Redang Beach Resort
The venue of the MEMS meeting was at the Laguna Beach Resort. Since it was fully booked, my sponsor very kindly arranged for us to stay at the nearest resort from the venue. We were booked at the Redang Beach Resort (RBR) which is just next to the Laguna. It's just a mere 5 minutes walk along the beach front to get from Laguna to RBR, but what a difference....it's like being transported to another time or world!
We experienced a minor culture shock when we first checked into the RBR. We had to walk past the Laguna to get to RBR and we were initially awed by the size and beauty of the Laguna. So we weren't prepared for what greeted us at the RBR. Compared to the Laguna, the RBR is well, to say the least, spartan.
Check in was pleasant enough. We reached at about noon and we were quickly handed the keys to our rooms after a briefing about the the do's and don'ts around the place. I was more than happy to get to my room, after a 40 minutes car ride, an hour plane ride, a half hour bus ride and finally a 45 minutes speed boat ride (which temporary altered all our hairstyles); but what I was dismayed when I finally got to my room. Well, that was my initial reaction anyway.
Like I said, the place is really spartan. The room had very very basic features. A bed, an air conditioner, 2 side tables by the bed, a table lamp, a dressing table that has seen better days, a tiny balcony (to sun my wet trunks), large maroon curtains covering the windows, a small dressing stool, a wardrobe, a safe (mine worked! Thank God!) and, and, and....well, that's it!
The bathroon had a shower head with warm water, a wash basin, a pail, a toilet and a soap dispenser. That's it.
There was no TV, mini bar, fridge, kettle, iron, chairs and tables, piped-in-music, carpeted flooring, little cute-sy bottles of shampoo, body lotion, soap, face towel, tissue box, bath tub, shower screen, shower cap, laundry bag...blah, blah,blah....you get what I mean. The Laguna had all these and much much more. I visited one of my friend's room (he stayed at the Laguna) and I was suitably impressed. One queen size bed with two single beds, all in one room. Enough for a family of 4 actually!
After getting over the initial horror that I don't have shampoo (my wife said no need to bring as all hotels provide them anyway) and no hot water for my coffee or tea, no drinking water, no fridge to keep some fruits, no...well, just about everything; I recovered my composure. Deficiencies can be remedied. I only wished the RBR website mentioned that these luxuries will not be provided.
But, to their credit, the room was clean, the air con working, the safe working, the locks working, in short, everything was spartan-ly nice. So, I bundled off to the store downstairs and bought a bottle of Pantene shampoo, a big bottle of mineral water, and a bottle of baby oil (for dry skin after swimming). Later I learnt that hot and cold river mineral water was available 24/7 at the canteen and ther's also unlimited supply of BOH tea and coffee sachets with sugar and milk powder. It's all D-I-Y here.
Will write more about the place later. A final note here....I think this is the first hotel that I have ever been to that has such a peculiar sign posted in the toilet. Advise against throwing sanitary pads into the bowl is pretty much routine, but condoms???? That's a new one!
The venue of the MEMS meeting was at the Laguna Beach Resort. Since it was fully booked, my sponsor very kindly arranged for us to stay at the nearest resort from the venue. We were booked at the Redang Beach Resort (RBR) which is just next to the Laguna. It's just a mere 5 minutes walk along the beach front to get from Laguna to RBR, but what a difference....it's like being transported to another time or world!
We experienced a minor culture shock when we first checked into the RBR. We had to walk past the Laguna to get to RBR and we were initially awed by the size and beauty of the Laguna. So we weren't prepared for what greeted us at the RBR. Compared to the Laguna, the RBR is well, to say the least, spartan.
Check in was pleasant enough. We reached at about noon and we were quickly handed the keys to our rooms after a briefing about the the do's and don'ts around the place. I was more than happy to get to my room, after a 40 minutes car ride, an hour plane ride, a half hour bus ride and finally a 45 minutes speed boat ride (which temporary altered all our hairstyles); but what I was dismayed when I finally got to my room. Well, that was my initial reaction anyway.
Like I said, the place is really spartan. The room had very very basic features. A bed, an air conditioner, 2 side tables by the bed, a table lamp, a dressing table that has seen better days, a tiny balcony (to sun my wet trunks), large maroon curtains covering the windows, a small dressing stool, a wardrobe, a safe (mine worked! Thank God!) and, and, and....well, that's it!
The bathroon had a shower head with warm water, a wash basin, a pail, a toilet and a soap dispenser. That's it.
There was no TV, mini bar, fridge, kettle, iron, chairs and tables, piped-in-music, carpeted flooring, little cute-sy bottles of shampoo, body lotion, soap, face towel, tissue box, bath tub, shower screen, shower cap, laundry bag...blah, blah,blah....you get what I mean. The Laguna had all these and much much more. I visited one of my friend's room (he stayed at the Laguna) and I was suitably impressed. One queen size bed with two single beds, all in one room. Enough for a family of 4 actually!
After getting over the initial horror that I don't have shampoo (my wife said no need to bring as all hotels provide them anyway) and no hot water for my coffee or tea, no drinking water, no fridge to keep some fruits, no...well, just about everything; I recovered my composure. Deficiencies can be remedied. I only wished the RBR website mentioned that these luxuries will not be provided.
But, to their credit, the room was clean, the air con working, the safe working, the locks working, in short, everything was spartan-ly nice. So, I bundled off to the store downstairs and bought a bottle of Pantene shampoo, a big bottle of mineral water, and a bottle of baby oil (for dry skin after swimming). Later I learnt that hot and cold river mineral water was available 24/7 at the canteen and ther's also unlimited supply of BOH tea and coffee sachets with sugar and milk powder. It's all D-I-Y here.
Will write more about the place later. A final note here....I think this is the first hotel that I have ever been to that has such a peculiar sign posted in the toilet. Advise against throwing sanitary pads into the bowl is pretty much routine, but condoms???? That's a new one!
posted by Jimbo @ 3/21/2006 12:23:00 PM
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