First World Hotel - Genting Resort - Genting Highlands

First World Hotel is the third largest hotel in the world by rooms. It comprises Tower 1 and Tower 2, each with 28 floors, and has a grand total of 6,118 rooms. It is one of the five hotels located in Genting Highlands, Pahang, Malaysia, along with Genting Hotel, Theme Park Hotel, Highlands Hotel and Resort Hotel. It was the largest hotel in the world until The Palazzo, an expansion of The Venetian in Las Vegas was opened in January 2008.

Strikingly colourful First World Hotel in Genting Highlands Resort

First World Hotel

Huge and spacious lobby at First World Hotel - designed as a Spanish courtyard

Beautiful Spanish inspired lobby

Lobby

Need a drink whilst you wait for your room? Starbucks is just around the corner

Back of a clown in the lobby of First World Hotel

Entertainment while you wait for your rooms

A lush, grand tropical rainforest greets guests at the main entrance of the First World Hotel.

Superior room in First World Genting Hotel

All hotel rooms are equipped with fans to complement the cool crisp mountain air and to maintain a comfortable temperature.

First World Hotel adjoins the shopping and entertainment complex, First World Plaza, which boasts 500,000 sq feet of indoor theme park, shopping centre and food establishments.

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Genting Highlands Vacation 22nd – 25th Oct 2010 Day 3

Time just flies when you are enjoying yourself, doesn’t it? It does not seem as though we have been here for three days already and it is now time to check out from this Genting Highlands Resort, First World Hotel.

View from First World Hotel, Genting Resort

Checking out was a breeze. As long as you check out before 12 noon, the official check out time, there will be a staff on hand at the various check out kiosks located in the lobby. Just hand them your room key and you are done! No questions asked! Checking out could not be any easier!!!

One of the check out kiosks at First World Hotel

Staff on hand to assist you in checking out

Today we headed to Hainan Kitchen Restaurant in First World Plaza once again to have the Steamed Chicken rice as well as Curry Chicken rice. The meal was tasty, fragrant and filling.

Preparation area in Hainan Kitchen Restaurant

Hainan Steamed Chicken Rice - delicious and fragrant

Curry Chicken with Rice

Later we had a drink at Starbucks to pass the time as well as surf the internet and respond to emails.

In the afternoon, before our bus ride back to Singapore at 1530 hrs, we headed to Hainan Kitchen once again since we still had another voucher for a complimentary meal.

How to Earn a Free Meal in Genting Resort

Though we would have preferred to visit one of the other restaurants in the casino, it was a bit inconvenient as we had our luggage with us since the Bell Desk area had such a long queue and we did not want to bother queueing to place our luggage there.

This time, we tried the Mee Hailam in Hainan Kitchen. Though it was good, we still prefer their chicken rice which is simply too good to resist.

Mee Hailam in Hainan Kitchen Restaurant

Heading for the Genting bus terminal at 1500 hrs, we said our goodbyes to this beautiful Malaysia highlands which is blessed with a lovely cool weather of 16 - 22 oC. Being nature lovers, we felt that it would be even better if Genting Resort has a park with highlands flowers and plants to beautify the area; as this would definitely be another added attraction for tourists besides the current casino and indoor/outdoor theme parks.

Saying goodbye to First World Genting Hotel

Genting bus terminal

Enjoying the view

and the cool weather

Stopping along the way by the foot of Genting Highlands, the bus made a toilet stop as well as a shopping stop. Here you could buy some Malaysia products if you wish to.

Shopping for Malaysia products

Stop by the foot of Genting Highlands

Thereafter, there was one stop along the way at Yong Peng to have dinner before we arrived safely back in Singapore at approximately 2200 hrs.

Stop at Yong Peng

Spacious area to sit and have a meal

Choice of dim sum food at Yong Peng

Or snacks

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Genting Highlands Vacation 22nd – 25th Oct 2010 Day 2

Genting Highlands Resort - First World Hotel

Since we were in Genting Highlands Resort staying in the First World Hotel, we took our time to enjoy the cool 16 degrees C weather. At the same time, since we were fortunate enough to be in Genting Highlands at the same time as the Malaysia Handicraft Exhibition at First World Plaza, we once again watched the demonstration of batik painting, basket weaving and hand loom weaving. It was very interesting.

Outdoor theme park - Genting Resort Malaysia

Flying Coaster - Genting Resort - Outdoor theme park

Beautiful views of the Pahang mountains

Scenic view

Today we managed to watch the various Malaysia dances as well.

We then had the Hainan Roasted Chicken rice at Hainan Kitchen in First world Plaza. Doing a roaring business, the outlet can be quite packed at times and you might have to queue just to be seated.

Hainan Kitchen Restaurant

We spent a lazy day, going online whilst enjoying a cup of latte in Starbucks and also having some fun in the casino, since we were not interested in going to the theme parks.

