Today I am going to take you for a walk around George Town, Penang, to have a look at all the budget hotels (that includes hostels, guesthouses, inns, etc) in the city. These are the budget establishments without online booking facilities. That means, if you want to spend a night in these places, you either have to walk right up to the hotel to find out whether rooms are available, or call them up - I'll provide you the phone number of those I manage to locate. For budget hotels with online booking facilities, click here on Hostels in Penang for those where you can book through HostelBookers.
I personally would recommend that you choose hotels with online booking, through established booking engines such as HostelBookers, as they would have gone through a level of screening. Still, if you are a budget traveller arriving in Penang without prior hotel reservations, the list below will give you an idea of what you can expect. The hotels here are the cheapest in the city. I have to say that some are quite sleazy, while a few are quite okay. Rather than pointing out to you in words, I will let the photos do the talking.
By the way, if I say the room is "ensuite", that means it comes with attached toilet/bathroom. If you are American, you might not understand this word, borrowed by British English from the French and readapted with a whole new meaning.
The budget hotels that I reviewed are located on Chulia Street, Love Lane, Leith Street, Penang Road and Transfer Road. These five streets have the biggest concentration of budget hotels in George Town. It is also the watering hole for budget travellers who arrive in Penang by backpack. Restaurants serving Western meals and Internet Café can be found all along Chulia Street, catering to this particular segment of visitors to Penang. If you prefer to stay in more mainstream hotels, then check out Hotels in Penang for listing with online booking.
Budget Hotels in Chulia Street
Chulia Street is the backpacker haven, similar to what Khao San Road in Bangkok. The type of people who travel this way (the movie The Beach comes to mind) often create their own subculture that has more similarity to other backpacker havens than to the host destination itself.
Hong Pin Hotel
273B Lebuh Chulia
10200 Penang, Malaysia
Tel: 04-262-5243
Large ensuite rooms with air-conditioning. Around RM70 per night.
Day & Night Backpackers
319 Lebuh Chulia
10200 Penang, Malaysia
Tel: 04-262 5645
Right across from the junction with Chulia Street. Newly opened. Small, simple rooms for around RM20 per night. Shared toilets.
Olive Spring Hotel
300-302 Lebuh Chulia
10200 Penang, Malaysia
Tel: 04-261 4641
Next to Rainforest Bakery. Rooms of varying size for around RM20 per night. Shared toilets.
509 Lebuh Chulia
10200 Penang, Malaysia
Tel: 04-2614597
Located adjacent to a travel agency, Hotel Eastern is a budget hotel near the west end of Chulia Street.
Hang Chow Hotel
511 Lebuh Chulia
10200 Penang, Malaysia
Tel: 04-261-0810
Budget hotel housed within a three-storey Straits Eclectic style townhouse.
Budget Hotels in Love Lane
Love Lane has some budget establishments, a spillover from adjacent Chulia Street. In the early years of Penang's history, Love Lane was where the rich housed their "spare spouse" away from their main wives.
Pin Seng Hotel
82 Love Lane
10200 Penang, Malaysia
Tel: 04-261 9004
Budget hotel located a short distance in from Love Lane. Rooms from RM20.
54 Love Lane
10200 Penang, Malaysia
Tel: 016 419 8409
Backpacker's inn near junction with Muntri Street. Oh, I recently discovered that this place is now available for online booking. So, you can go in to view the details on Love Lane Inn here.
George Town Guesthouse
7 Love Lane
10200 Penang, Malaysia
Tel: 04-263 6962
A relatively new guesthouse in George Town. The beds go for as low as RM12.
SD Guesthouse
15 Love Lane
10200 Penang, Malaysia
Tel: 04-264 3743
Email: sdghpg@streamyx.com
Web: www.sdguesthouse.com.my
It claims to have been running since 1999.
Wan Hai Hotel
35 Love Lane
10200 Penang, Malaysia
Tel: 04-261 6853
Housed in a lovely heritage building at the corner of Love Lane and Muntri Street.
Budget Hotels in Leith Street
Leith Street was a Hakka millionaire's row that has fallen on hard times. Many of the mansions belonging to the towkays of the late 19th and early 20th centuries have now been reincarnated into bed-and-breakfasts after their original owners have departed for the hereafter.
