Queensbay Mall is touted as the largest and longest shopping mall on Penang Island. It has a gross built up area of 2.5 million sq ft, and a total net lettable area of 1 million sq ft. The 9-storey mall has of 5 storeys of shopping space for 500 outlets, and 8 storeys of parking space. I explored Queensbay Mall and am documenting it as one of the major shopping malls of Asia.
Central Zone, Queensbay Mall during Christmas 2006.
The anchor tenant at Queensbay Mall is Jusco, which opened its first Penang outlet here. The Jusco store takes up approximately 25% of the net lettable retail space, or 255,000 sq ft. Another major tenant at Queensbay Mall is the American bookstore chain, Borders, also opening its first outlet in Penang, as well as Guess, Dorothy Perkins, Topshop, among others. Starbucks will have a standalone store on the North Zone and another within Borders in the South Zone. In addition, there's the usual Giordano, Sub, Popular Bookstore, Chicken Rice Shop, GNC and more.
Queensbay Mall takes over from Bayan Bay Megamall, a joint venture between Bayan Bay Development and the Penang Development Corporation. Bayan Bay Megamall stalled in 1998 at the height of the Asian Financial Crisis, when it was already 60% completed. It was revived by CP Mall Sdn Bhd in June 2005, with an obligation to complete it by July 2007. However, CP Mall was able to complete the revived project, and Queensbay Mall opened to customers on 1 December, 2006.
Finding Accommodation in Penang
If you're going to Penang, you now have the option of finding accommodation in a hotel, or look for one in hostels and guesthouses. To book a room in a star-rated hotel, use the Penang Hotel Guide for Budget Travelers. To find accommodation in a Hostel or Guesthouse, use the Penang Guide to Hostels and Guesthouses. Each link provides detailed listing of the type of accommodation you can expect in Penang. Be aware that you get what you pay for. If you need a certain degree of comfort, then a star-rated hotel may be an ideal option for you. On the other hand, if you are able to forego a bit of creature comfort, then hostels and guesthouses are clean, safe, and incredibly good value for money. For accommodation in other destinations, visit Hotel Guide for Budget Travelers or Hostels & Guesthouses Accommodation Guide.
Queensbay Mall can be reached from the Bayan Lepas Expressway. In order to avoid passing through the residential areas of Bay Gardens and Villa Emas, visitors are encouraged to expressway in the direction of Batu Maung. Where the road makes a curve to the right as it passes the mall, there is an exit ramp on the left. Turn in. The exit ramp lead to a roundabout. Turn left and follow the coastal avenue northwards in the direction of the mall. As you near the mall, you will arrive at a left turn that leads up a cascading ramp into the 4th floor of the mall.
Another view of the Central Zone interior of Queensbay Mall.
Penang Overview
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Penang Travel Map
Detail map pointing out all the tourist attractions in Penang!
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