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INSIGHT CRIZ

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ULTIMATE LUXURY AT E&O RESIDENCES KUALA LUMPUR

Written by crizlai on Dec 25th, 2015 | Filed under: accommodation, hotel, review

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With E&O Residences being strategically located in the heart of Kuala Lumpur’s Central Business District (CBD), it’s the ideal place to reside in, whether it’s for business or pleasure. With its 200 exclusive and stylishly appointed suites available and fully equipped with the required amenities, you can practically call the service residence your “second home away from home”. Perched on a rare elevated plot of land that overlooks the commercial district, this haven of luxury, along with its sister-property, St. Mary Residences, is purposely positioned on the secluded Jalan Tengah, which is hidden away from the hustle and bustle of busy lifestyle out there but without being obstructed from the captivating views of the city skyline. Everywhere seems to be just a stone’s away from E&O Residences. From nightspots, world-class restaurants, cool bistros, shopping malls, luxury boutiques, 5-star hotels as well as the corporate offices of global giants, are just a short distance away, either by walking or via the convenience of the KL Monorail. At E&O Residences, it’s all about working and playing within the vicinity.

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There are two types of suites available as below:

1 BEDROOM SUITE (104 units): Max 3 persons

The 105 sq m/1,131 sq ft contemporary and yet cozy studio suite with separate bedroom is ideal for couple or even a small family with a child. It’s spacious and you can have a majestic view of the city skyline anytime throughout the day. The master bedroom is furnished with a king sized bed and the bathroom is ever ready to become your place of relaxation with the necessary toiletries provided. With the availability of the fully equipped kitchenette, you could pep up a simple meal in no time while enjoying your meal in front of the TV set in your living room or at the dining area.

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2 BEDROOMS SUITE (96 units): Max 5 persons

The luxurious city suite (134 sq m/1,442 sq ft) is perfect for larger families with children. It has an open living area, kitchenette, dining area, powder room/additional toilet and even a private study/work room. Both the master bedroom and guest room have personalized baths and wardrobes on top of the comfortable king sized beds. The best part would be being a “couch potato” on the huge sofa with cushions watching the surround sound TV system while enjoy the cool breeze from the balcony. With all your needs catered for, this would be the ideal suite to lodge in away from home.

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STANDARD AMENITIES:

Basically, the amenities in both the 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom are the same except for the size of the built-up area and the layout. Inside each luxurious and stylish suite, you would expect to get air-conditioning with individually controlled thermostats, bathroom with shower, free standing bath, ‘His’ & ‘Hers’ vanities, washing machine & dryer, fully equipped kitchen (electric hob & hood, refrigerator, microwave oven, toaster, coffee maker (with coffee powder, tea, sugar & creamer), electric kettle, glassware, crockery, cutlery & utensils, home entertainment system (iPod docking station, television with satellite & cable channels), hairdryer, steam iron & ironing board, IDD telephone, WiFi internet connectivity, in-suite electronic safe, 24-hour security and more. On top of that, your toiletries items such as towels, shampoo, conditioner, body gel, hand lotion, etc, would be replenished on a daily basis.

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GENERAL FACILITIES:

Other than the in-suite amenities and facilities, there are within the confines of the E&O Residences for you to explore, whether for personal usages or business needs.

Gym & Exercise Room (Yoga & Aerobics) – Available from 7.00am until 10.00pm daily, you would get to tone up that body of yours with the available equipments. Other than that, you can always check at the reception on the availability of any classes.

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Landscape Garden Courtyard & Children Playground (outdoor & indoor) – Accompanying children would surely love the courtyard and it’s a safe place for them too as the ground had been treated with Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer (EPDM) flooring, a durable synthetic rubber material that would prevent children from having high accident risk. There’s also the indoor playground for children with lots of toys.

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Swimming Pool & Jacuzzi (private gazebo & public) – The swimming pool is public accessible by both residents of St. Mary Residences and E&O Residences. It’s available from 7.00am until 10.00pm daily. There are many sunbathing decks scattered all around the pool for your relaxation while watching the skyline, namely the Petronas twin tower and Menara KL. You could even lie on the few swinging beds around. The best part is the availability of many jacuzzis, whether you want to utilize the public area or enjoying the water massage in the set up gazebo in privacy.

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Resident Lounge, Business Center & Function Room – There are many resident lounge areas within the vicinity for your personal use. In case you would need to have some work done with some basic printing and internet usage, you could always use their Business Center located near the receptionist area of Tower 2, over some coffee too. For more formal meetings, you can check with the reception on the availability of the Function Room.

