* Thistle Port Dickson Resort

Owned by Guocoland(M'sia) Bhd, an investment arm of Hong Leong Group and managed by Guoman Hotel Management (UK), Thistle Port Dickson Resort is one of the top hotels in Port Dickson. Even though it falls short of the "luxury" status, it makes a very good hotel choice for family getaways.
Located along Jalan Pantai, Teluk Kemang it encompasses a land area of 36 hectares (approx 89 acres) with a fairly long stretch of beachfront. Contrary to my expectation, Teluk Kemang is quite a happening place, with many seafood restaurants and stalls selling souvenirs, local products, etc.

This photo is taken on our way to the hotel. It is one of the tourist hotspots in Teluk Kemang

This is the main facade of the resort. It takes slightly more than an hour to drive here from KL.

Parking is open-air and it should be safe as you will need to go through a security booth to get into the resort compound.

Hotel entrance area.

This is the resort lobby. There are reception counters on the left as well as the right side of the entrance. The concierge service was excellent and reception service was commendable.

The lobby lounge offers plenty of comfortable seats and sofas for resort guests.

This F&B outlet called 'Steps' is right beside the main lobby. Simple names are used to name restaurants like 'Steps', 'Fresh', 'Glass', 'Chinoise', and 'Cumulus'.

The lamps at the lobby area however look very cheap and out of place. They should have been replaced with grander looking ones.

See what I mean? At first glance the red dangling things look like "ang pow" packets.

On the way to our room we passed by a few indoor gardens. This is one of them.

 Another indoor garden.

Our room is located on the first floor which is one floor below the main lobby.

We stayed in this unit, called Indigo Suite. 

The suite is beautifully designed. There is a bar/pantry area, a lounge, a bedroom, 2 toilets/washrooms, a shower room and a patio. 

This is the bar area. It is equipped with wine glasses (minus the wine), cups, plates and bowls.

These are on the house.

There is a mini-bar but it is empty inside.

These will come in handy if you plan to have a small feast in the room.

This is the lounge. There is a sliding door that opens out to the patio. This unit is a good choice as there is easy access to the resort facilities.

The swimming pool is just a few steps away. The beach is also nearby, about 100 metres away.

There are 3 TVs in the suite. This is the largest one and it is in the lounge.

This is the first toilet/washroom.

We were given a complimentary fruit platter.

The bedroom has a contemporary setting with an orange color theme.

The hanging lamps are simple but nice.

The 2nd TV is placed in the bedroom just in front of the bed.

There is a working table with wired internet access. The charge for usage is RM20 per day. WIFI is only available at the main lobby area. It is not free and the rate is also RM20/day.

The washroom is separated from the bedroom by a curtain.

There is a bath-tub right in the bedroom itself.

There is a pair of sink for the convenience of a couple.

These are the bath amenities/toiletries provided.

This is the 2nd toilet in the suite.

The 3rd TV which is a mini-TV is placed in this toilet. (This is real luxury).

The shower cubicle is roomy.

The closet is equipped with bathrobes, slippers, safety box and a weighing machine. There are enough hanging space and storage shelves. 

There is a theme to the decor of this suite. It is "dragonfly"

Ceiling decors, wall carpet and wall paintings all have dragonflies in them.

Our room opens out to a patio.

One of the most spectacular facilities in this resort is the swimming pool. This pool pool spans over a big area and it is the main attraction for many resort guests.

The main pool is deep (2 to 2.5 metres) and a life guard is stationed to look out for the safety of pool users.

A deep pool is good as you can really swim without too many people getting in your way.

There is a slide and a shallower pool for children.

There is also a separate wading pool and slides for kids who can't swim.

Children will certainly love this.

At one corner of the main pool is the pool bar where you can order snacks and beverages.

There is another smaller (but deep) pool for adults. This pool is just beside the beach.

There is a children's playroom in the hotel.

This is the games room. Also available are table tennis, tennis, watersport activities like kayaks, banana boats, etc. 

Photo above shows some guests having fun on a banana boat.

Cleanliness and the maintenance of the beach is just satisfactory.

I happened to be at the beach when the tide was changing (passed 4pm)  The sea was totally calm.

Hardly anything is free in the resort. Displayed here is the rate for using or borrowing recreation facilities in the resort.

The spa and fitness center are housed in a separate building in front of the main building.

Entry to the fitness center is free.

The Resort Spa offers various types of therapies and massages.

This is the Spa Lounge.

This is the passageway to the therapy rooms.

This is the side view of the Spa building.

Also available is a 9-hole golf course.

There is a small lake in the middle of the golf course.

There is also a park within the resort where you can take walks. There are shrubs and fruit trees here but most are in dire need of fertilizers.

There are also facilities for team building camps.

This restaurant called 'Fresh' is where we had our breakfast.

Breakfast cuisine was simple with limited choice.

The food was just satisfactory.

The Chinoise Restaurant serves oriental cuisines.

"Cumulus" is opened only in the evenings. This restaurant is just beside the beach.

There is live performance in the Cumulus restaurant. We opted to have our main meals outside the resort. A seafood restaurant nearby (Restoran Port Dickson) served good and cheap seafood.

There are a number of seafood restaurants outside the resort. This is probably the nearest to the resort as it is just a short drive away. The food served here is nice and inexpensive.

Now, let's go for a virtual tour around the resort .

Overall this resort is better than expected and I enjoyed my short weekend here. My conclusion: "RECOMMENDED"