My Staycation at G-Luxe by Gloria and the King of the Mountain
Even as you read this, there has been an impressive amount of development on the other side the highlands. I am pretty sure you have read most of the articles shared about the doing of Resorts World Genting on the top of the hill, so it was with great interest that I turned my attention to the Ion Delemen Development. It took place as a seed sometime in 2011 and since then, they have been steadily working on an impressive 10.2 acres on the Northern hillside of the highlands. To get here, you need to take the north road at the Petron Genting Highlands roundabout, the same road you will need to take to get to Amber Court. It is nearly impossible to go astray, just follow Jalan Ion Delemen to the end and you will find the hotel at the end.
On the day I made the pleasurable drive here, I parked in the Grand Ion Delemen Hotel car park, and after disembarking from my car, eventually found myself in the wrong Lobby. It was my first time here, so I acquired some assistance to navigate the property. It turns out that besides this hotel, there were also other buildings connected in the same property, namely Gloria Residences and G-Luxe by Gloria where I was to spend the night.
On the day I made the pleasurable drive here, I parked in the Grand Ion Delemen Hotel car park, and after disembarking from my car, eventually found myself in the wrong Lobby. It was my first time here, so I acquired some assistance to navigate the property. It turns out that besides this hotel, there were also other buildings connected in the same property, namely Gloria Residences and G-Luxe by Gloria where I was to spend the night.
Jalan Ion Delemen 1, Ion Park, 69000, Genting Highlands Pahang Malaysia
03-64333800
03-64333899
DID You Know? The Best Western Premier Ion Delemen Hotel was officially opened on 26 April 2017 by Ion Delemen Hospitality Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of NCT Group of Companies. It later changed its name to Grand Ion Delemen Hotel.
Led by the capable staff here, I walked my way in search of my accommodation for the weekend staycation. There was much to see, and of course I will probably need more than a weekend to cover everything here. The weather was cool if a bit wet, and precipitation in Genting Highlands does not come in the form of rain like in the lowlands and valleys. Instead, it normally appears a large and very wet fog bank that obscures vision.
- Executive Deluxe Rooms
- Deluxe Family Suites
- Two Bedroom Deluxe Suites
- Two Bedroom Premier Suites
- G-Luxe Penthouses
All their rooms comes with plenty of amenities considered standard in Hotelier services. It would be repetitive to just list them here when you can see it for yourself, click on the link here to find out more about their rooms. But what really impressed me was not the satellite TV, as I do not watch TV at all. It was the Arissto Capsule Coffee Machine! These were some very high quality coffee capsules, with each containing 8.3g of coffee and three layers of preservation structure to keep the coffee from oxidizing and losing their taste and freshness. They have two types here, the Arissto Sunrise and Luna, each a different blend of Central and South American beans roasted to reflect their different character and strength.
So yes, apparently, I get excited when it comes to food and drinks. It says a lot about my character... moving on! The people at NCT Group of Companies were good hosts, and took me on a tour of their place to see their facilities and dining places. I liked their swimming pools, as they were heated and thus a blessing if you want to escape the cold. The gym was also well-appointed and everything is indoors so you do not have to worry about the weather or staying inside for long spells.
They have quite a number of Dining options. I visited Hugo's in the Sky and the Tavern which is bar located next to it. I did not stay to sample the efforts of the establishment here though, I will make it a point to try and do so on my own sometime later in the future.
On my way to the next rendezvous, I stopped by the Ballroom. As we all know, many momentous events takes place in such a hall. I found it well furnished and was pleased to learn that they can also mobilise a dance platform for those who wish to include such activities when considering hosting options. The 14 meters high ballroom is fully equipped with audio-visual equipment and free wi-fi, and covers about 40 meters square of floor space.
*****
"But I wot that neither he nor you would suffer a train of hungry men to starve before your door; so lead on, I pray you, and if the meat be as good as this grace before it, then it will be a feast indeed."
- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Sir Nigel
The highlight of the evening, was of course dinner. And for that, we were taken to Dinetopia. Now, I have heard much about Dinetopia since last year, so it was with great pleasure that I was finally able to experience it for myself. The foods served was exquisite, you can see what they have on their menu here. For myself and my friends, we were feasted with Magical, their three course menu comprising of an Entree, Main and Dessert. Do note that Dinetopia is officially a part of Grand Ion Delemen Hotel, which is in another adjoining building overlooking the Skygarden in the same property.
Now, when they tell you that it is a "360 degree cinematic dining experience", it is because the walls are lined with LED panels that plays animations, akin to a poly-chromatic TV surrounding the room. Cunning projectors hidden in the ceilings play animations of mesmerizing shapes and colours, even of swimming fish on your table as the meal progresses, with each subsequent course being served along with accompanying music to enhance the theme. Curious? Take a look at their cinematic trailer here.
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| Thai Mango Salad with Biun Nam Dressing and Romaine Lettuce |
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| Thai Mango Salad with Biun Nam Dressing and Romaine Lettuce |
The Thai Mango Salad roused my expectations for this establishment, especially after all the visual and audio effects kicked in. I am reminded of a passage in the English classic Sir Nigel at the end of Chapter IX , written and published by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in November 30, 1905, of which an excerpt I have reproduced at the beginning of this narrative. It is true that good food alone cannot sustain an establishment, it should be combined with cleanliness, good service and a comfortable ambience. In this, I feel that Dinetopia excels and promises to deliver more given more innovations in the future. I do note that the menu presented to us is different from when they first launched, and that is a good thing for patrons of this place as it shows they are continually improving and presenting a different experience.
ps. I liked the salad.
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| Chicken Roulade with Caramelised Onion served with Ribbon Acar and Assam Pedas Sauce |
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| Chicken Roulade with Caramelised Onion served with Ribbon Acar and Assam Pedas Sauce |
The Chicken Roulade was well balanced to my palate, the trick to eating this is to not eat the foods separately like an amateur, but to cut small portions of each and combine them into one spoon serving or mouthful. Yes, it IS fine dining. Ample time is given for you to sit back and enjoy each mouthful and honestly, there is much for the senses to observe as you eat in contentment. I quite liked the animation of the Malay house floating in a Veridian Paradise in the middle of the night.
ps. Yes, I enjoyed the chicken overmuch. In fact, I stole an additional piece from a friend's plate.
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| Deconstructed Tiramisu Infused with Sour Plum |
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| Deconstructed Tiramisu Infused with Sour Plum |
As many can attest, I am not much of a dessert person, so I turned to my companion for the evening, Wen Li, who has a palate for such things, and she had this to say, "It had a very nice presentation, taste wise it was sharp and briny." For me, I especially loved the part where I had to dig to the bottom where the best parts was, and one should be careful with the capsule as many mistook it for brown sugar. Smart me took a taste first and informed the masses that it was cappuccino. I then dribbled half the capsule over the dessert and finished it with mixed gusto.
*****
7 March 2020 Early the next day, I roused myself from sleep and prepared myself for the Viper Challenge: King of the Mountain. After checking I had my cameras and spare batteries and accessories, it was yet another short walk to Gloria Residences to partake in a buffet breakfast at Home. No, I did not go home. I went to a restaurant called Home. They had a lot of nice offerings there, ranging from Dim Sum, Porridge or Congee, Omelettes and Eggs Sunny Side-up, Cereals, Nasi Lemak and Rendangs, Fried Bee Hoons, and even Sweet Potatoes! My favourite was the Stir-Fried Macaroni. I ate moderately and then went down for the race flag-off!
*****
“It is always exciting being back here in Genting highlands as it provides a different atmosphere compared to other venues. The hilly roads and chilly weather will not only test the participant’s endurance physically, but also mentally. Ion Park is the perfect venue for this very reason.”