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Basement Car Park – There would be ample parking bays at the basement for the occupants. Entering and exiting would be via the mode of your suite’s key card.

Concierge Service – For your leisure or business needs, you could always consult the concierge counter for advice and arrangement such as calling in a taxi, arranging a tour, make restaurant reservation and more. They are there to assist you to make your stay a pleasant one.

DiningDelicious @ St. Mary Place is located in the next building just across E&O Residences. They would cater to your dining needs from 7.00am until 9.30pm daily.

ATTRACTIONS: With the easy access of rail transits as shown in the KL Rail Transit Map below, you can practically visit any places in your wish list. All you need is a Touch n Go card or cash to use the rail transport facilities. For those places without rail transit access, you can always go the receptionist and request for a taxi. All taxis in KL are metered and I can assure you that the rates provided are reasonable.

CRAZY MONKEY SALES 2016: Book from 1-10 January 2016 and enjoy your stay from 10 January 2016 until 30 June 2016. Check out the promotion here.

Name: E&O RESIDENCES
Address: No. 1 Jalan Tengah (Off Jalan Sultan Ismail), 50450 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Contact: +603-2023 2188
Website: www.eoresidences.com
GPS: 3.151728, 101.708619 (entrance to E&O Residences & St. Mary Residences)

DIRECTIONS:

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For those from outstation/overseas and won’t be driving into KL city, the best way to reach E&O Residences is via the KL Monorail. Find your way to KL Sentral and from there transit via KL Monorail (KL Sentral) to KL Monorail (Raja Chulan). From the Raja Chulan Station, just walk about 400m via Jalan Tengah and you would see the entrance to the residences. If you are still unsure, just switch on your Google Map app on your mobile and key in the GPS (3.151728, 101.708619).

To ease you in finding your nearest rail transit station, you can refer to the map below. Do click on the map for a better view.

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RATING:
Ambience: 9/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 classy)
Cleanliness: 8/10 (1-4 limited, 5-7 average, 8-10 many choices)
Noise Pollution: 5/10 (1-4 quiet, 5-7 average, 8-10 noisy)
Pricing: 7/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 8/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)

 

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ENDLESS ENTERTAINMENTS VIA THE 1OTT SOCIAL TV BOX

Written by crizlai on Nov 23rd, 2015 | Filed under: accessories, awareness, internet, product, technology

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Gone are the days when streaming movies through the internet were painstaking with the requirement of total patience for the slow downloads. With the advancement of fiber optics internet connections being provided by so many Internet Service Providers (ISPs), you can practically get connected anywhere and anytime at your convenience. Thus, you have now the birth of 1OTT Social TV, the latest hype in providing over-the-top audio and visual contents via the internet. It’s the brainchild of Crowd Media Sdn. Bhd. under the umbrella of Syabas Technology, the company behind many award-winning digital entertainments such Popcorn Hour™ and more. Thanks to Vidcrowd Media Sdn. Bhd., the sole distributor for 1OTT products in Malaysia and marketing arm for ASEAN countries, Malaysians as well as many IPTV enthusiasts overseas would now be able to be pampered with various entertainments with just a few clicks via the remote control.

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With our hectic lifestyle in chasing our dreams in providing better living standards for ourselves as well as our family members, we tend to forget that we are not robots and would need to spend some time to recuperate and reenergize our bodies for better performances. Other than having the required exercises to keep our body healthy, we would also need a relaxed state of mind to be more analytical in decision makings. Therefore, there’s always the need for some sort of entertainments, may it for our own self or together with your family members. That’s the reason you would need to own the 1OTT Social TV Box for the utmost entertainment experiences of your life time. It’s as easy as Plug-Connect Network-Play.

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You may ask how the “1OTT Social TV Box” could be of benefit to you. Well, it’s the state-of-the-art device that would enable you to easily stream thousands of your favorite movies, shows, news and more through their public apps as well as viewing other third party public apps. All you need is a minimum of 2Mbps internet connection for most contents or a minimum of 4Mbps for Live TV and you will be on the way to experience your sought after relaxation on your big screen. It’s as simple as that!

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You are in luck now as the appointed reseller, Ban Hin Bee (BHB) group, an established electrical & electronics retail chain stores in Penang, together with its affiliate companies, Sincere Zone (M) Sdn. Bhd. in Selangor, are having an introductory offer that would be too great to resist. Each unit of the 1OTT is now retailed with a “ONE TIME PAYMENT” of RM479 (inclusive 6% GST) at all BHB and its affiliate outlets (excluding Kitchentech outlets). In addition to the overall warranty, a “90 days 1-for-1 exchange warranty” and a “free remote control upgrade to V8 back-lit and long range remote control worth RM30 (while stocks last)” are provided EXCLUSIVELY through all these outlets (excluding Kitchentech outlets). Please check the address and contact information as per link.

