. After eating your way through Penang all day (and trust me, you will), it’s a welcome way to wind down in the evening before heading out for another round.
Dining experience
This was the surprise of the stay, and it deserves a detailed write-up.
We had booked a regular rate. No dining add-ons, no special packages. So when we found out at check-in that the complimentary Tiffin Set promotion applied to our booking, it was already a bonus we hadn’t expected.
We headed down to The Café for dinner that evening. The Tiffin Set is typically structured as a lunch offering, so when the restaurant manager came over and offered to put us on the full dinner buffet instead, we weren’t going to say no. My best guess is that the Tiffin Set format simply doesn’t translate well to the evening service, which runs as a buffet anyway, so rather than try to cobble together a tiffin set during dinner hours, they just upgraded us to the full spread. Either way, it was a generous call on their part and we appreciated the flexibility.
Now, the buffet itself. Let me be specific here, because this genuinely caught us off guard.
The spread included lobster, fresh seafood, crab, and sashimi. The kind of items you’d expect at a standalone seafood restaurant, not as part of a hotel dinner buffet that we’d stumbled into on a basic room rate. The quality was there too. This wasn’t dried-out buffet seafood that’s been sitting under heat lamps for hours. It was fresh, well-prepared, and regularly replenished.
There was a solid range beyond the seafood as well, including local Malay and Chinese dishes, Western options, and a dessert spread that was more than just an afterthought. For something we effectively got for free on a regular booking rate, the value here was exceptional.
If I had paid full price for this dinner buffet as a walk-in, I’d still have considered it good value. Getting it complimentary felt like a genuine windfall.
Breakfast
Breakfast is served at The Café as well, and the spread is large. There are live cooking stations running Penang char koay teow, an omelette station, and what appeared to be a roti canai station too, alongside a wide selection of both Asian and Western options.
The local stations are a thoughtful touch given where you are. You’re in Penang, the food capital of Malaysia. Having a proper char koay teow station at breakfast rather than just a generic continental spread shows that the hotel understands its audience.
The quality across the board was solid. The char koay teow had the right amount of wok hei, the nasi lemak was properly seasoned, and the Western options (eggs, bacon, pastries, cereal) were all fresh and well-stocked.
One word of warning: it gets crowded. Based on what we observed, it seems like the vast majority of guests take breakfast here, which makes sense given the quality and variety. If you want a comfortable table and first pick at the live stations, come down early. By mid-morning, you’ll be waiting for a table and the more popular items will be in between replenishments.
Concluding thoughts
Gurney Bay Hotel was a pleasant surprise. We went in with moderate expectations. This is a recently rebranded former Evergreen Laurel property that’s still in the process of transitioning to the PARKROYAL standard, and we came away feeling like we got significantly more than we paid for.
The hard product is showing its age in places. The TV looks dated, the room decor is uninspiring, and the bathroom amenities could use an upgrade. These are the kinds of things that will presumably improve as the property works through its renovation and rebrand, but for now, it’s clear that this is a hotel in transition.
Where the hotel overdelivered was in the soft product and the GHA Discovery benefits. The upgrade to the Premier Seaview Room transformed the stay. Those views are genuinely excellent and represent one of the better waterfront perspectives you can get in Penang at this price point. The surprise dinner buffet was outstanding in both quality and value. And the staff throughout, from the front desk to The Café, were consistently friendly and attentive.
For GHA Titanium members especially, this property punches well above its weight. The combination of a room upgrade, complimentary minibar, welcome amenity, and the Tiffin Set (which turned into a full dinner buffet) means you’re getting a lot of extras layered on top of an already reasonable room rate. It’s exactly the kind of stay where loyalty programme status delivers tangible, noticeable value.
Would I come back? Yes, specifically because of the dining and the sea views. The food alone makes it worth considering, and the location on Gurney Drive gives you easy access to the rest of Penang without being stuck in a resort bubble. As the property continues its transition under Pan Pacific’s management, I’d expect the hard product to improve further. For now, it’s a solid choice for a short Penang trip, and one that offers genuine value for GHA members.
