Planning a Trip to Genting soon? Here's what to expect, plus tips to help you plan your trip!
By Grace Myu - November 07, 2017
Hello my readers!
It's been awhile since my last update!
Today I'm going off beauty related and will be sharing something on travel and leisure instead
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To all my fellow Malaysians, when was the last time you've been to Genting?
You know, the place in the mountains where we would visit if we wanted some cold breeze?
Well, if you have not visited more than a year (like me), be prepared to be wowed when you next step onto their hills!
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Sky Avenue Mall opened its doors close to one year now and lots have changed since then. It has replaced First World Plaza, which was the shopping destination at Genting. Being the one who's late to the party, I still longed for a trip up to the hills to see what's new over there. Then Lady Luck decided to show up with a media invite for 2 pax, to join their latest event PLUS a staycation at Theme Park Hotel!
The event was to commemorate the opening of a new F&B Outlet in Sky Avenue Mall - Motorino. Hailed by the city of Brooklyn, Motorino is a pizza joint which is known for their Neopolitan pizzas!
Scroll down to see what went down up at Genting!
Brooklyn Day Out
Presenting at tickets at the counter for entry.
The venue of this event was located in a vacant area at Level 2, Sky Avenue Mall.
Our tickets to music and food!
Performers lined up for the day, to ensure we have a jolly good Brooklyn time!
This is how the newly open Brooklyn pizza joint, Motorino looks like.
(Credit: hitz.fm via Eric Goes To).
At the event, we were served with Motorino signature pizzas as well as chicken meatballs, chicken wings, popcorn and more.
Aside from the food and music, there were also other activities booth such as caricature, spray on tattoos and a dedicated photo booth for visitors to snap memories.
Shortly after the spending some time there, we adjourned to . . .
SkySymphony Winch Show
Location:
Genting Sky Avenue, Level 1
Time:
10am - 6pm (one show every two hours)
6pm - 12am (one show every hour)
Click the above video to watch a minute of SkySymphony's performance!
Some quick facts on these amazing Kinetic Balls
- SkySymphony is the largest permanent winch installation in Asia
- SkySymphony is the first multimedia winch attraction in Asia
- The three inaugural shows are Forest, Urban Symphony and The Goddess
- 1,001 winch balls are suspended from a four-storey high ceiling
- The fastest programmed winch speed is 17.5 meters in six seconds
This was only made official on 1 Sept 2017, so if you haven't seen it in person, this is definitely something you want to put on the bucket list!
By the end of the evening, we were seriously drained (no thanks to no sleep the night before).
We made our way to the newly refurbished . . . . .
Theme Park Hotel
Briefly known as Hotel on the Park (that was the name of this hotel when I checked in), this hotel is aptly named as it is conveniently located RIGHT NEXT TO 20TH CENTURY FOX THEME PARK (previously Outdoor Theme Park).
If you come in a group of friends and/or family, this is the hotel you should be looking out for as its location is very strategic once the theme park launches!
As Genting Highlands has many hotels in the vicinity, this hotel would be best suited for groups of 4-6 on a budget.
(There is currently no confirmed dates for the impending launch of 20th Century Fox Theme Park, but I'll keep you posted!)
There are currently two types of rooms at Theme Park Hotel:
Quads: 2 Queen size beds (suitable for 4 pax), 260 sqft
Sixers: 3 Queen size beds (suitable for 6 pax), 300 sqft
Room rates vary between seasons, but during off-peak season (non weekend / public holidays / school holidays) you can expect to pay RM200 for Quads and RM250 for Sixers.
The main attraction of this hotel has got to be the "upside down mirror", which features the exterior of a 3 storey building, which tricks your eyes the first time you see it!
Upon entering the hotel, all the vibes were churning towards Alice in Wonderland feels
(check out the huge stack of colourful teapots in the lobby for reference and larger than life bench).
Here's how our Quads room look --
Our current room view -
Colourful building is First World Hotel (most hotel rooms in Genting)
Construction works of 20th Century Fox Theme Park in progress.