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On top of that, you can also use the code provided here (CL8001) or just mention my name, Criz Lai, and you would be able to claim an additional Sarowin HDMI Cable worth RM68 for FREE. This offer is until 31 December 2015 while stocks last. So, hurry up to get your unit today.

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Here are the specifications as well as items which would come with each set of the 1OTT Social TV package:

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ALTERNATIVE CONNECTIONS

Though it’s highly recommended for those owning HDTV to purchase the 1OTT player for clarity, it does not mean that you can’t watch using other mode of display. For those still owning the older box type of TV, you can still use the product by purchasing the HDMI-Composite Breakout Cable. As for those without any TV but with PC monitor or laptop, you can still use the player if the unit is of higher range with a DVI-D (dual link) slot or HDMI slot with the purchase of a HDMI-DVI/HDMI-HDMI Cable. If you are using the DVI-HDMI cable for visual, then you’ll need to plug in the external speakers into the composite slot on the player for audio. However, you would still need to have a minimum of 2Mbps internet connection to view most of the Video-On-Demand (VOD). In case you are unsure of how those slots will look like, I have attached a photo below.

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HANDS-ON EXPERIENCES

Let me share with you my experiences on some of the channels I’ve gained access to during my review on the product. Wow! I’m impressed with the quality and quantity of online entertainments which I can stream at ease with this product. On top of that, there are so many series and movies that I had missed out in the recent months and I could just watch them all at my convenience through their ever updated and comprehensive listing. The best part is that I can use the Resume Playback, Fast Forward & Rewind features without missing the action parts of the show, unlike viewing through certain paid channels.

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Once you have plugged in and gone through the selection of either WIFI or Ethernet, the main screen will pop out. The first thing to do is to enter the first code “VHTBWGC” into the “Enter Package Code” space on the top right hand corner of your screen via your remote control. After entering the code, press “OK”, then press “Agree” on the Terms & Conditions and you would be on the way to watch all the programs available on the set.

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After the first step, you would get the benefit of using the “Announcement” to check on more updates. This is where you would get more package codes shown for latest shows. Just follow the steps above to enter as per your selection. These are 1OTT Video-On-Demand (VOD) package codes where the private apps are developed by Third Party developers. The library which pulls FREE contents from 100+ websites for direct streaming, has more than 12,000 titles from US, Hong Kong, China, Korea, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, India, Indonesia, etc. It’s updated on a daily or weekly basis.

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Firstly, let’s have a look at the LIVE TV channels such as the Malaysian 1TV. There are all together 18 channels namely TV1, TV2, Bernama and more.

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For those who love watching English movies, you are in luck to catch up with the movies that you have missed. Just click the “English Movies” icon and it would lead you into another page. This is where the fun part is. The first 5 icons are where you could watch more movies within based on their category. If you take a closer look at the top right hand corner, you would notice that there’s a counter to show you the quantity of movies available. With 100+ latest movies available, it would take me months before I could finish all. By that time, there would be more updated ones. That’s what I like about the 1OTT Social TV – endless entertainment!

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As for the “English Series”, it’s also another category with almost a hundred series to view on, not amounting to the number of titles you would get to view in each of the series. OMG! That’s another few hundreds of titles to catch on.

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For those who love to watch “Malaysian Dramas and Movies”, you are in luck too as there would be quite a number of interesting shows that you have missed. Currently, there are 24 movies and 35 dramas in these categories. I felled in love with the acting of Nur Suhada binti Jebat (commercial name Ayda Jebat), an actress cum singer. In the drama, M.A.I.D., she was so natural and comical, especially when she was in panicking situations.

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You could also watch some “Thai Movies” with over 40+ titles here, which include horror, romance, friendship and more.

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For “Japanese Anime” lovers, there are over 70+ titles with hundreds subtitles for you to explore. It’s really a heaven in here.

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There are also some channels on Health and you could learn many beneficial tips on daily healthy lifestyles to applying Traditional Chinese Medication (TCM) into your life. I quite like these titles as I’ve learned some interesting tips to boost up my immune system as well as maintaining a general wellbeing.

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1OTT Social TV player is not short of Documentaries too. It indeed had widened my knowledge on a lot of aspects in life, especially in the culture, tradition, history and science of other nationalities.

