Penang is one of our favorite regional destinations.  Aside from being my hubby David’s hometown, Penang has many unique experiences to offer families apart from its famous hawker fare.

In this recent September trip back, we wanted to stay in the city for a change instead of the usual beachfront Batu Ferringhi area as I was keen to do some ‘café-hopping’. However, hotels downtown are not only costlier and few are big enough to fit a family of 5 (the kids’ Penang Grandma usually joins us).  Fortunately, I chanced upon excellent TripAdvisor reviews of the newly opened Jazz Hotel Penang that is right at the fringe of the city which boasts of a Jazz Suite which can house 3 Adults and 2 Kids comfortably. Directly opposite the hotel is a huge TESCO mall. I was sold.

Jazz Hotel Penang is part of a chain of hotels owned by local Malaysian group, Vouk Management Group. Housed in a 30-storey brand new building just a short 5-mins drive from Gurney Drive, Jazz Hotel Penang features 259 spacious rooms and suites.  With 3 distinctly themed eateries and a roof top lap pool and gym, it is a self-contained hotel that has much to offer families seeking a clean, comfy and affordable hotel accommodation in Penang. It’s proximity to TESCO, the local supermarket makes it extra convenient for families with kids.

Jazzy Arty Vibes:

Think of the word Jazz and what comes to mind would be the relaxed yet creative music.  This is the kind of vibes travellers get when entering Jazz Hotel Penang. Right at the lobby, we were greeted by tasteful jazz memorabilia displayed on the wall, along with witty quotes and a youthful, lively crew.    

The friendly staff checked us in and we were escorted to our Jazz Suite by the helpful porter who gave us a brief intro to the hotel.  Nothing too stiff and formal here, the relaxed vibes is perfect for vacations.

The Jazz Suite:

The first word the kids uttered when we entered was ‘Wow! So spacious!’  The Jazz Suite is make up of 3 standard sized hotel rooms joined into one with the middle being the living and dining room. Bedding was fresh, lush and comfortable. One room comes with a king-sized bed while the other room comes with two twin beds. 

The well-appointed suite was spotlessly clean (a big plus in my book!). It comes with 3 smart LED TVs with complimentary in-house local channels and complimentary pay-to-view movies on demand (the kids watched several Disney movies). Within the suite are 2 large bathrooms (with bath tubs!) and in-room amenities that could easily rival those of international 5-star hotels. The living room is comfy and inviting, enticing us to slow down, rest and relax during our family vacation.   

Dining Options:

Having a good restaurant in a hotel is always welcomed.  It gives travellers the option to dine-in when we are too tired or lazy to head out, or when the weather is unfavourable. The hotel features 3 distinct themed restaurants consisting of the main buffet restaurant ‘Jazz Feast’, a Japanese restaurant ‘Kitano@Jazz’ and ‘Strings & Sax’, a jazz bar that offers live music performances nightly in an informal setting.

Kitano@Jazz:

The reputation of ‘Kitano@Jazz’ precedes itself. Whether by word-of-mouth or via the web, the restaurant is known for its quality Japanese cuisines. We decided to lunch-in on our final day of the trip before we leave for the airport.  Upon entering and taking our seats, we saw a long table of Japanese guests making merry.  That is a testament of the quality of the food – that even the Jap locals dine here.

The set lunches caught our eye, as it seemed to offer a good value. We ordered a few sets to share, including soft-shell crab, grilled salmon and even pan-seared beef.  Each lunch set comes complete with a small plate of fresh salmon sashimi, miso soup, Japanese rice and fruits.

The food quality was very good.  The sashimi was fresh while the mains, particularly the beef was very flavorful.  Service was friendly and prompt.  We were glad we dined there as it gave the kids time to catch up with their Penang Grandma over a nice Japanese meal.

Jazz Feast Restaurant:

This is the hotel’s main restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner buffet. For breakfast, the options are generous, spanning western continental to local Malaysian breakfast staples. As with most hotel breakfast, it is self-service. We especially recommend the Roti Canai (prata) with Dhal Curry, Curry Mee (very delicious) and not forgetting the Nasi Lemak (the sambal is shiok!).   

