In 2019 the decision to go holidaying could be made at the drop of a sunhat. These days, families trying to decide whether they should leave the familiarity and safety of their own four walls, are often caught between a rock and a hard place.
The question used to be: does the hotel has enough to keep the family entertained? Nowadays, we also need to know that a hotel is doing all it can to keep you physically safe and well in these unique times.
Ready, set… go!
We set off from KL on the approximately four hour journey to the Hard Rock Hotel. It is based on the Batu Ferringhi beach in Penang. You’ll be pleased to hear that on this pretty much one long straight road you can squeeze in at least 154 games of i-spy.
As this was only the fourth time our children had left the compound in as many months, it was no mean feat to encourage them to get a move on. We crammed the suitcases to the brim with the usual essential holiday items. This time though we also made sure we had made enough room next to the beach toys for bucket loads of hand sanitiser and masks.
The hotel’s SOPs
As a parent hearing the measures the Hard Rock Hotel has put in place to keep guests safe was music to my ears. In my opinion the measures in place were reassuring without being over bearing. They did a great job of complying with the new government guidelines, using a combination of common sense and technology to deliver a safe and family friendly holiday.
This is what you can expect
- Staff is taking all guests’ temperatures before they can go into the hotel.
- Every morning before you go for breakfast, you’re given a wrist band to show you’ve passed the test.
- Hand sanitisers are placed in all public areas and rest rooms.
- A welcome pack is handed out with a face mask, hand wipes and sanitizer (in case you forgot yours in the panic to leave home).
- Two meter social distancing is adhered to wherever possible.
- Luggage is sanitized upon entering.
- Face masks are worn by all staff.
- You can go and choose from a wide range of breakfast foods but they are no longer self service, to reduce the need for guests to touch the same surfaces and be near each other.
- You need to put in a request if you want your room cleaned, to minimise the number of people going into your room once it has been sanitized.
- All menus are only available electronically to avoid them being passed around by guests.
- The spa area has also reopened (more on that later) masseurs wear gloves and a face mask throughout.
Hopefully you would find these measures as reassuring as I did, which will allow you to enjoy your stay. Once you’ve passed the all important temperature checks, it’s time to have fun! When it comes to activities to keep the whole family entertained, this hotel has a lot to shout about.
Kids Clubs, pools and beach
Not only is there a selection of cabanas, pools and slides to help the hours slip away; there’s not one but two kids clubs. The Roxity Kids Club is for younger children and you’re welcome to drop them off for an hour of me-time. The Tabu Teens Club offers table football, pool tables and even a range of electric guitars which they will let them loose on for no extra charge.
One of the most unique things you can do is swim underwater in one of the pools that play music continuously. However, if you fancy a change of scene from the hotel pools, you can enjoy the beach which is a stone’s throw away from the hotel. As this is a public beach, there is no lifeguard on duty.
We also tagged along on the free memorabilia tour that takes around 30 minutes. You will need to pre-book it, however you can easily do this at the hotel concierge. The Hotel and Hard Rock Café have an impressive range of guitars and clothing on display. It ranges from modern day pop idols such as Taylor Swift to long time legends like Elton John. Let it be known that as well as memorabilia, the place is literally crawling with tributes to 1960s megastars The Beatles, with statues and mosaic murals everywhere you look.
Rooms
What the Hotel has to offer by way of entertainment is important. However, much of the success of any holiday is also based on how inviting your accommodation is. So imagine how happy we were when we checked in to discover that we’d been upgraded to the John Lennon themed Roxity Kids Suite! It has a king bed for parents, plus a single bed and trundle bed for the kids. This room even has its own little courtyard with a little swing and slide set perfect for toddlers, There is also a Playstation 4, as well as music and movie entertainment delivered to the comfort of their own section of the suite.
The Rock Spa
Months of home schooling was, if I am honest, at times a complete pain in the neck. Now with weeks of school holidays stretching out ahead of me, I headed over to the parents club otherwise known as the Rock Spa. I was keen to check out for myself a full body massage in one of the private villas. I don’t know if it was due to the setting or the fact that I hadn’t experienced this indulgence for many a moon, but it was hands down the best massage I’ve ever hand. The masseur was wearing gloves and two masks, but I barely noticed. Well worth every ringgit!
Our family were big fans of all the Hard Rock Hotel had to offer. We particularly enjoyed all our meals at the Hard Rock Café, which is conveniently located next to the Hotel. We also loved the breakfast, especially the pancake, waffle and churro station. So if you’re looking for a family friendly hotel and want to find out more about the range of rooms and which facilities the Hard Rock Hotel Penang is currently offering, why not visit their website here.
This is a sponsored post. We stayed as guests of the Hard Rock Hotel. All opinions, as always, are honest and our own.