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PROS:
– It’s a portable unit that with enable the user to endless entertainments on-the-go as well as at home as long as there’s a minimum of 2Mbps WIFI/Ethernet internet connection.
– It can be set at 1080p for HD quality and has a build in detector to adjust the quality from 480p, 720p and 1080p based on your best internet connectivity.
– There are over 10,000 titles to watch each time and it’s a never ending process as the system will update the titles on a daily or weekly basis. Thus, endless streaming for the user.
– It’s a one click convenience to watch most of the shows you have missed without having to search for them online.
– The player has Resume Playback, Fast Forward & Rewind features, which you can have all the control within your own grasp.

CONS:
– It’s not a TV Decoder, thus you can’t control the language for the subtitles. What you see on the screen is what you get. Unless you understand the language spoken, you might have some issues digesting the whole show.
– Unless you have the patience to wait for the upload of the latest drama which might be 24-48 hours later, some might find it irresistible to hunt for the updates online.
– For those who are equipped with the latest HD gadgets at home, you may find the quality to be below par as not 100% of the titles are in 1080p qualities.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1) What is 1OTT?

1OTT is an Internet Connected TV Box that enables direct streaming of Audio & Video Contents to your big screen TV. This product is the brainchild of Cloud Media, a company pioneering in Connected Entertainment Market, responsible for powering the World’s First Internet Connected TV – the HP MediaSmart and developer of the Award-Winning Popcorn Hour™ Networked Media.

2) How many channels are currently available on 1OTT?

Currently 1OTT delivers more than 140 Live Channels and VOD (Video On Demand) contents comprising of Recipe & Cooking Shows; Health, Wellness & Exercise Programs; Education on Demand & Documentaries; Lifestyle & Travel Channels and many more. In addition, you can also access to THOUSANDS of TV Shows & Dramas, Variety Shows and Movies through 3rd party/external apps.

3) What is the monthly / yearly subscription fee for 1OTT?

NO Subscription Fee is required. 1OTT is currently retailed at BHB outlets with ONE TIME PAYMENT of RM479 (inclusive 6% GST).

4) Is 1OTT HD (High Definition) enabled?

1OTT have both SD (Standard Definition) Channels and HD (High Definition) Channels. Availability of 1080 HD video is subject to provider and Internet broadband connection speed.

5) What is the Internet speed required for streaming video?

A minimum of 2MB is required for most contents, while 4MB is needed for better Live TV streaming and experiences.

6) Will the contents be updated in 1OTT? If yes how frequent?

We have a dedicated team to maintain and update the contents from time to time. Contents are updated on both daily & monthly basis subject to online availability.

7) Does 1OTT have ASTRO channels?

No. 1OTT is not a TV Decoder for paid channel. We do not host any contents whatsoever. 1OTT merely aggregates Public Contents and acts as an Open Platform for third-party developers to share their Private Contents.

8) Is 1OTT sold in other countries?

In Malaysia, 1OTT is SIRIM Certified and is sold in many countries including USA, Australia, Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore, etc.

9) What are the differences between 1OTT and other similar devices in the market? (e.g. Android box etc.)

1OTT runs on Linux platform not Android. We constantly thrive to deliver the BEST Media Streaming Experience by offering Easy Browsing of content titles via Remote Control, Convenient & Speed of Direct Streaming without Downloading and Technical & Content Support. Furthermore, you can browse content using your smart phone simply by downloading our Remote Control App to iOS or Android devices.

DOWNLOADABLE 1OTT REMOTE CONTROL FOR SMARTPHONE:

Android Play Store: Popcorn Hour Remote Control by Cloud Media Sdn. Bhd. (http://bit.ly/1OsaNh4)

iPhone App Store: MobileRC by Syabas Technology Inc. (http://apple.co/1JmWHWE)

10) What is the warranty?

Each unit will have a 1 year Limited Warranty against defects in materials and workmanship. All other new accessories (remote and cables) are entitled to a 90 days Limited Warranty

ONLINE SUPPORT

For any enquiries regarding your 1OTT Social TV, you can always private message them at their 1OTT Facebook Page. You are assured of a response within 24 hours.

INTERNATIONAL RESELLER OPPORTUNITY

VidCrowd is always interested in expanding their international reseller network. If you are interested in marketing 1OTT products or other range of media players in your country, we would be interested in hearing more about your current operations and your proposed plans for our products at leslie@vidcrowdmedia.com

Thanks to Vidcrowd Media Sdn. Bhd., each of us was presented a WIFI based version of FreeOTT for our personal usage. The unit is a premium giveaway by the company and would not be available for sale. It’s as good as the 1OTT Social TV with the exact features and quality streaming.

