Gurney Plaza is a major shopping mall on Penang Island that caters to an upmarket customer base. Gurney Plaza is located along the famed Gurney Drive facing the North Channnel (which at time of writing, is undergoing massive land reclamation). Gurney Plaza is one of the properties of Singapore-based CapitaLand, one of Southeast Asia's biggest property companies. I explored Gurney Plaza and am documenting it as one of the major shopping malls of Penang.
Gurney Plaza has 708,000 sq ft of lettable area, making it the second biggest shopping mall on Penang Island after Queensbay Mall. Opened in November 2001, Gurney Plaza has over 300 outlets. The anchor tenant at Gurney Plaza is Parkson Grand, and this is supplemented by a plethora of outlets including MPH Book Store, Popular Books, Toys R Us, British India, Coffee Bean, Giordano, McDonald's, Nando's, Leonard Drake, GNC, SUB, Reject Shop, Starbucks, Body Shop, Timberland, and other upmarket retailers. Cold Storage operates a supermarket on the basement level.
The GSC Cinemas at Gurney Plaza, with 12 halls, is the second largest multiplex operated by Golden Screen Cinemas in Malaysia after the one at Mid Valley Megamall in Kuala Lumpur with 18 halls. It is also the first multiplex in northern Malaysia with THX-certified halls and an 80-seater premiere class hall.
Update: Dec 2008: Gurney Plaza New Wing Opens
December 2008 sees the new wing of Gurney Plaza opening. The seven-storey extension adds 150,000 sq ft of retail space to the mail, helping it to consolidate its position as the premier retail destination on Penang Island. The extension costs RM83 million and adds 800 parking bays to the otherwise congested mall.
The opening of Gurney Plaza sees an expansion in area for its anchor tenant, Parkson Grand, which also occupies three floor of the mall, namely the 1st, 2nd and third. This, in addition to Parkson Grand's existing area on the ground, 1st and 2nd floors of the old wing. Other outlets opening at Gurney Plaza includes the 2nd outlet of Sakae Sushi on Penang Island, A&W, Dell store, among others. Moving over from the old wing is Switch Apple store. Over at the old wing, Living Quarters from Metrojaya finally makes an appearance in Penang.
One major complaint that has been raised among shoppers is that, unlike Queensbay Mall, the toilets at Gurney Plaza does not provide toilet paper. Toilet papers might not sound like a big issue, but the cost of not providing it will certainly be high, now that issue is highlighted in Penang Travel Tips.
Visiting Penang
If you're planning a trip to Penang, please go through the information I have assembled in Penang Travel Tips. You'd find there information covering all aspect about Penang, including accommodation, transport, food, shopping, places of interest and more. Everything you need to know Penang is right there at your finger tips!
Gurney Plaza during the day.
Gurney Plaza as seen from the sea-facing Gurney Drive side.
Gurney Plaza can be accessed via Gurney Drive and Kelawai Road. Two levels of parking are available on the basement while another two on the 8th and 9th level. The basement parking is accessible from both Gurney Drive and Kelawai Road while those on the upper level is accessible from Kelawai Road only.
Another view of the Central Zone interior of Gurney Plaza.
A massive Christmas Tree at Gurney Plaza during the Christmas season.
It is often more practical to book your tours online. You have the luxury of time to go through what are the tours you intend to take, rather than having to make a decision on your feet. Check out the local tours in Penang that you can book online. The tours are provided by Viator, a reputable international tour company.
If you are coming to Penang, you can arrange airport transfer from airport to city in advance. A van will be waiting for you to pick you at the airport. This service is very useful and cost effective if you are arriving as a group.
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Penang Travel Tips is researched and written by Timothy Tye, universally known as Tim. The text is the copyright of Timothy Tye, and may not be copied for commercial use or re-published in another website without the author's permission. Information provided is in goodwill and is believed to be correct and up-to-date at time of writing. Photographs on this website are the copyright of the author and may not be reused without prior permission. For commercial licensing of photographs, read the licensing terms. Tim is a Christian. Click here to know more about his beliefs.
