The DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Penang is a family and eco friendly resort in Penang, a peninsula in northwestern Malaysia. Like Kuala Lumpur and Langkawi, Penang is one of the most popular travel destination of Malaysia, especially for leisure travel. Hilton has a couple of hotels in Malaysia that are bookable for just 10,000 points per night and the DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Penang is one of them. The resort was formerly known as the Hydro Majestic Hotel. Hilton took over the property back in 2018 and has re-branded it to the DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Penang. Myself, I stayed at the resort for 5 nights in late 2019 as part of a trip through southeastern Asia.
Lobby And Check In
After my flight from Langkawi landed at Penang International Airport, I took a Grab to the hotel. The DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Penang is located in Batu Ferringh, a town in the most northern part of the peninsula with is about 45 minutes from the airport by car. The resort is about 20 minutes from George Town, the biggest town on the island. While there is a bus stop in front of the hotel building, I recommend to take a taxi or grab as buses run quite infrequently here. While the resort doesn’t offer a valet service, self-service parking is offered at no additional charge. At the entrance, I was warmly welcomed by two bellboys who accompanied me to the check in desk.
The check in agent welcomed me as a Gold member and told me that I could directly access my room. I was upgraded to a King Deluxe Room. Other benefits that I got as a Gold member were complimentary breakfast and free afternoon tea from 3pm until 4pm daily. As in all DoubleTree hotels, I also received the well-known American cookie. After I received my key card, I walked through the lobby to take the elevator to my room.
King Deluxe Room
My King Deluxe Room was located at the 8th floor. I was surprised about the big size of the room, especially compared to hotel rooms in big cities. The room is nicely decorated with lights and some paintings on the walls. In front of a comfortable kingsize bed, I found a flat screen T.V. on the wall. On each side of the bed, there are nightstands, each with a small drawer and there is an outlet above each nightstand.
On the left side of the bed was a sofa and work desk where I found my welcome gift while on the right side of the bed was a closet nook and luggage rack. Other facilities in the room I found were a safe, iron and hair dryer. My room also featured a balcony and although most rooms don’t offer great views on the beach, I liked my view on the skyscrapers. On the balcony I found 2 chars and a table.
Bathroom
The bathroom features a toilet and single sink with Crabtree & Evelyn amenities like soap, shampoo, shower gel and also toothbrushes. Below the sink were towels and washcloths. Next to the sink is is a shower stall with a handheld showerhead and an overhead rainfall shower head. I missed the amenities like shampoo and shower gel here. The King Deluxe Room doesn’t feature a bathtub.
Facilities
While the DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Penang doesn’t offer an executive lounge, Gold and Diamond members have access to free afternoon tea which is served in the lobby from 3pm till 4pm daily. After the waiter took my order, we started a conversation about my plans in Penang. I recommended me to visit Penang Hill and the Kumar Tower in George Town. Although the hotel also offers tours, I decided to go there on my own the next day. Apart from the complimentary afternoon tea, Diamond members have access to nightly Diamond Hour which is from 6pm to 7pm in the Axis Lounge
After the afternoon tea, I went outside to see what else the resort has to offer. The swimming pool is opened from 6am till 6pm and is surrounded by pool chars and even cabanas can be found here. The cabanas tend to get claimed early each day so be quick! There is also a kid-friendly pool and teddy bear-themed museum and on the other side of the pool is a kids club. After I was settled poolside. I instantly was offered a towel and took a seat to order a cocktail. From here I had a wonderful view on a couple of skyscrapers. Hilton provides free wifi to Honors members who are booking directly. While the wifi worked great in my room, the connection was a bit slow at the pool.
Wanna go to the beach? The hotel and pool area are directly connected to the beach by a bridge. Bring your key card when you go to the beach to open the gate. While the beach is called ‘Miami Beach’, it doesn’t really look like the Miami Beach in Florida.. Other facilities that the hotel offers are a business center, a gym with spa and massage facilities on the first floor and a grab-to-go food store in the lobby with snacks and sandwiches that is opened from 8am until 8pm daily. The resort offers 24-hour room service.
Restaurants
The resort only offers one restaurant: the Makan Kitchen. This restaurant is located next to the swimming pool and guests can eat either inside or outside with view on the pool. Breakfast is served from 6:30am till 10:30 daily and is free for Gold and Diamond members. The buffet offers a wide selection of both Asian and western food. There is an egg station and I could order hot pancakes every morning. I experienced an excellent service here every morning and was regularly asked for another drink at my seat.
Lunch time is every day from noon to 2:30pm and dinner time from 6:30pm till 10:30pm. The menu offered a wide selection of food, especially Asian dishes. There is also a special kids menu. Myself, I went for an Asian meal with a delicious red wine. Sometimes, the hotel also offers BBQ with buffet service.
DoubleTree Resort By Hilton Penang Bottom Line
I had an enjoyable stay at the DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Penang. I like the location of the resort between the skyscrapers and the beach. The resort offers spacious and comfortable rooms with everything you need for a perfect stay. However, there is no executive lounge but luckily afternoon tea facilities are offered in the lobby. Although the rooms offer a balcony, the views aren’t faced to the beach. The wifi worked perfectly everywhere in the hotel but the connection was a bit slow at the pool area unfortunately. The resort offers all the facilities you’d normally expect from a 4-star resort like pool area with access to the beach, spa and massage facilities and restaurants with delicious food.
Keep in mind that apart from the beach, there isn’t much to do around as the resort is located in a primarily residential area. There are plenty of activities to do on the island itself though like on Penang Hill and in George Town. Everywhere at the resort, I experienced a friendly and proactive service. This is a nice resort to stay at, especially when traveling with kids. However, it’s maybe not the perfect beach hotel to stay at. I like the price-point of the resort. I stayed here by redeeming 40,000 Hilton points for 5 nights but the resort is also an interesting option when paying in cash as rates aren’t that high compared to similar resort in the region.
Click here to book your stay at the DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Penang
General Hilton Honors Tips
- Always check and register for the latest Hilton Honors promotions
- Check the complete guide for Hilton Honors to get the most out of the program.
Have you ever stayed at the DoubleTree Resort By Hilton Penang or are you planning to stay here? Let me know your thoughts and questions in the comments below.
