PNB Ilham Resort Port Dickson/Tanjung Tuan

We checked in at PNB Ilham Resort on Dec 2013. Our special request was to have the apartment by the pool so that the children's grandma could enjoy their pool activities from the comfort of our room balcony. I m very satisfied with the location of our room, number 1101. Situated at the Ground floor, it is accessible for limited ability elderly without wheelchair, with only 6 steps stairs to our apartment. The apartment is with 2 exits, in which the second exit leads directly to the pool. So my daughter could basically jump directly to the pool and back to our room again few times. I love the discounts they give, RM600 nett for corporate/ government rate.

Cleanliness= ***3.5

Comfort, spacious, facilities= ****4

The only drawback is the cleanliness of the swimming pool. The water is obviously cloudy, obviously polluted with dirts like the grass leaves and sand. If it is not because of my daughter who can't be restrained from the pool, I wouldn't have jumped in to accompany her. The rest of the family members just watched tv and watched us from the balcony. Understandably it is the peak season, and the crowd might have polluted the water. Both of us can't swim straight without bumping to other users. AND because this is an apartment resort that is appropriate for family gathering, three big extended families conquering certain corners of the pool are enough to make me and my daughter feel like trespassing "their territory". Yeah.. this is 3 bedroom apartment with 6 single beds... but people tend to put in 3 families in an apartment instead! :) This is a good lesson for me. 

The buffet breakfast for 6 is below my expectation. I was told that the breakfast was till 10am, but at 8:45, the omelette counter is already closed, and the omelette has finished! The milk was not replenished, and... ok, after asking from a waiter hwo promised to come back but then just disappeared, I conclude that they are not going to replenish the food and drinks. just eat what there is left for us... it is a very unpleasant feeling. On top of that, at one corner, they were dismantling a canopy and rearranging chairs and tables from the previous night activity. The clinking and clunking noise sort of shooed us away...If I'd known this, better for me to choose a resort without breakfast.

Kuching, Sarawak

October 2013, I went to the Pullman Hotel, Kuching, Sarawak with two of my girl friends. The three ladies had so much fun and bonding time together. The room is as published in their website, so honestly, one gets what one is promised. But the extra 5 * services by this hotel is that the flexibility of pooling the breakfast coupon. For the 3 nights stay, we are entitled to 6 breakfast which is 2 for each morning. But there are 3 of us. So we requested for pooling the breakfast; 3 breakfast for 2 days, and they ALLOWED us to do so!!! Yeay,... this shows their kitchen strength to accept additional customer. Coz some hotels.... really, they are afraid they do not have enough food for the occupants coz they only cater those who stay overnight there.

Besides the 5* hotel, we are grateful with the service of this particular taxi driver who is very professional. He has been working in USA for a few years, thus, he communicates fluently in English. He is different from the others because... he wears seat belt while driving! A regulation that many drivers ignore. He is patient and also negotiable if we need to drop by at any places on our destination without charging extra fee. Discounts? Why don't you try your luck? If I go there again, I'll surely want Mr Chan, 0168084590, to escort us.

De Rhu Beach Resort, Kuantan

We went for a short vacation at the end of 2010. De Rhu Beach Resort, Kuantan. Seems like wrong timing. Wet weather, spoils the main attraction there; beach and swimming pool. Well, not only that, the pool was at the stage of "we've warned you...so use it at your own risk!". See for yourself the red-and-white line that gave "crime scene area" look. So, we spent time in the spacious room instead- luckily, it is comfortable. No pics for the room, as I believe it is almost similar with their ads, just refer their website.

This was the second time we went there, the first was like 2 years back and we did enjoy the wide and clean pool. A lesson for my next visit, to any resorts is that I should have asked this question "Are you having any kind of renovation at the moment?".