Holiday Villa Beach Resort & Spa Cherating

Holiday Villa Beach Resort & Spa Cherating

Lot 1303, Mukim Sungai Karang

26080 Kuantan

Pahang Darul Makmur

(+609) 581 9500

Holiday Villa Beach Resort and Eastern Pavilion share the same main entrance. You should be able to easily spot the entrance from main road. Use Waze or Google Map so you won't miss it. Plenty of parking spots available. If you booked one of the pavilion, you get a reserved parking spot.

We arrived at past 4 p.m. and check-in was fuss-free. I booked directly with the hotel from its website and so payment + deposit by credit card was taken during check-in. After filling up a simple form, the helpful reception gave me a set of keys and breakfast voucher.

I booked the family suite and it comes with breakfast for four pax even though the website stated two adults. There is no elevator and you'll have to walk from lobby to find the correct stairs and then climb up to your room. 

So remember to inform the hotel if you're traveling with elderly or special needs and require room on the ground floor. 

The suites have two bedrooms and two bathrooms. With the daybed in living room, five adults can stay comfortably in one suite.

'View' from balcony

Common area

Pool

Beach Restaurant (breakfast area)

Breakfast selection was okay. Nothing memorable but I love the ambiance since you can hear the waves and enjoy the sea breeze.

Booking - Easy

Rate - Family Suite 2D1N for RM540.60 inclusive breakfast. Good value

Location - Good. Beach property. Need transport to get around but there are restaurants within walking distance

Dining - Average food, nice ambiance

Service - Good

Beach

The Legend Resort, Cherating

What is your favourite hotel in Cherating?

I've never been to Club Med so for me, it was The Legend Resort. I love the beach, particularly the huge trees on the beach where I can sit and read or write. The rooms on the ground floor have sliding doors that open to the garden and just a few steps away to the gorgeous beach.

Unfortunately... masa pergi dengan family mana nak perasan pukul berapa check-in, staff's quality of service, etc. kan. Dah besar ni, pergi sendiri, deal sendiri... baru tau langit tinggi rendah. Especially if ada drama at the hotel after a long journey.

THE LEGEND RESORT, CHERATING

Booking - Very easy via Agoda.com but check-in was a different story

Rate - RM222.14 (2 Days 1 Night) Superior room with breakfast

Location - Good. Right next to the main road.

Dining - Average. Good food, poor ambiance.

Service - Friendly trainees, bellboys and security personnel but the permanent staff could use some training & motivation courses.

Overall: 3 <3<3<3 of 5

Check-in could have been more smooth. I arrived after 6 pm- not a busy period so I couldn't understand why the process was a bit slow. After collecting the room key (yes, key not access card) I went to park the car. Nearby parking spots all taken.

Suddenly I remembered that I had no idea where the breakfast will be at as it wasn't mentioned by the front desk. So I walked back to the reception and they told me that it's "downstairs". Uhm, okay. No coupon, just mention your room number. Wokay, roger that!

The room given was on the same floor with the reception but at a different wing. Quite a walk juga lah but I didn't carry much luggage so it was OK for me. If you travel like Paris Hilton, you might want to drop your bags at the lobby and get the person in charge to carry them for you.

Upon nearing the room, I saw that the door was ajar. Felt something amiss but I pushed open the door anyway and saw this...

Tadaaahhh~ An unmade room!

At first, I thought I had entered someone else's room. Checked the number on the key, "eh betul!". So I asked a cleaner standing nearby why was the room seemed occupied. She said, "Oh, ada orang tukar bilik (someone changed room). Bilik tu tak siap lagi (That room is not ready)."

My bitchy face memang tak boleh sorok dah. Went back to reception, I told a permanent staff (a trainee served me earlier) about what I found. He took the key, went into a room and came back with another envelope containing another key with new room number written besar-besar as if la I rabun cannot see. 

Not a single "sorry" ya. But the management responded to my review on TripAdvisor and apologised there. I'm guessing there are some issues that need to be sorted out internally. 

Comfy bed :)

Shower stall could use some scrubbing

Water pressure OK but the stall had an unpleasant, sweaty-ish smell. After a while, even the water had an unpleasant scent.

Clean washroom

Spacioussss room!

Desk cum vanity table

Swimming pool

Hotel from the beach

Beach after sunset

Broken but someone took the part away on the next day

Good morning!

Quiet, clean and spacious beach

Pretty like a picture :)

Didn't take any pic during breakfast. Breakfast room was crowded at 8.30 am and I was annoyed with couples who took tables for family, leaving others with no place to sit. At first glace, buffet selection looked limited but there was plenty on offer. Seriously plenty. I love the curry noodle *yummy*

Check-out was slow as well. I wasn't informed what the delay was before they returned my deposit. Reception area wasn't air-conditioned thus waiting was a bit uncomfortable.

Not planning on returning to this place. I'm eyeing the hotel next door for my next visit, God's willing.

Read reviews on TripAdvisor.

Go Jalan East Coast: Cherating via Terengganu

#GoJalanEastCoast

Date: 1st - 4th May 2014 (Thu - Sun)

(Still on) DAY 3 (Saturday)

Pandai Awe teka Teluk Ketapang! When one is in Teluk Ketapang, one just gotta try the ICT. No, nothing to do with information & communication technology. I'm talking about the Ikan Celup Tepung (fish dipped in batter).

When I arrived at 1ish, the place wasn't open yet :( but there's a couple restaurants next to it, filled with people. Selling ICT juga kalau tak silap. Since niat nak makan at ICT Haji Pok Long, we waited for it to open at 2.15 pm. Take note if you plan to eat here, be prepared to have late lunch.

View in Teluk Ketapang

My fav yang left one tu :D Siap tarpao for the road

Other things offered. This place is more suitable for tea than lunch.

Coconut drinks, orange cordial, prawns, ikan pari (stingray), more prawns, and another type of fish not in pic.

Taste - #iLike crunchy food so yeah. But you gotta dip them in the sauce, else some of them might taste bland
Price - RM22 + RM4 (tarpao sausages & crabmeats)
Ambiance - family-friendly, a bit warm if you go during the day

***

Along the way I noticed lots of burned foliage. Panas sangat dah kut Malaysia ni.

Scenery along the way to Cherating

Flames of Paka :)

Finally arrived in Cherating just past 6 pm. Checked-in at The Legend Resort Cherating as I loved this place when I was younger. Especially love the rooms at ground floor, keluar sliding door terus lari pergi pantai.

Unfortunately, this time my experience wasn't so great. Imagine walking into this after a tiring long journey. What would YOU do?

The first room given to me. Maybe sebab I bayar murah =(

Details lain kali I cerita but if nak baca reviews kami-kami yang dah menginap di sini boleh klik TripAdvisor or Agoda.

Superior room in The Legend Resort Cherating

The Legend Resort Cherating beach

The Legend Resort Cherating swimming pool

Plenty of sundeck chairs

The Legend Resort Cherating view from the beach

The beach at dusk

The beach was as gorgeous as I could remember!

Suspension bridge for all ages to play

We didn't do much in Cherating. Skipped the Cherating Turtle Sanctuary and Batik Tjanting Class. Skipped dinner as well (too tired lazy) and spent the morning of Day 4 having leisurely breakfast and packing up.

After check-out, we went to Cherating Beach but there was nothing much worth mentioning aside from the souvenir shops and various backpackers inn and chalets. Do you know what's fun in Cherating Beach?

Lalu Genting Highland just for fun :)

Just in time for sunset in Penang

Where shall I go next?