I don't have much new to add here, other than that I also stayed at the Rasa Sayang Hotel in Penang about 10 years ago when it was a Shangri-La Hotel. At the time, I would say that it was a luxury hotel (not at the level of Four Seasons or Aman) and the rooms were well-appointed and the facilities appeared to have been recently upgraded. The beach in front of the hotel was nice and sandy but pretty much unused when we were there. However, walking further down the beach, there was much more activity with some beach-side massage services open where we received inexpensive but decent massages. The restaurants were good and the breakfast buffet was very extensive with Western and Malay food options and lots of tasty curries. If I went back, I would take a closer look at the many luxury boutique hotels in Georgetown. I did not stay at them but noted some of them on a walk through the city and found many more on a web search. Lots of nice street food in Georgetown too, though if you stayed at the E&O Hotel, you probably know this. The outdoor pool, fitness facility, and spa were luxurious and top-notch, making it a first-class resort.