How about a Fun Staycation at DORSETT GRAND LABUAN?

In the recent media trip to Labuan, I was excited at the prospect of staying in Dorsett Grand Labuan. I have heard so much about the Dorsett Hospitality and there are only two Dorsett Grands in Malaysia and I was going to stay in one of them!

Dorsett Grand Labuan is the only 5-star hotel in Labuan and that’s quite a distinction. Awarded the “Best Business Hotel Brand Malaysia 2014” and “Luxury Business Hotel 2014”, Dorsett Grand Labuan is the only upscale international chain hotel in Labuan which caters to both international business and leisure travellers.

Dorsett Grand Labuan is ideally located in the uptown business district and directly opposite the Financial Centre. I was surprised the ride from the airport took only about 10 minutes until I discovered the hotel is only 5km away from the Labuan Airport which makes it easily accessible for travellers.  I had expected the ride to be longer but before we knew it, the van had pulled up the sloped road to the main entrance of the hotel!

Upon arrival at Dorsett Grand Labuan, we were treated to a grand welcome – the hotel team gathered at the lobby and sang us a welcome song! Wow… I must say I was so touched by this warm gesture. That’s only the beginning of my experience with this group of warm friendly people.

Throughout my stay in Dorsett Grand Labuan, I encountered top-notch service and friendliness from the crew. When I met their General Manager, Susan Carlos, I realised their culture of being caring and having that connecting bond with guests was inspired from the leadership. The warm interaction among themselves and with guests was obvious and I personally experienced that with Susan and her team.

Dorsett Grand Labuan houses 178 well-appointed luxurious rooms with 1 Royal Suite, 10 Premier Suites, 44 Executive Rooms and 123 Deluxe Rooms.

Royal Suite (no, I didn’t stay in this :-P)

Such luxury!

My Executive Room had a lovely view of the serene South China Sea with the colours of the sky and sea changing when dusk fell. I was also chuffed to note that there was a dedicated iHome in my room which comprised a radio, clock and iPod/iPhone dock. This is available in the Executive Rooms, Premier Suite and Royal Suite – something which is truly appreciated especially among guests who are tech-savvy.

View from my room

As befits a 5-star hotel, all rooms are complete with amenities such as 32-inch LCD TV with satellite channels, coffee and tea-making facilities, direct IDD phone with voicemail box,individually-controlled air conditioning, private electronic safe box and more.

As a blogger-on-the-go, I was particularly happy with the hotel’s WiFi access. Guests get to enjoy 1 GB complimentary internet access for all hotel rooms and that’s such a great thing to have when everyone needs to stay connected all the time!

Executive Lounge on Level 8

If you are staying on the Executive Floors or Premier Suites, do remember to drop by the Executive Lounge located on Level 8 as there’s complimentary coffee/tea from 7am to 10am and evening cocktails, delicious canapés and hors d’oeuvres from 4pm to 7pm.

Upon arrival, our media group was ushered to the Executive Lounge for some refreshments and express check-in.

 

Now let’s get acquainted with the hotel’s food outlets…

Victoria’s Brasserie (Lower Lobby) – Open daily from 6am to 10.30pm
This all-day dining restaurant is the only restaurant in Labuan that offers a variety of sumptuous breakfast, lunch and dinner buffet-style.

My mornings here got off wonderfully, thanks to the hearty breakfast spread. I was impressed by the variety of local hot items on the buffet line, ranging from nasi lemak to fried noodles to many other dishes – it’s almost like buffet lunch and not breakfast!  Some pastries were baked on-the-spot and I got to sink my teeth into just-out-of-oven croissants – just scrumptious!

There are special monthly and weekly promotions in the restaurant. On the Friday we were there, we got to enjoy BBQ Nite where fresh seafood and roast meats were the highlights.

Choices for appetisers, salads, live-cooking stations and desserts were really wide and varied.

 

Fun Pub (Lobby Level) – Open daily 6pm-2am (except Sunday)
After dinner, the Fun Pub is the obvious location to chill and wind down. The gregarious DJ and in-house live band, Perfect Jam, will ensure that. Music played is from all genres, catering to the crowd. While sipping our drinks, we took turns at the pool table and dart board in between the sets performed by Perfect Jam.

There’s no cover charge except on special occasions.

 

Lobby Lounge – Open daily from 12noon to midnight
This is a popular spot in Dorsett Grand Labuan and there are always guests milling around here. We got to enjoy an Afternoon Tea, available daily from 2.30pm onwards. For that extra special touch, their Afternoon Tea comes with both local and western fares and really, it was kinda hard to decide which was better as both offered very delicious bites!  For me personally, the satay, pisang goreng (fried bananas) and roti jalan were memorable – OK, so now you know how I swing!

I love the bright and vibrant cheerfulness of the place – it’s perfect to just hangout here with their signature refreshing drinks or just chillout with a cup of freshly brewed gourmet coffee.

On the few days I was there, there’re always sports fans gathered there catching their favourite sports events on the HD giant screen.

 

Meeting Facilities
If you are thinking of holding a special event in Labuan, the Grand Dorsett Labuan has 4 elegant meeting rooms to accommodate functions, seminars, dinner and wedding ceremonies. A boardroom is also available for a smaller scale meeting in privacy. For business travellers, the hotel offers a business centre with Internet facilities, photocopy and facsimile services. A wide range of seamless multimedia equipment is also available to ensure all events are delivered professionally.

 

Recreational Facilities
Gym & Swimming Pool

Fitness enthusiasts will be pleased to know that the hotel’s recreational facilities include a health and fitness club. It offers aerobic classes and personalized fitness programs with certified instructors as well as a sauna room to relax in after the sweat-out activities.
Alternatively, the swimming pool beckons with its inviting clear water.

 

Special Room Offer – Staycation with Dorsett Grand Labuan
Well, here’s some good news! If you are heading to Labuan for a holiday, with the school holidays coming up, it’s just about the right time to start planning. Dorsett Grand Labuan is the perfect family staycation spot to relax and unwind while taking in the historical sites and other activities in Labuan. The location is just perfect: close to the town centre and the airport.

The hotel is running a Special Staycation room package – Staycation at “The Pearl of South China Sea” is priced at RM550 nett per night in a Deluxe Room. Or upgrade to an Executive Room with just RM100 more (rate at RM650 nett per room night) and enjoy a host of extra benefits for FREE.

The Special Staycation Package includes:

– Complimentary breakfast and dinner (based on single occupancy). Additional person will be chargeable at only RM70 per room night

– 2 hours tour of Labuan historical sites

- Extension of stay with Best Available Rate (inclusive of breakfast) offered by the hotel

Package is available from 1 Nov 2015 till 29 Feb 2016.

To reserve the above packages or other hotel offers, please log onto www.dorsett.com

Look out for my upcoming post on “What to do in Labuan”!

 

DORSETT GRAND LABUAN
462 Jalan Merdeka
87029 Labuan F.T.
Malaysia
Tel: +60-87-422-000
Fax: +60-87-422-222
email: [email protected]

*Photos without the PureGlutton watermark were taken by Ching Yee Sing, the official photographer for this media trip