When looking for a hotel in Georgetown, I came across the lovely heritage boutique hotel: Hotel Penaga. I knew I wanted something with a good dose of traditional charm, but still have a variety of modern necessities. Built in the 1920’s, the building was originally comprised of homes and ground floor shops until 2008 when a couple purchased the property, and carefully renovated and transformed it into Hotel Penaga Penang. The hotel is full of history and fascinating artwork throughout, and the staff are very helpful and welcoming. I honestly couldn’t have asked for a better hotel to spend a few days in while exploring the lovely area of Georgetown.

First impressions of Hotel Penaga

The concierge was all smiles as he opened the main doors of Hotel Penaga upon our arrival. Everything – from check in and out, to getting information about Georgetown and arranging transportation to another part of Penang – was so incredibly easy thanks to the helpful staff. I really did feel at home here thanks to the staff who were always going out of their way to ensure we had a great stay. Aside from the staff, I immediately fell in love with the design of the hotel. It honestly felt like I was taking a luxurious step back in time while walking around this heritage boutique hotel.

The room

I had the most beautiful room – from the minute I walked in, I fell in love with all of the polished wooden furniture, the subtle Asian touches, and the paintings that adorned the walls. My favorite features of the room itself were the large canopy bed that took center stage and the wooden dresser decorated with red Chinese designs. Hotel Penaga also supplied a good range of fairtrade coffee and teas in the room with a life-saving espresso machine that made a killer cup of joe.

Although it may sound a bit silly, I relished time spent in the bathroom when I was showering and getting ready in the morning. The bathroom was huge (almost the size of my bedroom in Hong Kong!) and I loved the contrast between the light blue tiling and the dark wood paneled floors. I always look out for a big bathtub when I’m choosing a hotel and Hotel Penaga’s massive jacuzzi did not disappoint.

We were also lucky enough to get a room with a balcony that overlooked the pool and other parts of the hotel. Perfect for enjoying a cup of coffee in the early morning before breakfast (and before it became too hot outside!), I loved being able to have a bit of outdoor space. Also, if you didn’t notice from the photos, many of the room’s light switches were actually bells – a really neat added touch.

Breakfast

Breakfast at Hotel Penaga Penang was a casual affair. They offered a variety of hot items (some changed daily), breads and spreads, and fresh fruit and juice. The service is prompt and friendly and there was a good selection to choose from, whether you liked more of a western-style breakfast or an Asian one. They also offered any style of eggs you’d like (poached eggs on toast, please!) and had a selection of their own Penang homemade bread with kaya spread (a delicious coconut jam) and other unique locally sourced jams.

Facilities

Hotel Penaga Penang has just about everything you could ask for. The location is perfect in that it’s within walking distance of everything you’d want to see in Georgetown (just be sure to bring comfortable shoes!). There is a lap pool with a handful of covered tables around it and a few loungers if you can bear hanging out in the blistering heat. The hotel also has a spa, library, meeting rooms, and a restaurant/bar. One thing I found quite interesting was the artwork throughout the hotel. Hotel Penaga actually runs an artist residency program where contemporary artists can apply to have their work put on display throughout the hotel, so be sure to take your time while wandering around to read about the artists and their work.

Overall thoughts on Hotel Penaga Penang

Hotel Penaga Penang is a boutique hotel with a whole lot of charm and personality. The service is honestly exceptional here – they even used their own personal phone to call us a Grab (the company that recently bought out Uber in Malaysia) when we couldn’t use the app in order to get to our next destination in Penang. During the two nights we spent at Hotel Penaga everything was fantastic and I would definitely recommend booking your stay here when you visit Georgetown!

Hotel Penaga
Corner of Jalan Hutton & Lebuh Clarke
10050 George Town
Penang
Malaysia

Tel: 04-261 1891

I partnered with Hotel Penaga for this post. As always, all views and opinions are sincerely my own.