weekend jaunt

Hard Rock's hip resort in sleepy Penang

A fan of Ray Charles? Stay at the newly-opened Hard Rock Hotel along the famous beaches of Batu Ferringhi, Penang and you will be rocked by laughing Ray in your bathroom! As one of the artists born on 23 September, Hard Rock Hotel debuted on 19 September 2009 with online musings of artists born in the same month. “On this day in 1930, Ray Charles was born. This baby would become the man who would propel R&B into the future, melding gospel with juke-joint lyrics and jazz rhythms, as well as taking pieces of country, rock, and blues along for the ride.”

This first hip and energetic Hard Rock resort in sleepy Penang holds 223 rooms and 17 suites and the largest free-form swimming pool in Penang. It is the third Asian hotel that Hard Rock International has ‘birthed’ with HPL Hotels and Resorts. In keeping with the profile of Hard Rock International as the custodian of rock history, eco.id architects connected the soul of the brand in its design elements to craft a captivating hotel that is filled with the unexpected. Click here to read more about the project details. Suitable for families, couples and singles yearning for music, good times and entertainment right on the beach, it is great for an interesting weekend jaunt.

To give you an insight into this cultural force, we take you back to the beginnings of this international brand that now has 152 venues in 52 countries. Have you noted its signature icon, the giant guitar that stands in front of the lobbies of Hard Rocks around the world? It started with an Eric Clapton guitar; it was then just a goof, a laugh among friends. “Back in the seventies, Clapton - the original guitar god, founder of the band Cream and Derek & known for hit song ‘Layla’ liked to eat at this quirky American diner in London called the Hard Rock Cafe. The place was in this funky old building and it was founded by Isaac Tigrett and Peter Morton, two enterprising and music-loving Americans. With its rock atmosphere and late hours, it quickly became a haven for rock stars, one of whom - Eric Clapton - put his guitar on the wall as a way of holding a table. No one thought much more about it until another guitar arrived (a Gibson Les Paul, by the way). With it was a note from Pete Townshend of The Who which read: "Mine's as good as his. Love, Pete." The young proprietors put it on the wall. After that, the guitars kept coming. From that single cafe and single guitar, Hard Rock has grown to own the world's greatest collection of rock 'n' roll artifacts on the walls of over 138 Hard Rock Cafes, Hotels and Casinos in 42 countries around the world.

To check into this musical resort by the seaside, log on to penang.hardrockhotels.net/index.php