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DISCLAIMER

The reviewer or any other related business entity or website (hereinafter “Company”) associated with the manufacturing and/or distribution of the 1OTT product (hereinafter “Product”) is not responsible for any miscommunication that may occur regarding channel and content listings and availability. You agree to understand that the channels and content are provided via 3rd party app developers (hereinafter “external apps”) and is streamed over the internet via these external apps. You agree to understand that the Product is merely a device that allows you to connect through your own internet provider and stream any content that is available via these external apps that are available through the Product.

I'm thirsty for a drink now. Would you be kind enough to treat me?



PAMPERING YOURSELF WITH ASIA’S FIRST RHYTHM & MOTION SPA TREATMENTS AT ROCK SPA @ HARD ROCK HOTEL PENANG

Written by crizlai on Sep 10th, 2015 | Filed under: hotel, life, lifestyle, living, massage, penang, product, promotion, review

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Whenever I see someone struggling with life and not setting his/her life in proper rhythm, I would always throw in this question, “What’s the purpose of your life?” It caught many off guarded by not being able to provide a proper answer. Most would answer that they would want to have a stable career, set up a family and grow old gracefully with their grandchildren. Is that the ultimate answer to the question? Well, there’s no right or wrong answer to the question as each individual has their own mindset on different life purposes. As for me, I would strive for a balance in everything – the Zen way of bringing the mind, body and senses in a state of togetherness. When you work hard, you must always play hard too. Thus, this brings me to the topic on how to rejuvenate ourselves, mentally and physically by giving both states the necessary alignments to move forward in our daily lives. I’m glad Rock Spa @ Hard Rock Hotel, Penang, has the same ideology as me by transcending the current spa rituals with their “Live Hard, Purify Harder” slogan and bringing in Asia’s first and the world’s 5th Rhythm and Motion Spa Treatments, with the other four sets in HRH Ibiza (Spain), HRH Palm Springs (California), HRH Punta Cana (Dominican Republic) and HRH Riviera Maya (Mexico). Being the world’s first fully immersive music centric spa menu by utilizing amplified vibrations, pressures and patterns as the foundation of its treatments, this groundbreaking experience takes guests on a rhythmic massage journey, utilizing Hard Rock’s differentiator (MUSIC) to connect the healing power of music with the artistry of massage therapy.

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Located at beach front of Hard Rock Hotel, Penang, is a little tranquil yet natural sanctuary by its own named Rock Spa. Upon nearing the premises, you would smell a nice scent lingering through the air. That’s the spa’s way of welcoming you into their little haven with the free flowing of relaxing aromatherapy essential oil called “Perk Me Up”, a combination of lemongrass, peppermint and eucalyptus oils to soothe your mood prior to your spa treatments. Other than being the natural deodorant, it also acts as an analgesic, antidepressant, antimicrobial, antipyretic, a digestive support agent, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, decongestant, antiseptic, antibacterial, stimulating and other medicinal qualities. What a great scent to have especially during this cold and hazy weather~ 🙂

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Upon your acceptance to experience the spa treatments at Rock Spa, you would first be served with a hot cup of Ginger Tea. It’s a relaxant beverage which would help in relieving your stress level, strengthen your immunity, improving digestion on top of it other anti-inflammatory and anti-respiratory health benefits.

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There are 3 packages, namely Synchronicity, Face the Music and Heat Wave, available for your Rhythm & Motion Spa Treatments as shown on the menu below. Basically, these 3 options are add-ons to their existing spa treatments (a gentle Hard Rock Massage/a more pressure point concentrated Traditional Malaysian Massage, a facial concentrated Essential Aromatherapy and the more energy points focus Hot Rocks treatment for the seasoned spa-goers) with the usage of the state-of-the-art music systems.

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You would also be given another option to choose the type of massage oil you would want to utilize during your massage session such as Balance (detoxification: rosemary + orange + basil), Energize (relieve muscle stress: ginger + grapefruit + eucalyptus) or Chill (relaxation: lavender + geranium + cedarwood).

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As I’m always down with muscle stiffness and back pain due to my hazardous working style, I opted for their Heat Wave package plus the usage of their Energize massage oil. Firstly, as part of their Etiquette Rules, all spa treatment seekers had to change to their provided “disposable” undergarments. It felt like putting my “ahems” into an airy recycle bag~ LOL~ 😛 However, you don’t have to worry as you are in the good hands of the skilled therapist as he/she would always ensure comfortable and proper draping procedures to protect your privacy. Other Etiquette Rules include punctuality (at least 10 minutes earlier) before your scheduled appointment, no inappropriate behaviors and the advice of not bringing valuables into Rock Spa. The treatment room would also a wardrobe for keeping your belongings, a basin with mirror, drinking water, comb, hair clips, etc at your disposal.

