Hotel Penaga George Town REVIEW: a charming and affordable heritage stay

George Town’s heritage buildings are some of the most famous sights in the city, but they’re not the easiest buildings to access and explore. Although some have been converted to museums, shops or restaurants, there’s nothing quite like spending the night in one of them to truly appreciate their unique style and ambience.

Luckily, there are several hotels in George Town offering a heritage stay, taking advantage of the location, history and architecture of these beautiful buildings. One such place is Hotel Penanga on Jalan Hutton, a sprawling, atmospheric hotel with plenty of charm and elegance.

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Arriving to Hotel Penaga

On the corner of Lebuh Clarke and Jalan Hutton, the entrance to the hotel is all about setting the right tone, with wooden furniture, antiques and stained-glass windows reminding you where you are. The staff are friendly at check-in, make sure you have your passport ready and be ready to pay the tourist tax.

We just had a rolling suitcase so didn’t think the hotel porter would be required but it’s a bit different at Hotel Penaga. As the hotel has expanded over the years, some guests are housed in the original building (known as the Hutton Wing) and some are scattered to other parts of the complex. This included us as were over in the Transfer Suites, a short walk from reception over cobblestones and up a few flights of stairs. For once, having a porter was useful.

Our room

The Transfer Suites are in a separate wing, near to the spa and overlooking both the courtyard and the bustling main road of Jalan Transfer. Several suites are housed in the one building, with a communal terrace on one side with doors leading off to the separate suites.

Ours was up another flight of stairs, quite a treat to have our own porch area to leave shoes and umbrellas before heading up to the room. And what a room!

Every inch of the suite had something interesting to explore, whether it was an ornament, cartographic painting, antique wardrobe or wooden chest of drawers. It felt like wandering into a museum and being told you could touch everything and sleep in the bed. The beautiful heritage décor was intermingled with some modern touches, including an ironing board, TV, air-con, fridge, wifi and jacuzzi bath.

The biggest treat was the two balconies, not something you find all the time in George Town. Our favourite was the one overlooking the courtyard; peaceful, shaded and framed by the beautiful trees whose branches stretched onto the balcony. Overlooking the terracotta rooftops during a thunderstorm was a real highlight.

We didn’t use the second balcony as much; it overlooked Jalan Transfer, one of the main thoroughfares in George Town, and always busy with traffic, although it scored house points for its view towards Penang Hill.

On a slightly negative note, the bed was rather hard and, like most heritage accommodation in George Town, it can be a little noisy at night. A couple of the fixtures and fittings were in need of repair and, while it had been cleaned before we arrived, the room was in need of a major spring clean to get full marks in the future.

The location

READ OUR GUIDE: Things to do in George Town

This particular area of George Town is popular with hotels as it sits just on the edge of the Unesco site, so the cost and regulations aren’t quite as strict as they would be a few streets away.

Chowrasta Market is close by and this will lead you into the main heritage area of George Town. Alternatively stroll along Jalan Transfer towards the sea and you’ll soon be on the main road leading towards the Eastern & Oriental Hotel and the Esplanade.

For most people though, the main drawcard of the location is the proximity to the Unesco heritage area. Slightly away from the hustle and bustle, you’re still only a few minutes walk from all the many things to do in George Town.

A tip on the spa

Although there’s a very attractive looking spa at the hotel, just around the corner is Island Wellness Spa offering spa treatments at half the price.

Breakfast at Hotel Penaga

Free breakfasts can be a mixed blessing in Penang and unless you’re staying at one of the major chain hotels or resorts, they can be poor. Unfortunately Hotel Penanga’s falls into the latter category.

Most of the options in the buffet were either cold or empty, so it’s a case of loading up on what you can find, although the choice of cold rice, greasy chicken sausages and bony chicken isn’t really what you want in the morning. They’d be better off focusing on making a very good nasi lemak (for example) than trying to offer several poor dishes. If breakfast is included in your room rate, go along, but don’t pay extra for it.

A better plan is to pop across the road to the Indian restaurant, or for a Western breakfast check out one of the many superb cafes in George Town (our favourite breakfast spot in George Town is Kenny Hills Bakers).

Final thoughts on Hotel Penaga

The main reason to stay at Hotel Penanga are the beautiful heritage suites, with tranquil balconies the icing on the cake. After a long day sightseeing, retreating to the balcony with a cup of tea or glass of cold beer is a real treat. Once you’ve chilled-out, the hotel’s proximity to the best sights in George Town mean you’ve not got far to travel to explore the city.

We would class Hotel Penaga as a mid-range hotel. If you’re looking for something more luxurious, with notably more comfortable beds, take a look at our guide to the best hotels in Penang.