Pages

Monday, January 31, 2011

Berjaya Megamall roof, Kuantan

On an overcast yet bright morning on 23rd October, 2010, I ventured up to the roof of Berjaya Megamall in Kuantan to find some decent views of the town. I love to explore and go to places where not many people have been. I don't know if the roof of Berjaya Megamall is a popular parking space for customers, but on this morning it was deserted. It looked as though it had been abandoned and thus conveyed a somewhat eerie feeling upon me. I had to climb up the wall onto a ledge which was perilously close to the edge of the mall in order to get some shots of Kuantan town from up high. I held on tightly to my Panasonic Lumix DMC-F2! I did get great views of three of Kuantan's most prominent hotels - the Vistana, M.S. Garden, and the yet-to-be completed Zenith Hotel.



The Views




The Zenith Hotel continues its rise beside East Coast Mall



Though the clouds were blocking any direct sunlight, I still had to squint due to the brightness of the sky








The Citiview Hotel is not so renowned but provides a decent view of the Kuantan River







The Roof













The all-white Vistana Hotel sits 5-minutes drive from Kuantan town







The M.S.Garden Hotel is located right beside Berjaya Megamall





































Sunday, January 30, 2011

Chinese New Year Artwork





Chinese New Year is just around the corner and my English student, 11-year-old Michelle Leo, drew and coloured this magnificent picture for me! I think it's just fantastic! So great that it made it onto my blog!






Thursday, January 27, 2011

Printz Houz Kuantan

I had a nice first time at Printz Houz here in Kuantan today. I have been meaning for quite some time to make some new business cards. On a few occasions I have met people and have been a little embarrassed to search through my wallet only to find (or remember) that I'm out of business cards. So eventually I got the problem resolved this afternoon. I had noticed Printz Houz a couple of months ago in a new shoplot on Jalan Bukit Sekilau, but had never found the time to go and check it out.

Printz Houz is like a half shop close by a 7 Eleven outlet. I was served there by Sheila Marzuki, who spoke very good English, even though she thought otherwise! I am always wondering how conversations will go when I approach new places and people in Kuantan, Malaysia. Thankfully Sheila spoke very well and we had no problem in deciding a business card for me. After a couple of modifications, my new business card features a black background with white lettering on the front, and a lovely sunset background on the back along with details about my blog.

I'm delighted with the results, these are the best business cards I've ever had. I ordered 200 cards for RM48, with information on both the front and back and including colour. The service was wonderfully fast as well, taking only 40 minutes to be ready for me to pick up. So I'm really happy today, thanks to Printz Houz.

Here is their blog if you are interested to use their services: printzhouz.blogspot.com

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Zenith Hotel room video tour

So here is room 605 in the Zenith Hotel. This is where we stayed last week and we found it to be a very comfortable and pleasant stay. Hope you enjoy this little tour.




Monday, January 24, 2011

Video Tour of Zenith Hotel Kuantan Ground Floor

Here is the Zenith Hotel's Ground Floor in Kuantan. Enjoy the walk-through with my daughter, Lauren!







The Zenith Hotel is Kuantan's new luxurious 5-star hotel located in the town centre, a moment's walk from East Coast Mall and Putra Square.

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Our stay at Zenith Hotel, 20-21 January, 2011

We enjoyed a pleasant stay at the Zenith Hotel from 20th to 21st January, 2011. We had been offered a free stay by the General Manager Jerina Foong, so we decided to take up the offer on Fie's birthday, the 20th. We were greeted by an impeccably dressed and spoken man at the front desk, by the name of Razif. He welcomed us warmly, was polite in language and demeanour, and swiftly checked us in and escorted us to our room. First impressions are extremely weighty, and I'm delighted to announce that Razif gave us a wonderful introduction to our stay at the Zenith Hotel!


