Those who know me well also knows that I seldom stay in hotels when I travel, let alone a 5 star hotel. So when I found myself at the Lone Pine Hotel in Penang last February, I promised myself that I would put up a post on my stay here. I especially loved reminiscing about my visit here because I don’t usually get a chance to stay at such hotels.

I’ve got to admit that it did burn a hole in my pocket but well, I was there on bridesmaid duties for my friend’s wedding. For my friend, I was willing to splurge for my stay here even though my bridesmaid duties kept me busy enough that I had little time to enjoy the hotel to the fullest. Nevertheless, I made the best of my stay there.

For someone not used to such luxuries, I absolutely loved my room!

In fact, my first reaction to the room was to just dump my bag (I brought my backpack to a luxury hotel, oh the horror of it) and run circles around the room, quite literally because the whole room was an open concept. Luckily enough, the adult in me was able to suppress that kid in me, enough to wave the staff away from the room first (I got a personal escort to my room, imagine that!).

The room was big and the bed was huge! I couldn’t wait to sleep in it. Did I mention that I was solo on this trip as well? It just meant that I got that big, huge bed ALL to myself. Awesomeness.

The room had an outdoor balcony overlooking the sea, although you couldn’t really see that much from my room. And it was not just a little balcony, it was a big balcony which looked so inviting. I can just imagine sitting outside, having breakfast and listening to the birds.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to try that out because I was up at 5am the next day for the wedding preparations.

But! BUT! In a corner of the balcony, was a gem of a find.

For I found a private bathtub/ jacuzzi, right at the corner of the balcony! That’s like such a wonderful surprise to find! Trust me, there was no one around that could have seen you running around naked on the balcony. Although, maybe the gardeners could be in the gardens below?

Anyway, the bathroom was open on two sides which was why I wanted to run in circles in the room when I first arrived. You know, run in from the room into the bathroom, out the other door of the bathroom and into the doorway. Repeat.

I wish it had a bathtub for me to soak but I suppose that’s the whole point of the outdoor tub. I loved seeing myself in all the big mirrors in the bathroom. I even hosted a few of the other bridesmaid in my room for us to get ready for the wedding with plenty of mirror space for everyone. The hotel service was also impeccable, the staffs patiently assisting with my requests even as I was trying to get ready for the wedding.

I also loved the small details in the room or maybe I’m just not used to staying at 5-star hotels because everything was a special treat for me! They had a plate of fresh fruits in the room each day that I was there and they even provided proper slippers and beautiful sarong batik to use during my stay there.

The hotel didn’t have that many rooms though, it has only 90 rooms which makes the hotel small and intimate. I kept bumping into familiar faces at the breakfast buffet as the whole place was almost booked out for the wedding.

The wedding venue was utterly gorgeous under beautiful casuarina trees that were tall and beautiful. There were hammocks scattered among the trees, I would have loved to spend time there swaying under the trees. It also faced the sea and there is a small gate for guests who wishes to get on the beach.

Guests who booked the suites would also be able to watch the wedding from their own balconies as it directly opens to the area there. In fact, I distinctly remembered 2 guests casually sunbathing outside their suite on the grass even though there were a lot of people around that area trying to setup for the wedding. I imagine they would have made an awesome addition to the wedding photos if they had stayed on like that. 🙂

Overall, I had a most awesome and enjoyable time at the hotel even though I didn’t manage to explore all its facilities. I hardly stepped out from the hotel premises because we were busy preparing for the wedding. Being a bridesmaid is hard work it seemed. Nevertheless., it is still a very memorable stay for me and I treasure the time and memories at this hotel. 🙂

Have you had any memorable stay at any hotel? Please do share! 🙂