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The spa treatment was remarkably an out-of-the-world experience, none that I’ve encountered through my various spa treatments. It started off with some soothing yet TREBLE based beats from the overhead semi-sphere like space-age musical source with ripples of BASS slowing seeping into the body with mild vibrations via the massage table. Wow! This is the kind of therapeutic massage I’ve been seeking for a long time! I was in such a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere that I almost dozed off in zero-stress mental state. The music emitted which I presumed had a balance of frequencies such as Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and Theta waves indeed churned out the best in me – energy wise, alertness wise, creativity wise, memory wise and more. My brain cells were totally revitalized and I had a great sleep that night. On the other hand, the Vibration Therapy via the massage table did improve my muscle soreness and my body felt more relax and not in such a tense mode as it used to be. Bravo to the latest spa treatment technology brought in by the Hard Rock Hotel, Penang. My therapist, Vixin, also did a great job in rejuvenating my body with her gentle yet dedicated touches by the mode of hot volcanic stones. Not only were her steady flowing strokes pinpointed all the muscle sores on my body, she did put in the extra effort in soothing the sinus issues I had on that day. Thank Vixin, you are my savior. I would say those volcanic stones do have extraordinary therapeutic energies stored within. With right combination of heat and oil, I can feel that some of my sport related injuries got better and I’m now more energized with a better blood circulation. Moreover, with such a relaxing treatment, I’m now quite stress-free. Thumbs up! Another of their product which the therapist used on me was their Eye Pillow, a pillow filled with flax seeds with a light spray of their Lavender Essential Oil. For those who are suffering from sleep issues, it would be great if you could purchase the products from them. Not only was the freezer-chilled pillow soothed the lethargy eyes, the scent from the lavender oil relaxed my mind and pushed my mental and physical states towards Dreamland.

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Overall, I had a great session at Rock Spa as my assigned therapist, Vixin, was skillful in her job and was tactfully knowledgeable in explaining all the processes in the treatment. If you were to ask me to recommend a spa treatment package, I will still choose the Heat Wave Rhythm & Motion Spa Treatment. Though it’s the most expensive package at RM390nett (1.5hours), it’s the most practical one to go for especially when you have gone through years of stressful life without ever finding time in rejuvenating your body to stay healthy for years to come.

Please call +604-886 8071 to make your reservation at least 4 hours prior to your appointment as Rock Spa would need adequate time to prepare to ensure your memorable spa experience. For more information on their other spa packages, you can check out their full spa menu as well as their current promotions with some great bargains.

The Rock Spa is located at the left wing of Hard Rock Hotel Penang. Upon entering, just head for the nearest car park on your left and then follow the left side of the building until the furthest end near the beach area. Alternatively, you can walk into the main entrance of the hotel and head towards the swimming pool area and then walk through a pathway of sands towards the left side of the premises. My advice would be using the former route to avoid getting pebbles of sands on your shoes.

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Name: ROCK SPA @ HARD ROCK HOTEL PENANG
Address: Batu Ferringhi Beach, 11100 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: 604-886 8071
Business Hours: 9.00am-9.00pm
GPS: 5.467659, 100.240869

RATING:
Ambience: 8/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 classy)
Pricing: 7.5/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 9/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)

About Hard Rock International: With a total of 201 venues in 64 countries, including 155 cafes, 21 hotels and 10 casinos, Hard Rock International (HRI) is one of the most globally recognized companies. Beginning with an Eric Clapton guitar, Hard Rock owns the world’s greatest collection of music memorabilia, which is displayed at its locations around the globe. Hard Rock is also known for its collectible fashion and music-related merchandise, Hard Rock Live performance venues and an award-winning website. HRI owns the global trademark for all Hard Rock brands. The company owns, operates and franchises Cafes in iconic cities including London, New York, San Francisco, Sydney and Dubai. HRI also owns, licenses and/or manages hotel/casino properties worldwide. Destinations include the company’s two most successful Hotel and Casino properties in Tampa and Hollywood, Fl., both owned and operated by HRI parent company The Seminole Tribe of Florida, as well as other exciting locations including Bali, Chicago, Cancun, Ibiza, Las Vegas, Macau and San Diego. Upcoming new Hard Rock Cafe locations include San Juan, Lagos and Busan, South Korea. New Hard Rock Hotel projects include Daytona Beach, Dubai, Los Cabos, Tenerife, Abu Dhabi, and Shenzhen and Haikou in China. For more information on Hard Rock International, visit www.hardrock.com.

I'm thirsty for a drink now. Would you be kind enough to treat me?