Starworld Casino, one of the casinos in Genting Resort

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Genting Highlands Vacation 22nd - 25th Oct 2010 Day 1

We made use of 2 packages for this Genting Highlands vacation. If it were not for these 2 packages, we might not have gone to Genting Highlands yet.

Package 1:-
Go Genting Destination Credit Rooms Period 1.9.2010 – 15.11.2010
FREE RM160 in Non Negotiable credit for slots machine or electronic table games for Singapore Genting WorldCard members only with the following Terms and Conditions:-

a) Return bus ticket booked through 707 Travel Services Pte Lte, Five Stars Tours Pte ltd, Transtar Travel, Grassland Express & Tours Pte Ltd or WTS Travel.
b) Go Genting RM200 package
c) SGD100 Levy ticket from either of the 2 Integrated Resorts in Singapore

Package 2:-
Received a short text message from:-
Genting: Congrats!! Enjoy complimentary two nights stay First World Hotel valid till 30th Nov.

Thus we decided to combine both promotions and managed to squeeze a date to go up to the Malaysia highlands and enjoy the cool weather as well.

Our confirmation for First World Hotel Genting Resort

The various tour operators charge different rates. We managed to book through 707 Travel Services Pte Ltd. It cost us SGD65 (USD49.38) per person for a return journey to Genting Highlands Resort.

2030 hrs on Friday night of 22nd Oct, we assembled at 707 Travel Services office in People’s Park Centre to await our 26-seater coach departure at 2100 hrs.

Our coach to Genting Resort

We had a good impression of the coach which looked clean, new and modern. The interior was also very well-kept and spacious. The seats were very comfortable.

What was even better was that the coach was not full, and we could sit anywhere we desired. This was great since it would be an overnight trip and by so doing, we could select a seat that was not directly behind someone so that we could have more space.

Interior of coach

Since all the passengers were on board, we managed to depart before the scheduled time of 2100 hrs.

Clearing customs and immigration via Tuas checkpoint was a breeze and we were on Malaysian roads by 2140 hrs.

Malaysian flag signifying Malaysian ground

At 2245 hrs, the coach stopped at Ayer Hitam Kim Guan Restaurant. A few varieties of food were still available at that hour.

Rest stop at Ayer Hitam

Snacks available

More finger food

Or a heavier meal

More choices of food

After half an hour, the coach departed for our destination, Genting Highlands, and we managed to comfortably sleep on the reclined seat.

We arrived at Genting Highlands First World hotel just after 0300 hrs.

The bus terminal at First World Hotel

Walkway to First World Hotel

Few people were mingling around and we managed to get our queue number ‘25’. We were also told that we had to go to the Group and Tour Counter to collect our room voucher.

As check in time was only at 1000 hrs, we just walked around checking out the casino which is open 24 hours. At 0500 hrs, we went to get our Go Genting Destination Credit and spent a few hours trying our luck. Playing in the casino meant that we were able to collect some points and we managed to redeem the points for meal vouchers.

A meal voucher that came with our Go Genting Package

Heading for breakfast at Fortune Corner, we redeemed our combo meal voucher for a plate of nasi lemak (coconut rice), a drink and a fruit. Breakfast was not bad considering that the portion was sufficient to feed the two of us though we prefer the chilli at Machap Rest & Relaxation along the North South Highway.

We spent some time in Starbucks going online before heading to First World Hotel lobby to check in just before 1000 hrs. We were pleasantly surprised to see that they had already started checking in guests and the queue number being served at that point of time was ‘20’. Since our number was ‘25’, this meant that we would not have to wait too long.

Alas! How disappointed we were to see the queue number still at ‘20’, thirty minutes later! Upon checking with the receptionist, we were told that they only checked in the first 20 at 1000 hrs and check in for others will only commence at 1100 hrs. Sigh… There goes our hope of getting a room early to rest.

When we finally received our room key to check in we took a much needed rest before proceeding to Hou Mei Restaurant in First World Plaza for lunch. We had the chicken hor fun soup and found it tasty. We used our meal voucher to redeem the meal.

Hou Mei Restaurant

Chicken hor fun soup

Dining in Hou Mei Restaurant

The Malaysian Handicraft Exhibition was also on at the First World Plaza and we had an interesting time checking it out. Some of the crafts on demonstration were batik painting, hand loom weaving and rattan plaiting.

We had dinner at Good Luck Restaurant in the casino where we ordered the Sweet and Sour Fish Rice. This was quite plain and nothing fancy.

After dinner, we had a few hours to enjoy the weather which was a cool 16 degrees C before retiring for the night.

Enjoying the cool weather in front of Highlands Hotel at Genting Resort

Genting Hotel

Lovely highlands flower

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