- Selva Kumar, CEO Viper Challenge
Viper Challenge King of the Mountain 2020 was sponsored and hosted by NCT Group of Companies’s Grand Ion Deleman hotel, Gloria Residences and G-Luxe by Gloria. It was part of my stay-cation to cover the flag-off for this event, where the race and obstacle course itself was held in Ion Park. It ran for two days on the weekends of 7th and 8th March 2020 respectively. A festival area located directly in front of the hotels of Gloria Residences and G-Luxe by Gloria was set up to host the event. It included the Registration Tent, marked the Start and Finish lines, Medical Tent, Sponsor Tents, NCT Group Tents, Food Stalls and even had a demarcated area for picnics. A throng of hundreds and thousands strong gathered and were flagged off in stages here.
At 6000 feet above sea level, the challenge for the participants was to continuously keep moving to build up enough body heat to combat the cold. For the purposes of the challenge, a 7 kilometer route with 12 obstacles was set up in Ion Park and inclement weather and precipitation made the challenge all the more interesting.
“Grand Ion Delemen, Gloria Residences and G-Luxe by Gloria are very proud to be part of Viper Challenge this year. King of the Mountain is an apt title for this year’s event as Ion Delemen itself broke Malaysia Book of Records as the Highest Altitude Full-fledged Service Apartment in the country. We are proud to be the event venue sponsor this year.”
– Dato’ Indera Naresh Mohan, CEO Grand Ion Delemen Hotel
*****
After covering the Viper Challenge, I went back to my room for some R&R before coming back out again for lunch. This time, I was hosted at the Kembali Kitchen where they had a really nice buffet spread for lunch. Ambience wise, the place was large and very well lit, with a good view of the surrounding hillside and the valley below. They foods catered to a range of local and international cuisines, I honestly was drawn to their bread rack for some strange reason. After spending some weeks in the past travelling the dry and cold steppes of Mongolia, I developed a taste for bread, butter and milk tea, so I indulged myself here. I will let the pictures speak for themselves; I went around the restaurant for a good 15 minutes taking pictures before I settled down for a very smooth Creamy Potato Soup and some rice dishes before attacking the breads.
If you would like to have a look at their menu, they a menu for adults and another separate menu for kids. I actually sat here for hours, talking to friends both old and new, and I had three separate helpings of mains, breads and dessert. And then I only left because it was time for tea...
*****
... at the Fairy Tales Cafe. I'm sorry, were you not paying attention? I said I had a three hour lunch and then left to come here for High Tea, lol, shameless greedy fellow that I am. The Fairy Tales Cafe overlooks the Skygarden here in Grand Ion Delemen Hotel and it is set outdoors in a roofed area. Although I was here for High Tea, I could imagine myself here at night with the deliciously cold weather, with a heavy fog rolling in and myself wrapped up enjoying a cup of hot tea.
At Fairy Tales Cafe, they have on offer three High Tea sets, ranging from Sweet, Savoury or a mix of both. The tea sets are for 2 pax at MYR 114 each, but I am also intrigued to learn that they also have dinner sets, ranging from 5 to 7 courses. What did I tell you when I said that lovebirds might find this place an interesting place to try? Now I wonder if they will have candlelights upon request... I should probably arrange for a date with a certain married woman soon to find out more. Anyhow, if you would like to find out more, they have a link to the Fairy Tales Cafe menu here.
*****
I hoped you enjoyed my write up for this episode of my weekend stay-cation here at Genting Highlands, courtesy of the NCT Group of Companies and the Ion Delemen Group. If you would like to see more photos, you can view the pictures of the Viper Challenge here and my Staycation at G-Luxe by Gloria here. Official pictures of the Viper Challenge shared by the organisers can be viewed here. Until the next write-up, cheers! ~ Marv.7
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| That's my blogging partner and the actual blog owner, Angeline Ong, not my GF! lol |
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