Adrian Stoppe is the General Manager of Four Points by Sheraton in Tanjong Bunga. As a food lover you are likely to be able to find him wherever there is good food and as a sports fan, you can run into him at most sport activities and events.

As i was previously working in Langkawi, Penang is definitely no stranger to me as it was my preferred destination for a quick getaway. When I was offered this job in Penang, I grabbed the opportunity for a new challenge straightaway. I have more than 18 years of experience in the hospitality industry and have worked in various hotels across the globe, in Germany, USA, Thailand, Austria and Malaysia. With this, I hope to be able to make Four Points by Sheraton Penang stand out in the map of Penang and be the choice of both domestic and international travellers when they think of visiting Penang. As I only officially came on board on 1st April this year though and I haven’t have a lot of time to become a fully-fledged ‘local’ yet. I believe there is a lot more of Penang that I have yet to explore.

So far, though, the food has been great, from street stalls to the restaurants. Going around, hawker to hawker is rather an interesting experience. I haven’t got the chance to try out many places in Penang but so far, my favorite has got to be Long Beach Café at Batu Ferringhi. They served the best chicken tikka in town – I think. The weather is also amazing. It gets a little humid some days but I’ve got used to it from my years spent in Thailand and Langkawi. The heritage buildings are incredible. Walking through the sites in George Town was like walking through time.I am glad the Government decided to restore and preserve the buildings.

I would also encourage visitors to visit the Botanical Gardens. The greenery and serenity of it is simply amazing. Nature lovers would be pleased to know that if they spend a little more time there, they will even see some monkeys swinging from tree to tree. The beautiful beaches in Penang are also great attractions. The ocean is calming and the sand, especially the ones in Tanjung Bunga, can be so soft that one can lounge all day at the beach admiring the natural beauty of nature.

I do not own a property in Penang yet as I have not been here long but I am hoping to get a condo with a nice sea view that I can admire from the spacious balcony that I will have. My bedroom will have a hill view though, so that I can wake up with the trees greeting me.

I like to keep my circle of friends as diverse as possible – and include locals and expats. Of course I miss my friends and family back home – and my mom’s cooking and maybe even the odd Bayern Muenchen Game.

Read This: Expat Interview: Paul Castles

Source: The Expat magazine June 2015