Amverton Heritage Resort Melaka – an escapade for exhausted parents

Posted in Good Things, Leisure & Travel, Reviews by Minci 先生

The room, food and activities are nice for exhausted parents with energetic children. I booked a room with two single beds on Agoda. Com. Total was RM 442.45 including tax and fee for a 3D2N stay. This time I did not include breakfast. I wanted to see whether the menu is nice. If not, we will have our meal nearby. This resort is located at Ayer Keroh. Thus, near a few main attractions and MITC of course. That is where the food is. However, we did get 2 free waterpark tickets (priced at RM15/each). I bought an additional 2 tickets.

We checked in on Friday just after our Rejab Iftar at Mi Tarik Lanzhou. Mr. Husband brought his inflatable mattress. We pushed the single bed next to each other, giving enough room for the Queen-sized mattress. There were the usual expected amenities: FREE WIFI (with a very long password), a mini fridge, an iron with a board, and a TV. Plus points, a bathtub, and room service! Although we do not need it, the idea of it being available made me happy.

***Even chilling at the lobby is nice. The breeze, the ambience is just relaxing and cooling.***

In-house breakfast started at 7am. The price was RM30 for adults and RM20 for children. The options were satisfactory. They had bread but not other forms of pastry. The bihun and curry were delicious. There’s nasi lemak, lontong, congee etc. I loved that they provided mugs for our hot beverages and not those tiny cups. That is the way to go! Mr Husband had a meeting that morning at a nearby hotel, so I didn’t bring the kids for a swim due to safety reasons. I worry that I won’t be able to keep an eye on both. But we did play at the playground and the kids’ zone. The entry bracelet could be worn for both days we were there. In other words, you can enter and exit the park no matter how many times you like, as long as you wear the bracelet. We went to the waterpark later in the evening once Mr Husband came back from his meeting. The employees even use the stapler to make it easy to remove and fasten again.

***After breakfast, I brought them to the playground near the waterpark. For Vitamin D.***

***There’s also an indoor playground – the Kids Zone. With a mini library and lots of little tables for self-activity.***

***There’s also a little sand area where kids can build sandcastles and stuff. There were lots of slides too. My daughter tried the*** ***‘tall’ one. That one is only for kids between 6 to 10 years old.***

That’s why I believe this is an excellent spot for tired parents. Personally, I don’t have the stamina to spend over four hours at a water park just to get my money’s worth. But at Amverton, we could enjoy an hour of water play, take a break for a meal and a nap, and then head back in the evening for another session. Later, we’d pause for dinner and even continue the water park fun the next day until checkout. It’s perfect for parents to sneak in some much-needed rest between activities. I believe the adults would enjoy the swim at the huge pool just beside the mini water park. I’ll do that with Haneem once she’s a bit older. Amverton is also lenient with swimwear. I love that we can wear T-shirts instead of a burkini.

***The normal swimming pool roughly 4ft over here and the waterpark just beside it.***

We used GRAB for our lunch and dinner. There’s an in-house restaurant and cafe where you can have your meal. I might consider that during our future visits. Yes, we love this place so much that we’re thinking of making it our getaway place at times when we feel that we need to go to a kiddie-themed waterpark.

29Aug2024

Our stay at Hotel Rosa Passadena, Brinchang

Posted in Food and Drinks, Leisure & Travel by Minci 先生

This is probably one of those older hotels in Cameron Highland. My good take on this hotel is that it is within walking distance of Big Red Strawberry Farm, Centrum Mall and lots of eateries at the nearby shop lots. My idea of walking distance is less than 20 minutes walk. There’s even a huge Mr DIY beside the hotel in case you forgot to bring your toothpaste. Like we did!

Mr Husband booked a triple bedroom that comes with a bathtub. He paid more than RM200 per night. Like other hotels in CH, there is no AC unit in the rooms. However, this hotel was considerate enough to provide a little fan. Although the cold atmosphere would be sufficient and comfortable to sleep in at night, the room needs ventilation during the day. We do not sleep with the windows open at night because of mosquitos despite there being a netting on the window frame. Our net had a hole big enough for mozzies to enter. Each room has a WIFI connection, a mini fridge that is not working and a TV unit. Complimentary beverages and bottled water are provided daily. Housekeeping services also replenish empty shower foam and shampoo bottles.