Modern Hotel
179C Lebuh Muntri
10200 Penang, Malaysia
Tel: 04-263 5424
Despite much of its façade facing Leith Street, Modern Hotel has its address at Muntri Street. This quite large budget hotel is near to several local eating places at Penang Road.
Lum Fong Hotel
108 Lebuh Muntri
10200 Penang, Malaysia
Tel: 04-263 1124
13 Lebuh Muntri
10200 Penang, Malaysia
Tel: 04-262 6141
Waldorf Hotel is a five-storey hotel which offers rooms at reasonable prices. A good place to stay with excellent location. It probably named itself after the Waldorf Astoria Hotel of New York City.
Cathay Hotel
15 Lebuh Muntri
10200 Penang, Malaysia
Tel: 04-262 6271
Budget hotel housed in an elegant mansion of one of the early 20th century Leith Street millionaires. Prices from around RM70 per room per night.
Budget Hotels in Penang Road
Penang Road was the roaring high street of Penang in the mid 20th century. Many of the budget hotels along this street were high-class establishments when they were founded, but have now been overtaken by bigger chains. Still, many provide good value accommodation and an excellent location.
White House Hotel
72 Penang Road
10000 Penang, Malaysia
Tel: 04-263-2385
Budget hotel right in the middle of busy Penang Road. Rates around RM40 per night.
Towné House Hotel
70 Penang Road
10000 Penang, Malaysia
Tel: 04-263 8621
One of the mid 20th century hotels that came up when Penang Road was a booming thoroughfare, Towne House Hotel today offers very reasonably priced rooms for its excellent location.
Peking Hotel
50A Penang Road
10000 Penang, Malaysia
Tel: 04-263 6191
Chinese-style hotel along Penang Road, Peking Hotel is a good place to stay at a low price.
Federal Hotel
39 Penang Road
10000 Penang, Malaysia
Tel: 04-263 4179
Budget hotel along busy Penang Road, Federal Hotel is within walking distance of many eating places as well as tourist attractions.
Budget Hotels in Transfer Road
Hong Aun Hotel
111 Hutton Lane
10000 Penang, Malaysia
Tel: 04-229 8358
Budget hotel at the junction of Transfer Road and Hutton Lane, Hong Aun Hotel offers basic accommodation.
International Hotel
90 Jalan Transfer
10200 Penang, Malaysia
Tel: 04-229 2040
Located in the Indian Muslim part of town, International Hotel is directly above an Indian Muslim coffee shop. Rooms go for as low as RM35 or even less.
It is often more practical to book your tours online. You have the luxury of time to go through what are the tours you intend to take, rather than having to make a decision on your feet. Check out the local tours in Penang that you can book online. The tours are provided by Viator, a reputable international tour company.
If you are coming to Penang, you can arrange airport transfer from airport to city in advance. A van will be waiting for you to pick you at the airport. This service is very useful and cost effective if you are arriving as a group.
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Penang Travel Tips is researched and written by Timothy Tye, universally known as Tim. The text is the copyright of Timothy Tye, and may not be copied for commercial use or re-published in another website without the author's permission. Information provided is in goodwill and is believed to be correct and up-to-date at time of writing. Photographs on this website are the copyright of the author and may not be reused without prior permission. For commercial licensing of photographs, read the licensing terms. Tim is a Christian. Click here to know more about his beliefs.
Hong Pin Hotel
Day & Night Backpackers
Olive Spring Hotel
Crystal Guesthouse
Sky Hotel
Nam Wah Hotel
Yeng Keng Hotel
Stardust Guesthouse
E & A Budget Hotel
Hotel Blue Diamond
Hotel Island City Hotel / Garden City Hotel
Hotel Eastern
Hang Chow Hotel
Pin Seng Hotel
Love Lane Inn
George Town Guesthouse
SD Guesthouse
Wan Hai Hotel
Modern Hotel
Lum Fong Hotel
Waldorf Hotel
Cathay Hotel
White House Hotel
Towné House Hotel
Peking Hotel
Federal Hotel
Hong Aun Hotel
International Hotel
