3-Star Hotels in Penang, Malaysia

"I stayed in Kuala Lumpur for five days at a hotel that claimed to be a direct branch of a certain domestic chain. I called the Kuala Lumpur branch from China and spoke to an Indian female receptionist, informing her I was a platinum member and requesting a room upgrade for my stay from September 12th to 17th. When I arrived and asked for the upgrade, the Indian receptionist I had spoken to wasn't there. Instead, there was a Malay female receptionist. They then called the Indian receptionist who had promised me the upgrade. After taking my payment for the five days, the Indian receptionist became extremely rude and even pretended that the Malay receptionist who was checking me in was her subordinate and that she was the boss. Eventually, I found out that a Chinese person, who didn't seem to be around much, was actually the Hotel Manager. The front desk staff generally didn't speak Chinese. It was chaotic for a direct branch of a domestic chain. I requested a refund. The female receptionist was uncooperative and refused. I tried to contact the domestic chain's customer service, but they were intentionally unresponsive. After all, I am a platinum member. The direct branch didn't provide an invoice, and since I was on a business trip, I needed an invoice from mainland China, not a local receipt for external trips. Later, I went to Penang for business and cautiously booked a 3-day stay at Nio Hotel through Ctrip. I've been scammed by so many companies in China, big and small, so I was careful. The 3-day cost wasn't much, so the potential loss would be minimal. I carefully reviewed Nio Hotel and its AI analysis. The hotel itself was fine, but it lacked toothbrushes and slippers. I had a toothbrush in my luggage as I travel globally for business frequently, and I had planned to bring slippers from the KL hotel but forgot. I flew business class from Kuala Lumpur to Penang, hoping to get a pair of slippers there, but the business class attendant said they didn't have any. When I arrived at Nio Hotel, I found that my room had a toothbrush and slippers, which was great. It had a window, and despite the Muslim prayer calls and the sound of speeding cars, I usually carry earplugs and noise-cancelling headphones, so I slept well. Due to what might be hotel cost-cutting, I found a long strand of woman's hair on my bath towel on the third day. AI helped me analyze that this hotel might be extremely cost-conscious, but given the higher cost of living in Malaysia, which follows the British Commonwealth system, the price was incredibly good value. All the front desk staff when I checked in were Malay and Indian. While I speak Chinese, I also speak English, so it doesn't matter if the front desk staff speaks Chinese or not, as long as they don't speak Arabic, which I don't understand. I also know a bit of Japanese and German. Durian in Kuala Lumpur was too expensive. I bought a piece of Musang King durian to taste at the base of the tallest building in KL, Menara Monica. At Nio Hotel in Penang, I went downstairs to eat durian and met a large group of wealthy Chinese from Surabaya, Indonesia. They were indulging in Musang King durian, each costing 300 Malaysian Ringgit (nearly 500 RMB). I ate a 50 MYR Kunyit King. These Indonesians must have very high incomes. I also saw some Filipino Chinese feasting on durians costing hundreds of Malaysian Ringgit. The incomes of Filipino Chinese must certainly surpass those in China's first-tier cities. While at Nio Hotel, I drank free coffee at the front desk, but I was concerned about the cup hygiene. Suddenly, an East Asian-looking female manager appeared, spoke Chinese, and told me it was clean and safe to drink. I didn't re-wash it with water and had several cups of coffee. Finally, when checking out to fly to Guangzhou, I had another cup of coffee at the front desk around 6:00 AM. My flight was at 8:15 AM. I had already called a taxi, driven by a young Malay man. I forgot that the driver who was picking me up for the airport had arrived while I was drinking coffee. After finishing my coffee, I went downstairs and told the waiting driver, 'I am here.' The driver said it was fine and that getting to the airport would be smooth. It's been several days since I returned, and the nearby restaurant even refunded me 35 Malaysian Ringgit because on the first day, there was a black spot on a vegetable leaf in my dish. The waiter explained it was a bug bite or something. Anyway, this stay at Nio Hotel was very good value for money."

"The hotel's location is excellent, with countless street-side shops and food stalls nearby. It's a pleasant walk to Little Armenia and the Old Quarter, even in the evening or at night without breaking a sweat. The beach is within a half-hour drive, and Gurney Bay Mall or Queens Bay Mall are both less than twenty minutes away by car. The room was clean and tidy, with a great view. The service was impeccable, thumbs up!"

"I mentioned that I will return in my stay less than 2 weeks ago and I did..yes I love Penang so much..touch wood..but seriously its due to the Merdeka month and lots of events I can visit complimentarily, and enchanting Penang didn't disappoint, location of hotel is superb to cater to my cuisine fix....but I need to highlight to Victoria Garden Hotel .... ..what's with the hair dryer ( refer pic)- why provide a wall -mounted hair dryer when it's not readily wall-mounted. I literally had to carry the dangling hair dryer with the wall bracket, refer picture pls..it's most comfortable and dangerous..the socket will break due to the weight..I saw sparks at the plug point( and the plug point is 2 - pin one..luckily mgt hv adaptor)..Anyway..the staff told me all the rooms' hair dryers are the same! Seriously..I think if you value the guests' comfort and safety, management of Victoria Garden should seriously mount it on the wall somehow , somewhere in the room. Oh yes, the bathroom rain shower head was dripping from the top when I was using the hand- held shower..drip drip drip . Also..may I know why no feedback from the management on the guests review. Thank you very much Victoria Garden.. I'll be back ..maybe.."

"Comfortable and classic room. Very good location to go explore Georgetown which in walking distance. Night food street and Komtar Bus Station are just nearby."

"Really loved my stay at Mokozoyo. It’s a small, clean, fun and cool hotel with a great vibe, and I loved the location and the price point. The whole place has so much character, with really cool art throughout. There’s also a great French restaurant downstairs, and hotel guests get a discount, which was a nice bonus. The little touches were great too, like the free snacks in the common area and being able to borrow a steamer easily. Staff were friendly and warm. Lots of cats around which is GREAT!! All in all, I really enjoyed my stay here and would definitely come back the next time I’m in Penang."

"Had a pleasant stay at Citadines Tanjung Tokong. The location is convenient, with plenty of dining options, shopping and amenities nearby, making it easy to get around Tanjung Tokong and the surrounding areas. The room was clean, comfortable and well-equipped, with a practical layout that made the stay feel very relaxing. The facilities were also well maintained, and the overall atmosphere was quiet and comfortable. The staff were friendly and helpful throughout my stay, which made the experience even better. Overall, a good choice for both short and longer stays in Penang. I would definitely consider staying here again on my next visit."

"It was surprisingly good, loved the location cos I chose it specifically for bar hopping. Good Friends ＞ Backdoor ＞ Nomu ＞ No Bar Here ＞ Biso ＞ Magazine 63 ＞ Bijou Bijou was one of the best directly next to the hotel. Look for Mik she will make something special for you."