For dinner, Jazz Feast serves both ala-carte as well as themed buffets. On the Friday evening when we arrived, we tried their weekly themed buffet – the Kochabi Delights. ‘Kochabi’ loosely translated from Penang Hokkien dialect, meaning ‘Old-School Taste’ offers a range of classic local food prepared the traditional way. Helmed by famous local chef, Bob Lee, the menu here include deceptively like everyday dishes but they pack a punch in flavor. These include traditional Hainanese Chicken Rice, Hainanese Spring Roll, Kapitan Chicken and Sambal Sotong.  There was even a variety of local old-school desserts to choose from.  What a meal to warm our hearts and bellies.

We found the buffet to be really delicious. The chicken rice was so well prepared with flavourful chunks of chicken. The hubby loved the Hainanese Spring Roll (with yam inside!), as it evoked fond childhood memories for him.  All of us loved the Chicken Kapitan and the traditional herbal soups.  The Sambal Sotong was also worthy of mention as it’s cooked fresh ala teppanyaki style.  To top it off, while we were dining,  the chef himself even gave a live cooking demo of the Chicken Kapitan dish which instantly saw diners leaving their tables and whipping out their smart phones to record the demo.  Good homely food, good company and that special communal vibe, this is what eating in Penang is about and we had it right here on our first night at the Jazz Hotel Penang.

Level 30:

Right at the top of the hotel is the swimming pool and gym.  The pool consists of two parts – one wading pool for younger kids and larger pool for the rest.  Depth of the pool is constant at about 1.5 metres which meant that parents with young swimmers need not worry too much about the kids getting off at a deep end.  

Next to the pool is the gym with a good range of fitness equipment.  The gym offers a good view of the sea because Moms and Dads need that extra motivation to exercise off those calories from all that good Penang food. 

Letter to the GM:

We cannot tell you how much we enjoyed our stay at the Jazz Hotel Penang.  With your staff’s warm and approachable service, clean, comfy, spacious accommodation and excellent in-house dining options, the hotel is virtually an all-in-one oasis for travellers to rest, relax and reconnect.

The city-fringe location offers good value-for-money accommodation while not being too far from beach and city destinations.  We heard that there are plans to offer shuttle-bus services to nearby landmark locations. When that materializes, it would be another advantage to an already very good hotel.

This is one of the rare Penang hotels where both our kids feel really sad to say goodbye to. See pic here (my little boy doesn’t want to leave). We have experienced such wonderful hospitality and certainly hope to be back soon.

JAZZ HOTEL PENANG

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No. 1, Jalan Seri Tg Pinang, Seri Tanjung Pinang, 10470 Tanjung Tokong, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia [5 mins away from the famous Gurney Drive]

Tel: +60 4-375 3333

EXCLUSIVE GIVEAWAY:

Thanks to our sponsor, we are giving 1 loyal reader the chance to experience a 2D1N Stay in an Executive Suite with Breakfast (for 2 Adults) at Jazz Hotel Penang.

T&C’s

• Valid for stays between 01 Jan 2020 – 30 June 2020.
• Guests over 12 years old are classified as adults and then the third person supplement applies for the extra bed + breakfast.
• Reservation to be confirmed by the resort reservations team and is subject to the availability of the resort.
• This prize is strictly non-transferrable and non-extendable.

To participate, simply:

1. LIKE AND FOLLOW Jazz Hotel Penang FB and Life’s Tiny Miracles FB.

2. COMPLETE the steps in this Mandatory Giveaway Widget (opens in a new window).

The giveaway ends 16 November 2019 (2359 hrs) and is open to readers in Singapore. The winner will be contacted via FB inbox and will have 24 hours to respond, failing which a new winner will be drawn. All steps must be completed and incomplete entries will be disqualified. Please note that all Facebook accounts (e.g. accounts set up purely to take part in contests with no or few authentic posts) will be disqualified. Please note that T&Cs and blackout dates apply. All the best!