There is no parking space at this hotel but there are ample public ones outside the hotel. The coupons can be purchased at the hotel reception. They have room service but we didn’t require any.

The breakfast spread was commendable for this classic hotel. I particularly enjoyed the sambal for the nasi lemak. I also liked that they fry their eggs in advance. Normal fried eggs for our mains. No such thing as having to wait for the cook to prepare an omelette.

On the first night, we had dinner at the nearby Tomyam restaurant. We had the tomyam, egg bistik, sotong tepung and rice. Of course, it was delicious. Pernah ke kedai tomyam tak sedap?

The following night, we had Western food at Pizzarella Misokimchi. The pizza had a thin crust and our toppings were tomato cheese and Hawaiian chicken. Haneem chose chips. The pizza was not so bad. I actually loved it.

We didn’t do much at CH this time. It was more of a visit to go somewhere with a cool temperature and have strawberries. I will write about our mini-activities later.

20Apr2024

Serapi Hotel

Posted in Leisure & Travel, Reviews by Minci 先生

Serapi Hotel is the best choice of hotel (so far) if your travel plans involve a lot of visiting relatives who are staying around Matang or Petra Jaya. That was the uttermost decision-making point that made me choose this hotel as opposed to my usual selections around the Padungan area. This hotel should not be mistaken with another Serapi (Verdure) Hotel at Hospital Umum Sarawak. Our hotel is located near Satok.

I booked 2 Twin Rooms at the hotel for a 5D4N stay. It costs me a total of RM 1526.40. There was free parking space for our rented car (limited), breakfast and WIFI (too slow, we used our own line). I had one room with my daughter and my husband shared another room with my son. I decided to book two separate rooms for comfort because the kids are growing and the bed is too small to fit all of us together.

Check-in was at 2PM. We had a few minor inconveniences upon checking in. My room couldn’t be opened because the battery for the door was out. So, the hotelier gave me another room on the same floor. My husband on the other hand had a non-functioning air conditioner in his room. They had a really warm night and were so hot that they had to open the windows. They were given a new room the next day.

At this hotel, housekeeping is not done daily. You need to put in a request before 4pm. I just wished they would clean the bathroom better. The walls need some scrubbing.

Breakfast was ok. We really loved the chicken and fried dumplings. The selection was acceptable. The coffee was ok. Of course, the coffee I make at home tastes better. The location was great considering the activities we planned. Serapi Hotel is a bit further than town but there are plenty of eateries to go to nearby. Understandably, these places are not open on Raya. So, we really missed out on delicious mi kolok and laksa Sarawak. But I look forward to my visit in September for my cousin’s wedding.

4Mar2024

Mudzaffar Hotel, Melaka – now a 3-star hotel?

Posted in Leisure & Travel by Minci 先生

I was really looking forward to a posh stay at Mudzaffar Hotel, Ayer Keroh Melaka. The type of stay where I can cuddle in with room service food.

I booked a Deluxe King room for 2 with my daughter including breakfast. I was on leave because I needed to complete my assignments. My daughter has conveniently finished her academic year at kindergarten which means that she is ‘available’ on Friday. We checked in immediately after I fetched her from school on Thursday.

Check-in was a breeze as I had already paid online. I just needed to pay an extra RM2 for tourism tax. Parking was easy and the hotel was within walking distance to various places to eat. There is also a swimming pool at the hotel but we didn’t bring any bathing suits. Simply because our room already has a bathtub. So, my daughter could easily dip in the tub no matter how many times in a day. She brought her toys to play with and she had a great time soaking in it. The interior decor of this hotel is dark. It would probably look majestic at night but we didn’t step out of our room to actually see what the lobby looks like at night.