☝🏻 Here's a mini-walkthrough of my Quads room ☝🏻
Click play to watch video.
Eatopia
Unfortunately, there is no convenience store located right inside Theme Park Hotel, you would have to take a walk to Sky Avenue to get to 7-Eleven. The only food option at Theme Park Hotel is the cafeteria on the Ground Floor called Eatopia.
Prices aren't exactly cheap compared to KL city pricing. A bottle of 500ml mineral water costs RM5 here (as opposed to RM2+ in KL).
There is a beautiful secret garden right behind the hotel so as you sit at Eatopia to eat, here's a glimpse of the scenery you would see -
Here's a glimpse of a Sixers room (additional bunk bed) -
So here's a compilation of Pros & Cons plus Tips I put together for a thorough expectation of staying here -
PROS
- Kitschy art makes me delightful for family and kids.
- Budget-friendly. RM200 for 4 pax (RM50/pax/night) OR RM250 for 6 pax (RM41+/pax/night)
- Good location, next to upcoming theme park (20th Century Fox)
- Everything is new and clean. Non-spooky ;D
- Everything comes in 4/6! Even cups, towels, slippers!
- The small fridge is great for storing leftover food and breastmilk.
- Fast response to customer service.
- Refillable coffee/tea/toiletries.
- Very good use of space/drawers/hangers
- Eatopia food is delicious. Nasi Lemak & pastries portions are generous.
- Not overly cold. There’s a fan with 5 speed settings. We used 1-2 for day/night awake; 3 for sleeping.
CONS
- Not much privacy. Separated by paper thin walls. Can hear neighbour kids and sneezing thru the walls.
- No guided tour available yet. Just have to rely on signboards. A lot of Genting shop staffs are friendly and helpful. Need to have estimation and distance for people with children/wheelchair/elderly.
- No takeout room service. Have to walk to Sky Avenue for food. For 24 hour food can go casino. Should make cafeteria (Eatopia) 24 hrs.
- No 24-hour convenience store/pharmacy within the hotel.
- F&B is expensive compared to KL. Bring your own cup noodles, snacks and water. Expect 20-30% increment from your usual F&B outlets.
- This hotel is located at the other end of Sky Avenue. Slightly long walking distance to F&B outlets (10-15 mins) and no buggy/van atm.
- Bottled Water is limited to 2 units additional. Gotta boil your own water if you don’t mind.
- Internet is free but slow. Make upgrade option available. No direct plugin for LAN cable available. However, Maxis line is great! But beware of Sky Avenue (crowded area), it’s not good.
- TV is a flat screen but the quality is just average. Also can’t utilize HDMI ports as it’s boxed up. Bring your own laptop/screen for in-room entertainment.
- I read online there is no car park for hotel guests?! Refer to http://michaelkesuma.com/review-hotel-on-the-park-genting/
Tips:
- Wear comfortable shoes. Genting is a place you need to walk a lot due to lack of buggies.
- Bring a warm jacket, esp rainy season / cold nights. Can survive daytime indoors (casino gamblers) but not if gonna walk outdoors.
- Sign up with Genting Rewards! Everything is cheaper and can earn/redeem points on the go! Can find those walking agents everywhere in Sky Avenue.
- Bring SPARE CASH. Credit/Debits cards are not yet widely accepted here, compared to KL. ATMs are always full of people, especially on weekends.
- Budget RM30-50 for a decent meal per person. Meals ~ RM100/day/person. Can save if bring own food/water. Eg. Nescafé can is RM7-9 per can compared to KL (RM2-3 per can). Cheapest water available in Watsons.
- Not much entertainment for children right now cos no outdoor theme park. The only available theme park is Indoor Theme Park, which consists of mostly arcades video games and some carnival-like games. Wait until the theme park is open in 2018/2019!
That sums up our staycation at Theme Park Hotel in Oct 2017!
Hope you find these tips helpful and you will be on your way up to Genting feeling more prepared than ever!
o(〃^▽^〃)o