Update: This business has ceased its operations.
Copthorne Orchid Hotel Penang is a 4-star hotel along the main road of Tanjung Bungah. Perched on a cliff, the hotel opens up to Level 8 from the front entrance. There is a ramp in parallel to the front steps, making Copthorne Orchid accessible to guests with wheelchairs.
The lobby is furnished with mesmerizing marble surfaces, giving the place a sense of luxury. Next to the reception counter is a travel desk where car rental and guided tours can be arranged. The hotel also provides complimentary transportation to popular places in George Town and Batu Ferringhi.
The 318 rooms in Copthorne Orchid are divided into two “blocks”. The Terrace block is built against the cliff. Each room in this block faces the sea and has a private balcony. The balcony is a great place to enjoy the cooling breeze from the sea.
Meanwhile, the Tower block offers a bird’s eye view of the immediate vicinity.
My hotel room is located at the Terrace block. Compared to similar hotels in George Town, the rooms at Copthorne Orchid are quite spacious.
The attached bathroom has a bathtub; not something that you usually see in city hotels lately. Basic toiletries like toothbrush are provided.
The hotel offers 24-hour in-room dining. Guests may also patronize Terrace Bay Restaurant on Level 7. The restaurant is open round the clock and offers a range of Western and local fares. Every Saturday evening, the popular Nyonya Buffet Dinner is served.
Directly above Terrace Bay is Hu Ji Chinese Restaurant. This restaurant serves Taiwan Porridge Buffet Lunch on weekends and public holidays.
Being located next to the sea, Copthorne Orchid provides easy access to the sandy beach. This public beach is more secluded compared to the beach at Batu Ferringhi.
Speaking of water activities, there is a medium-size swimming pool on Level 7. The poolside deck is also a great place to catch a view of the Andaman Sea. The views during sunrise and sunset are particularly captivating.
Other hotel amenities include a gym, a convenience store and a spa center. As for guests who are staying with small children, there is an arcade games corner to keep them entertained. Wi-Fi connectivity is good in hotel rooms and the common areas. There is also an Internet center near the lobby.
In most cases, each hotel room includes complimentary breakfast for 2 persons. Breakfast is served at Terrace Bay between 6:00am and 10:30am. If breakfast is not included with the room, the walk-in price is RM35.00 per person.
Nothing defines breakfast more than sliced bread. White and wholemeal breads are available. Should guests prefer them toasted, there is a conveyor toaster too. Similarly, an electric oven allows guests to reheat their croissants and Danish pastries.
Terrace Bay offers a variety of spreads to go with bread. This includes strawberry jam, marmalade, honey, maple syrup, kaya (coconut jam) and butter.
Other traditional Western breakfast items include baked beans, sausages, hash browns and French toast. I feel that it is easy to overlook the egg omelette counter just beyond the glass doors.
As for breakfast cereals, there are corn flakes with fresh milk. Meanwhile, children may prefer Coco Crunch as it is sweeter. For health-conscious guests, natural yogurt and oatmeal porridge are excellent choices.
Nasi lemak is probably the most popular breakfast dish in Malaysia. The rice is cooked with coconut milk and pandan leaves, making its aroma appetizing indeed. Sambal tumis (chili sauce) is another essential ingredient when preparing nasi lemak. Also included are chicken curry, hard-boiled eggs, anchovies, peanuts and cucumber.
There is also a special counter for porridge. Guests are free to customize porridge according to their liking. Soy eggs (卤蛋), salted eggs and taukua (豆干) are the most popular. If the porridge appeals to your palate, check out the Taiwan Porridge Buffet Lunch at Hu Ji Chinese Restaurant on weekends and public holidays.
As for Penang-style hawker food, there is another counter for noodle soup. The chicken soup works best with an equal mixture of yellow noodle (黄面) and rice vermicelli (米粉). There are also fish balls, fishcake and bean sprouts to go with the noodles. Food is cooked by blanching the ingredients in a pot of boiling water.
Another noodle dish is the vegetarian fried koay teow. If you prefer to spice things up, I recommend adding sambal tumis from the nasi lemak counter.
The breakfast buffet also includes cut fruits. Free flow of drinks includes coffee, tea and juices.
To provide best room rates, Copthorne Orchid encourages its guests to book rooms through its official website. Members enjoy 10% discount and can collect loyalty points to be redeemed at any property under Millennium Hotels And Resorts. This hotel chain has over 120 properties in Southeast Asia and across the globe.
Name: Copthorne Orchid Hotel Penang
Address: Jalan Tanjung Bungah, 11200 Tanjung Bungah, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 04-892-3333
Business hours: 24 hours
Website: https://www.millenniumhotels.com/en/penang/copthorne-orchid-hotel-penang
Coordinates: 5.46687 N, 100.29211 E
Directions: Traveling westbound on Jalan Tanjung Bungah, make a U-turn after the pedestrian bridge near Dalat International School. After the U-turn, Copthorne Orchid Hotel Penang is roughly 100 meters past the pedestrian bridge. The hotel provides a limited number of outdoor and indoor parking.