Review: Avani Sepang Goldcoast Resort
Avani Sepang Goldcoast Resort offers a very affordable overwater villa experience closer to home, but more is needed to be done by the brand, in order to really reach the quality that Maldives offers.
Air Asia Economy Class SIN-KUL
Avani Sepang Goldcoast Resort
Jetstar Economy Class KUL-SIN
After a quick comparison on hotel prices, I decided on Malaysia to fulfil the final stay required. There are 5 hotels/resorts in Malaysia, 3 under Parkroyal/Parkroyal Collection, 1 under Anantara and 1 under Avani.
This effectively leaves only 2 options: Anantara Desaru and Avani Sepang. After a price check, I decided on the latter. And besides, the pictures of online reviews look pretty nice!
Avani Goldcoast Sepang (Picture from Official Site)
Cost
581.94 MYR/night for a base-level Superior Room, with complimentary breakfast. As a GHA Platinum member, was upgraded to the Family Villa.
Arrival
Avani Goldcoast Sepang is located a distance form KLIA2 International Airport. Took a Grab ride from the airport at about 65RM, which is similar to the standard price when travelling to the city centre. Travel time is about 50 mins.
I thought that it may be a bad sign when the driver mentioned that locals do not really rate this resort, but upon reaching the lobby, the concerns were unfounded. The lobby had leisurely vibes and looked pretty nice.
As a GHA Platinum member, I was upgraded one level to the Family Villa (about 45% savings!). I had wanted to claim my Discovery Dollars, but was informed that the room had been charged already, and usually I would need to inform by e-mail beforehand in order to use those D$. Just to take note for anyone planning to use!
After check-in procedures, you will be escorted to your villa by a buggy from the hotel lobby. Although not as big as most Maldives villas, the buggy really helps as it is still quite a long walk to the villas at the back!
Main Boardwalk Leading to Overwater Villas
One of the Entrance Paths to the Overwater Villas
All rooms are overwater villas, and the resort is laid out in a palm-shaped design. The main dining restaurants and facilities (bar, infinity pool and gym) are located in the centre of the palm. Those located at Villas 800 and above face out to the straits, which have the best sunset views.
Resort Layout
A note that the entrance to the villas are not sheltered. As you will need to make your way to the main buggy stop at the palm centre, do make sure that you have umbrellas ready in your room during times of rain.
Room
The main difference between the Superior Room and the Family Villa was the size. At 82sqm, the Family Villa was 30sqm larger, and had an additional room with twin beds. The rooms could be segregated by pull doors, if you would prefer privacy when staying with family or friends.
The mini bar is located at the villa entrance, and there was only instant coffee from Maxwell (slight disappointment for the coffee machine advocate in me) and Pickwick green tea. There was also plenty of water stocked here.
Family Villa (Minibar)
The main living room has a huge work desk, but surprisingly did not have any power outlets (one of the signs of dated design). Therefore, it was not very practical for me as I can only use my laptop for a few hours before needing to charge.
Below the desk was the mini fridge and a safe. The sofa was comfortable enough, but obvious signs of wear and tear (with stains) could be seen, and similar with the coffee table.
Family Villa (Living Room)
The TV is also small and with limited function, although picture quality was good. The remote controller was also not very responsive, and given its condition, it has clearly seen better days.
Family Villa TV
Signs of wear and tear on TV Controller
The Family Villa has two rooms: one with a double bed, and one with a twin bed.
Again, obvious signs of wear and tear with the power outlets beside the bed.
Signs of wear and tear on Telephone Outlet in Main Bedroom
Each room has their own bathroom and balcony. The balcony view from the main bedroom was nice! One of the balconies also had a dining table, if you would like to hang out with your family or friends outdoors. A negative would be the close proximity to your neighbours, so do ensure that your curtains are closed before walking around without your clothes.
Bathrooms and Bathroom Amenities
One of the bathrooms has a bathtub which was pretty big! The rain showers also had pretty nice water pressure.
Bidet lovers would be disappointed with the toilet, which is of the basic kind.
Family Villa (Main Bedroom) - Toilet
Bathroom amenities are house-branded, and does the job well enough. I like that they stocked it up well in the rooms, so that I did not have to call reception often (this was the case in some of the hotels that we have stayed in).
Bathroom Amenities (Avani)
Food
For dinner, I paid a visit to Sepoi Sepoi Restaurant, which offered both local and international food in an al-fresco setting. I had the Chicken Schnitzel and the Red Touch (sprite, dragonfruit drink). Both were surprisingly nice!
Sepoi-Sepoi Restaurant (Interior)
Chicken Schnitzel (better than the one I had in Frankfurt!)
Red Touch (sprite, dragonfruit drink)
Breakfast was at Bila Bila, and offered both outdoors (facing the infinity pool) and indoor dining settings. The food quality was pretty good for me, and I liked the double expresso (I drank two cups of it).
My Breakfast Pickings (Round 1)
My Breakfast Pickings (Round 2)
Facilities
As mentioned, the centre palm is where all the action is. Two restaurants are located in the central building (Hai Sang Lou and Bila Bila), together with a main buggy and bicycle point and noticeboard showing all the relevant activities for the day. Bicycles are a good way to explore the resort! It is nice that they provide this for the guests.
There is also a boutique whereby you can get beachwear and some snacks.
Further walking into Bila Bila Restaurant is the bar and infinity pool.
Infinity Pool (Side View)
Infinity Pool (Main View)
Right in front of the Infinity Pool is where the gym (named AvaniFiT) is located. I used the gym, and would advise to use the skiing machine (where it has the best straits views!).
That said, I feel that just exploring and taking a stroll around the resort is an activity highlight in itself, especially during sunset and sunrise! Most visitors also visit Smiley Beach and the night time Fire show, but I did not partake in that.
Service
Service-wise, it was pretty good in my opinion. My request for an additional key card was delivered promptly by the buggy staff within 15 minutes, while I did not request for housekeeping. Overall, the reception and dining staff were quite friendly, and one of them even explained to me how to correctly use my Discovery Dollars for future usage. Pretty nice!
Check Out
I did an early check-out at 11.30am to catch my flight back to Singapore. I would recommend that you book a transport back to the airport beforehand on Klook, as there is no Grab service available and the hotel limousine is pretty expensive (I found out the hard way).
Conclusion
Overall, Avani Goldcoast Sepang provided a pretty comfortable stay and boasts amazing views of the sea, although some dated furnishings and hardware wearing, together with the not-so-clear waters slightly affected the Overwater Villa experience, definitely not as nice as the Maldives.
That said, the price point and its location make this a unique and affordable option apart from the bustling city staycation, and would consider this for future stays. (especially after getting GHA Titanium)!
