Festive cheer at G-Hotel in Penang

GEORGE TOWN: The G-Hotel along Gurney Drive always takes pride in trying to meet the expectations of its customers - making the property a visible hospitality joint in Penang.
Despite enjoying a level of success over the years, the hotel makes an effort to ensure that its staffers stay grounded.
And what better way to reflect humility than during the festive period where the hotel goes all out to give back to society.
For the recent Christmas season, the hotel hosted 36 underprivileged children from children's homes here so they could also participate in the joyful festivities.
It was part of the hotel's Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, as they celebrated a "All They Want for Christmas" charity party in aid of children from Ru Yi Home and Shan Children's Home.
The hotel collected the wish lists of the children from both homes before turning them into wish cards and hanging it on the giant Christmas Tree in the lobby.
Hotel guests and associates, who were willing to help in the charitable cause, read the cards and tried their best to grant the children's wishes.
Many of the children were beaming when they were invited to the hotel to receive and unwrap their presents at the lobby in the presence of the equally excited guests and associates, who had generously contributed to the programme.
Each child received a maximum of seven presents for Christmas, totaling up to 230 gifts overall.
The event was graced by general manager Michael Hanratty, followed by a Christmas carol performance by the International Community Choir.
Other hotels in town also celebrated the year-end festivities in style.
Sunway Hotel which has properties in George Town and Seberang Jaya, held their annual countdown with dinner specials and special promotions.
While, at the Top - the latest tourism landmark atop the northern region's tallest building of Komtar; no efforts were spared to mark the New Year when they invited the Canto pop band of Fantasy Soundmac to welcome in 2018.
At the M Mall 020 outlet in the Penang Times Square, the online sensation from Thailand - Happy Polla as well as the Taiwanese rock band F.I.R. and the Malaysia - Taiwan female quartet Amoi - Amoi, entertained the guests.
At Alor Star, the Star City and its sister property Fuller Hotel also ushered in the New Year with much celebration and pomp.
There is always this expectation among tourists for exciting things to do in the evenings - it is the same all over the world, and more so in Alor Star, said general manager Eugene Dass, who oversees both properties.
While the Langkawi Yacht Club, hosted for the first time ever, a Bee Gees tribute show, dubbed the "Saturday Night Fever" at its sprawling premise last month.
The tribute band was flown in from the United Kingdom, and the singers, not only resembled the original Bee Gees in appearance; they also sounded similar to the band, who has a global following after a string of hits in the past four decades.
The club's general manager Tayfun Koksal hopes that the travel trade community can support more of such shows as it could enliven the entertainment scene here.
Property giant the Ideal Group Sdn Bhd marked the start of the year with news that it has won two awards at the iProperty Development Excellence Awards for its project called the Imperial Residences in Sungai Ara, Penang.
It was adjudged the winner for the "Best Northern Development" and "Best Value Development" categories.
The chief operating officer Ng Tyan Ping and senior strategic design manager Kang Pei Koon, represented the Ideal Group in receiving the awards at the Hilton Hotel in Kuala Lumpur.