A DATE WITH AIR ASIA BLOGGERS COMMUNITY IN #AABCPENANGTAKEOVER 2015

Written by crizlai on Aug 16th, 2015 | Filed under: bloggers, event, friendship, games

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080815 marked itself into the history of the Penang blogging scene when Air Asia Bloggers Community (#AABC) in collaboration with the Penang Global Tourism (#MyPenang), had touched down tactfully to conquer the food and heritage sites of George Town, Penang. Some of the Penang bloggers were fortunate enough to be selected to play lead/host to some lucky newfound brothers and sisters whom had hailed from Kuala Lumpur, Kuching and as far as Kota Kinabalu in the #AABC Penang Takeover Challenge 2015. Thanks to Air Asia for such a wonderful event to make those exciting outings linger in our memories.

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After a short morning briefing by Ashman Mahfudz from Air Asia Communication Department at Olive Tree Hotel where the bloggers were lodged in, we were divided into 5 teams. Each team had 1-2 Penang bloggers (Criz Lai, JJ Tan & Steven Goh, CK Lam & Lingzie Khoo, Xherlyn Choong plus Sock Peng & Kuen Hoong) as guides to lead them through the expedition and social media tasks.

To my surprise, I was assigned to my team mates, some whom I had taken out a day earlier for some pre-feasting meals. They consisted of Evelyn Ang Loo, Jason Chan (team leader) and Sally Lai (my new found sister with the surname Lai~ :P) We were then given a chic for the 5 required tasks, a Penang Hop On Hop Off (HOHO) pass and RM300 as our expenditure. Our tasks were as stated below:

1. Best Breakfast in Penang – Discover the Best Breakfast Place
2. Penangness – Resemble Penang?
3. Penang Essentials – Guide for Tourists Visiting Penang for Food & Heritage Trail
4. Heritage Trail
5. Eat Penang Style

The tasks may sound easy but it really needed some sit downs to strategically pen down every ideas and locations we have on our minds. Upon disembarking from the travel coach, which had shuttled us from the hotel to the heritage Chowrasta Market along Jalan Penang, we had decided to head down to the nearest “kopitiam” to brainstorm our ideas. We ended up at Kedai Makan Hoe Peng at the junction of Jalan Penang/Jalan Kampung Malabar to have some light breakfast and at the same time digesting the tasks we were assigned to. Finally, with some painstaking walks towards our planned destinations, we managed to come out with 5 suitable entries as shown below. (All the 5 Instagram photo entries are of courtesy from Jason Chan of www.walauwei.com).

#1 Best Breakfast in Penang – Discover the Best Breakfast Place

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#2 Penangness – Resemble Penang

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#3 Penang Essentials – Guide for Tourists Visiting Penang for Food & Heritage Trail

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#4 Heritage Trail

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#5 Eat Penang Style

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Upon completion of the challenge, we were then shuttled to Queensbay Mall to witness another event – The AirAsia’s Battle of the Year 2015. After spending some time in the mall, we were then sent back to Olive Tree Hotel for freshening up prior to our dinner.

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The finale dinner was held at Yeng Keng Hotel, Penang with the serving of Hainanese dishes under skillful Resident Head Chef, Chef Tan.

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After dinner, we all gathered outside the restaurant to hear out the final result of the challenge. Prior to that, a lucky draw session was held amongst the Penang bloggers whom had assisted in guiding the guests in the challenge. The top 3 winners for the draw went to CK Lam, JJ Tan and Steven Goh with free flight tickets to Medan, Bangkok and Kota Kinabalu respectively. The prizes were given out by Mr. Kenneth Tan, head of AirAsia Penang. Finally, the crowd grew tensed as the result of the challenge was about to be announced. Team 2 won the challenge and can you guess who were the people in Team 2? OMG! Me and my team mates! Our Team 2 and we won the grand prize of the night. Each of us received a complimentary ticket to Kaohsiung, Taiwan. You will sure be reading a lot of food reviews from me in Taiwan real soon. To my team members… You guys rock! Let’s do it again some time in the near future.

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Thanks to AirAsia for bringing the AABC bloggers to Penang and together with Penang Global Tourism in organizing such fun-filled outing. It was great to meet up with some old and new friends. I’ll sure look forward to more events to come.

I'm thirsty for a drink now. Would you be kind enough to treat me?



