Lone Pine, Penang, a Tribute Portfolio Resort — Hotel in George Town

Our sincerest appreciation to the amazing staff of Lone Pine, Penang, A Tribute Portfolio Resort. From the time we stepped on the property, we were treated exceptionally. Our trip to Lone Pine was scheduled for 10 nights, and we were extremely thankful that as Ambassador Status, we were offered a suite upgrade upon check-in. We absolutely loved our room. Out of all the hotels we have stayed at during our 5 months traveling Southeast Asia, I have never slept as well as I did in Lone Pine. The Sealy mattress was perfect, the sheets were silky, and the ceiling fans in each room and around the property are magnificent, not only to keep you cool but also to keep the noises from the outside from disturbing your sleep. I never heard anything from neighbors' doors closing or people talking outside like you do in most hotels. The rooms have balconies with ceiling fans so you can actually sit outside and enjoy the view and the sound of the ocean without dripping from sweat. The bathrooms are beautifully designed with large mirrors and large light circles that definitely add to brightening up the room.

While we stayed, we found working remotely from the bungalow bar area a great way to get work done. However, if you don’t want to work outside, then there are multiple areas around the property they offer as spaces you can use. They also have a small library, and I found great reading material to use as I lounged by the pool. The pool area is large and has ample cushioned loungers and cabanas.

The property is located right along the beachline. Although I didn’t find the beach or water desirable, I did walk along the beach several mornings, before the crowds, and it was beautiful. Outside the front of the property, there are food stalls, small groceries, a pharmacy, and a tailor/laundry. Ron at Spark’s Tailor will take care of you if you are looking for something handmade, as he has a beautiful selection of material to choose from. He also does laundry for a very good price (price per kg).

We have so many people to thank for a wonderful stay, but we’d like to especially highlight Alecia. Alecia is a breath of fresh air and gives hope that there are really good people still in this world that work hard and take their job seriously. She always had a smile on her face and was truly interested in wanting to make the Lone Pine the best hotel around. She left a lasting impression on us, and her manager and the owners of the hotel should count their blessings that they have such a great employee. Along with Aisha, there are some others that made our stay amazing: Mr. Faqih, the F&B manager, was amazing. He could always be seen checking on the guests and staff, making sure that everything was perfect. We also really enjoyed getting to know Noor, our favorite bartender. He made amazing cocktails, especially his margaritas and old fashioneds.

The only recommendation we have is for the gym. Unfortunately the gym equipment is very lacking and most of the cardio machines do not work. We took a taxi everyday to Peak Fitness at Gurney Plaza so that we could work off all of Mr. Faqih’s food and Noor’s drinks!

In conclusion, our stay at Lone Pine, Penang, was truly unforgettable. The exceptional service, comfortable accommodations, and thoughtful amenities made for a perfect retreat. We are genuinely grateful for the incredible staff who went above and beyond to make our stay remarkable. Whether for leisure or work, Lone Pine is a top-notch destination that we highly recommend. We look forward to returning...

I had been looking forward to staying at this hotel again, as I stayed here once for my birthday last year and really enjoyed it, especially the heated plunge pool (outdoor hot tub) on the balcony. That was the main reason I decided to return. However, this time I was very disappointed, and I have already decided that I will not stay here again. Next time I will choose the resort hotel located right next to this property instead.||When I checked in on 22 September, the staff member asked me if I wanted a late check out and confirmed that it could be extended until 4pm. I said 2pm would be fine, and this was agreed.||On 24 September, before it was even 2pm, I received two phone calls from the hotel. The first asked what time I would be leaving and if I planned to stay until 4pm. I explained that I had already arranged 2pm at check in. Less than 15 minutes later, I got another call asking, “Are you checking out now?” At that point I still had 30 minutes left, yet I felt pressured and annoyed. I quickly packed my bags and went down to check out early, around 1:45pm.||At reception, the female staff member who handled my check out immediately started pressing me about the room key. She repeated “the key card” again and again, almost as if I would not return it. I even told her directly, “Of course the key card will be returned, I’m not going to run off with it.” Yet she continued to focus on it. When I then mentioned that I was unhappy with my stay, she quickly changed the subject and asked if the room itself was fine. Her expression and tone were dismissive, with a look that basically said, “Anything else?” It was an unprofessional and careless attitude, completely different from the polite and welcoming service I received when I checked in.||The room itself was okay, and the heated plunge pool on the balcony was the only reason I chose to return. But apart from that, there were other disappointments. On both occasions when I dined at the restaurant, the food was clearly frozen rather than freshly prepared. The gym facilities were very limited, though I could understand this since most guests come here to relax.||As a Marriott Platinum member, I was entitled to cocktail hour, if you choose 1000 points then cannot use the breakfast, this cocktail hour only offered four alcoholic drinks per room (depending on what the hotel decided to serve on the day), along with prepackaged juices, tea, and coffee. The welcome drinks were also just prepackaged juices with very little choice.||Overall, this stay did not meet expectations, and I left feeling very...

This was our fifth visit to Lone Pine but our first since COVID, and it is still a great hotel to vacation at.

However, there have been some changes since 2020, and not all are for the better. There seemed to be a lot more young children than we had previously experienced staying during our two-weeks there, and that meant the pool area was often noisy during the 9-11am and 4-6pm periods. The poolside sun-loungers are all new and very nice, but some parasols are showing wear. The (four) shaded huts are great for kids and young families to keep out of the sun when not in the pools. Weekends (where the hotel caters for birthday parties, weddings, etc) tend to be much busier than midweek.

The renovation of the (old) restaurant area progressed slowly while we were there, and that will also generate more noise around the poolside until about April (when it is due to finish). Switching the breakfast inside (due to the renovation) was not a great success, with service (replacing cutlery, food etc) often being slow and pre-cooked food often losing heat. I'm not sure why eggs (sunny-side up, omelettes, scrambled, etc) were pre-cooked and left until someone took them - it would have been much better to cook to order even if that meant waiting a few minutes so the food was hot. That said, the overall choice and quality was very good and food available was usually ample.

The room we had (deluxe sea-facing) on the third floor was lovely, and when we asked for maintenance (a blown light bulb and blocked shower drain) it came and was dealt with quickly and efficiently. The room was kept clean and tidy by the excellent house-keeping, with ample towels, bottled water, etc, provided daily.

The gym is as it was (fairly basic) but the spa and shop have closed as a result of Covid. The bar area closes at 10pm now, which was too early for us; it would have suited us better if it was open until 11pm (as it used to) as we would have taken advantage and had an aperitif most evenings given the chance.

The staff are all lovely, and all smile and say hello every day.

We were visited by (dusky leaf) monkeys on two days (they eat the new leaves off the trees in the hotel grounds), and saw plenty of birds from poolside (sea-eagles, mynahs, hooded-crows, orioles, bul-buls, etc), plus a giant black squirrel on one occasion.

Covid has had such an impact on Penang, Batu Ferrenghi, and Lone Pine that it will take some further time to recover. This is still a lovely hotel though, and hopefully it should be able to regain its boutique-ness in...