The lobby area and front desk



View across the lobby and out the front window, where East Coast Mall stands nearby


We reached our room on the 6th floor, and after exploring the room we found it to be satisfactory - king size bed, flat screen TV, view of the swimming pool, lovely large windows, modern bathroom. I like to describe the Zenith Hotel as 'Simply beautiful and beautifully simple.' There was a fridge that didn't get very cold, and a technician later told us that the ventilation needs some rethinking. As does the drain in the bathroom, which after a few showers, did become rather smelly. The Zenith Hotel is by no means complete, with only the first nine floors currently ready for service. Floors ten until twenty-three are still under construction, so it is a trial-and-error process the hotel is going through right now. I am sure that when the Zenith Hotel is fully finished, it will be worth another stay and review!


The table with complimentary newspapers



Unique flower and limes table decoration


A plate of fruit was provided



I was very impressed with the lovely large windows giving a view of the pool and the Kuantan landscape

Enjoyed a couple of hot baths here

The great shower

Modern bathroom sink, tap and mirror


However, there were far too many positives which greatly outweighed the little concerns we discovered. The shower was the best I've ever had in a hotel, refreshing, reinvigorating, I didn't want to come out. We were determined to make the most of our stay, so we quickly got dressed in the night gowns and slippers provided in the room and prepared to go to the swimming pool.






Fie and Lauren enjoy the pool while I show off the Zenith Hotel slippers!

I spent a short while relaxing before I went for a dip in the pool





The birthday girl!


Fidelia in action in the pool


Nice view of the swimming pool deck


Cooling off under the shower by the pool


View of the Zenith Hotel's iconic arc


"3 going on 15," as Jerina puts it, Lauren revels in ordering food on the room phone!



The key card which is used to gain access to the rooms from floor 5 and above in the elevators

We stayed in room 605


The elevators on the 6th floor


View of the carpet lining the hallways on the 6th floor


The sunlight bursts in through a corner window on the 6th floor of Zenith Hotel

Central chamber of Zenith Hotel on the 6th floor, which escalates up to the top giving the observer a view right up through the ceiling at the 23rd floor.


Looking down on the Zenith Hotel swimming pool from the 9th floor


Another view of Kuantan from the 9th floor corner window of Zenith Hotel

Entrance to the ballrooms on the 3rd floor of Zenith Hotel, which are located at the adjoining Sultan Ahmad Shah International Convention Centre (SASICC)


A worm's eye view of the ceiling lighting in the ballrooms


An intriguing list of souvenirs one can purchase from rooms in the Zenith Hotel


The west-facing rooms have a delightful view of the sunset on nights like these:






I went back home, a 5-minute walk up the road, for my tuition class from 8-10pm, then returned and decided to call the operator about room service. We ordered a French Fries at 10:53pm and it duly arrived 17 minutes later at 11:10pm, very quick service! I don't think I've ever paid RM17.40 for a plate of French Fries, but when you're staying at a hotel, prices don't seem to be that important - for me it's just enjoying the moment because it's not every day you'll be staying at a hotel!





Lauren found an extremely long chip!


Certainly one of the longest I've ever come across!


The next morning, from the east-facing corner window on the 9th floor, I captured this sunrise:







The sun breaks through the clouds to begin a new day


The complimentary buffet breakfast was delightful; I particularly enjoyed this feast on my plate.


One thing I would say by way of constructive criticism is for somebody to adjust the air conditioning so guests don't feel like they are freezing in the dining room. Maintaining a comfortable temperature would be the final ingredient for a lovely dining experience in the Dining Room.

We went out for one final foray into the swimming pool after we watched a movie in our room:

Yes, my wife joked that the Zenith Hotel night gown looks rather like a kung-fu jacket, so here's the pose! I thought the night gown was great, and I enjoyed wearing it in our room and en route to the pool and back.


My wife and daughter have a "kick-around" in the pool


Water flows off the edge of the pool where it is recycled back in


We really enjoyed the swimming pool at Zenith Hotel

One last picture poolside in the fantastic Zenith Hotel night gowns

I would definitely stay at the Zenith Hotel again and advise anyone around Kuantan, or planning a visit to Kuantan, to come and sample the luxury and good service at the Zenith Hotel. Kuantan is experiencing unprecedented growth and the Zenith Hotel is a great symbol and icon of this development.



The Zenith Hotel: Beautifully simple and simply beautiful