THE KEY BANGKOK HOTEL AT SUKHUMVIT SOI 19 BANGKOK THAILAND

Written by crizlai on Apr 8th, 2015 | Filed under: accommodation, Bangkok, holiday, hotel, review, Thailand, tips, vacation

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You may think Bangkok, the capital city of Thailand is not as big as it sounds but it’s 1.5 times the size of Penang Island and Mainland combined. However, Bangkok is more densely populated with endless attractions compared to Penang. Thus, it’s great if you know which would be the best location to stay based on your itinerary during your vacation. There may be over thousands of city & riverside hotels, boutique hotels, guesthouses or even hostels to stay in and it can be a little daunting for first-timers in Bangkok. To me, it’s not about the things you planned to do in Bangkok but the knowledge to fully utilize the mass transits to get to your destinations. With over 50 districts in Bangkok, I’ve chosen the district of Watthana with the convenience of having both the Bangkok Mass Transit System (BTS) and the Metropolitan Rapid Transit (MRT Metro) easily available. That’s the reason I’ve checked into The Key Bangkok Hotel.

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The Key, a 3-star hotel, is not much of a lavish hotel with complete facilities, but it’s just the right one for my basic necessities. Most importantly, a hotel has to be clean. Moreover, I realized that the housekeeping team has been a bit too hard working during my 5D4N stay in the hotel by replenishing all the used shampoo bottles, drinking water, beverage sachets and towels on a daily basis (when they stressed that we should try to go green and avoid changing towels daily). Though small in size, the hotel still has a comfortable sitting area with an indoor coffee house and an al fresco area to chill out.

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As for the room, I would say it’s quite spacious for a THB2000++ room with facilities such as a small kitchen (with plates, bowls, cups, glasses and necessary utensils), microwave oven, refrigerator, electric water kettle (complimentary coffee & tea sachets and two bottles of drinking water daily), TV, DVD player, safe deposit box, dressing table, working table, dining table, build-in wardrobe, hairdryer and bath tub with hot showers. Moreover, the washroom came equipped with hair shampoo, body shampoo, spa shampoo, hand wash and hand lotion bottles.

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However, there were two major setbacks in the room. One will be the toilet bowl which is too near to the wall. Thus, it will be quite inconvenient for huge sized house guests to do their “business”. Moreover, the blinds were not overlapping properly, resulting in the feeling of insecurity to prevent peeping toms from the opposite building. On top of that, there was no dish washer in the room. Though the housekeeper will clean up those dirty dishes, it would be great if they can provide that for long term house guests. As for WIFI, it’s not as stable as my personal 3G connection (though my Happy Tourist SIM card was not as smooth as it should be outside the vicinity of the hotel).

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Overall, it’s still a nice place to stay in with minimal sound pollution and the central air-conditioning can be rather cold. Moreover, Terminal 21 is just few minutes of walk away. You can access to a convenience shop right outside the entrance with two more 7-11 shops along the Sukhumvit Soi 19. Restaurants (Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Western), street food, cafes, hair salon, gymnasium and massage & spa parlors are scattered everywhere nearby. Without taking the risk of missing my flight (12.00 noon) to get home, the staff was helpful enough to get me a taxi to Don Mueang International Airport for a mere THB400 at 8.30am.

Here are some peeps of what to expect surrounding the vicinity of The Key Bangkok Hotel.

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Name: THE KEY BANGKOK HOTEL
Address: 19-19/1-3 Sukhumvit Soi 19, Klong Toei Nuea, Watthana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand.
Contact: +662 255 5825
GPS: 13.739016, 100.559948

DIRECTIONS:

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From Don Mueang International Airport (DMK): Take A1/A2 bus to Mo Chit Station (BTS Sukhumvit Line). Take the Skytrain to BTS Asoke Station. Use the Skywalk towards Exit 1 and walk downstairs towards Terminal 21. Walk straight towards “The Westin Grande Sukhumvit Hotel”. At the road before the hotel, turn right into Sukhumvit Soi 19 and walk about 70m and you will see the “The Key” after a row of shop houses on your left. The main entrance of the hotel is via a smaller alley.

From Suvarnabhumi International Airport: Take the Airport Rail Link (ARL) to ARL Makkasan Station. Walk to the MRT Phetcheburi Station and use the Subway Train to MRT Sukhumvit Station. Walk towards Exit 3 near the entrance of Terminal 21. Walk straight towards “The Westin Grande Sukhumvit Hotel”. At the road next to the hotel, turn right into Sukhumvit Soi 19 and walk about 70m and you will see the “The Key” after a row of shop houses on your left. The main entrance of the hotel is via a smaller alley.

RATING:
Ambience: 7/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 classy)
Cleanliness: 8/10 (1-4 limited, 5-7 average, 8-10 many choices)
Noise Pollution: 5/10 (1-4 quiet, 5-7 average, 8-10 noisy)
Pricing: 7/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 8/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)

 

I'm thirsty for a drink now. Would you be kind enough to treat me?

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