I wished they had a mini fridge in my room. I missed having my iced beverages. There were small hiccoughs in the room – the lingering pandan scent (reminds me of a ghost), the non-existent feet wiping the bathroom mat, and the blinking aircon panels. Otherwise, most of the services provided are okay. The staff were exceptionally gracious and polite. They do not come across as pompous at all.

For dinner that night, we walked to a place called Ceqlapaq Restaurant and ordered Laksa Sarang. It was delicious and the broth was rich in fish bits. Another plus point is that it is not spicy making it children-friendly. The portion was too huge though, so my daughter couldn’t finish it.

The next morning we had breakfast at the hotel. Because my daughter wants to do her Number 2, we have to eat very fast. So mengada this daughter. Thankfully, the spread was delicious although most of its options are Malay delicacies. I loved the coffee and the nasi lemak sambal was not spicy.

Overall, the stay wasn’t that bad although I did feel ‘cheated’ that there was no mini fridge in the room. I took it for granted that a hotel of such prestige (I thought this is a 5 star hotel) would not have a problem in providing a little fridge for their guests especially when I had paid RM 247.77/night including taxes, fees and breakfast for two. Turns out other 3-star hotels could do better.

3Jan2024

13th wedding anniversary at Riviera Suites Melaka

Posted in Food and Drinks, Leisure & Travel by Minci 先生

I am glad I did not give in to the whispers of Shaytan that week. I almost cancelled my hotel room booking because I was tired, feeling melancholic and not in the mood to celebrate. In short, I just hated everybody that week. However, wise men say, never to make rash decisions when angry or feeling under the weather. Just go through the storm and hold on to the decision of going for that mini staycation regardless of how you feel. That was what I did and boy, the experience was rewarding.

I actually made the booking on Agoda.com in October. I had no idea that my husband was due for a work transfer back to his hometown. He didn’t know as well. This explains why I opted to check out before New Year’s Day because Johor is not on holiday on January 1st. Turns out his transfer was confirmed in November and he could now enjoy an extra day off on the 1st of Jan.

Riviera Suites is located at Pulau Besar. I booked a Deluxe King Suite for 3D2N at a total of RM 572.07 tax and service fee. The rate includes breakfast for two, Free WIFI and parking. Kids eat at RM12 per pax for breakfast with a reasonable option of food. The hotel requires an additional RM100 for the deposit and RM4 for the tourist tax. Later I noted that there is another hotel just opposite ours called Kaizen Hotel & Suites. I will consider staying there in the future.

A mini room tour – muted

Our room was huge. My husband slept on the sofa whilst me and the kids used the king-sized bed. The hallway was a good stretch and according to my husband, was quite eerie at night because he thought someone was standing in the shadows. He decided to switch on the hallway lights later on because he felt uneasy. The air conditioning was cooling. The bathroom interestingly was a bit small in comparison to the size of the whole room. The shower gel is provided. If only they had a water dispenser - that would be great because the boiled water tasted funny. There is a mini fridge in the cabinet area that is good for our icy drinks. We played movies on the projector my husband brought along for this trip and displayed it on the very big wall. This hotel has an indoor pool but due to hygiene concerns, we didn’t bring the kids there to swim. Apparently, there is also a fitness centre but I did not go to explore it.

Breakfast was at Riviera Cafe situated just beside the hotel. It sported a dainty look and the breakfast spread was acceptable for the price we paid for. There was a queue for the eggs and waffles. The kuetiow, fried noodles and chicken curry were exceptional. They should keep the chef and give the chef a raise. I missed my own coffee though because the ones they served tasted different.

It is easy to find food at night because Selat Avenue is just down the lane. It transforms into a really beautiful, vibrant place at night. Almost like being in a European country like Italy with beautiful lights, external decor, flowers and a general setting. On our first night there, we had the shawarma at Damascus Gate. On the second night, we enjoyed pizza and ice cream at Gelato Cabana. We don’t have a big gastro capacity so we just strolled along the food stalls at the avenue while soaking in the hipster vibe of the area.