Penang Budget Hotel Review

Penang Budget Hotel Review shows you a large selection of Penang cheap hotels (that includes hostels, guesthouses, inns, etc) in the city. In this way, you get to "see" the places before you actually arrive in Penang.

Most of the places I am describing here are 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.

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.

Former Budget Hotel

Since the creation of this list in 2008, there has been quite a lot of changes. Establishments that are no longer operating are scratched out. If these are upgraded from budget to boutique, I mark with an astericks * and provide the name of the new establishment.

Budget Hotel Location Map

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.

Budget Hotels in Chulia Street

Chulia Street is Penang's backpacker haven, similar to 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.

Crystal Guesthouse

294-294A Lebuh Chulia
10200 Penang, Malaysia
Tel: 04-263 8068
Email: crystalguesthouse@hotmail.com
Web: www.crystalguesthouse.blogspot.com

Next to Rainforest Bakery. Rooms of varying size for around RM20 per night. Shared toilets.

Sky Hotel

348 Lebuh Chulia
10200 Penang, Malaysia
Tel: 04-262 2322
Let me put it this way: I have reservation for making a reservation.

Nam Wah Hotel

381 Lebuh Chulia
10200 Penang, Malaysia
Tel: 04-261 0557
Hmm, this one may have closed.

Yeng Keng Hotel *

362 Lebuh Chulia
10200 Penang, Malaysia
Tel: 04-261 0610

The hotel with an ornate Chinese gate. It was a budget hotel when I started this page, but has since been upgraded into an upscale boutique hotel.

Stardust Guesthouse

370D Lebuh Chulia
10200 Penang, Malaysia
Tel: 04-263 5723
Remarks: One for those on a pauper's budget.

E & A Budget Hotel (defunct)*

380 Lebuh Chulia
10200 Penang, Malaysia
Tel: 04-262-1311

This establishment has since been given a facelift, and returns as the Chulia Heritage Hotel.

Hotel Blue Diamond

422 Lebuh Chulia
10200 Penang, Malaysia
Tel: 04-261-1089

This budget hotel is located behind Coco Island Traveller's Corner, a popular eatery for budget travellers.

Island City Hotel / Garden City Hotel

456 Lebuh Chulia
10200 Penang, Malaysia
Tel: 04-261 0770

This hotel is presently closed.

Hotel Eastern

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.



Entrance to Pin Seng Hotel (6 May 2008)

Love Lane Inn

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 (defunct) *

7 Love Lane
10200 Penang, Malaysia
Tel: 04-263 6962

This establishment has since been given a facelift, and returns as the You Le Yuen Boutique Hotel.

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 along 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.

Intersecting with Leith Street is Muntri Street, where you can find a number of budget hotels occupying converted shophouses.

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. I have a page on Modern Hotel here. 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

Lum Fong Hotel is located upstairs from a Chinese coffee shop. It used to be the original premises of Adventist Hospital.

Waldorf Hotel

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 along 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

Transfer Road is on a quieter part of town. There are a few budget establishments here. The benefit of staying here is that you are not near all the noise. The downside is that you are farther away from the more happening places.

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, Kedai Kopi International Hotel. Rooms go for as low as RM35 or even less.

Further Reading

• Budget Accommodation in Penang
• Visit Penang on Just $18 per day
• Free Penang Bus Route
• Rapid Penang Bus Routes
• Free George Town Walking Tours
• Top 10 Penang Attractions

List of Hotels in Penang and Hotels in Malaysia

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Hello and thanks for reading this page. My name is Timothy and my hobby is in describing places so that I can share the information with the general public. My website has become the go to site for a lot of people including students, teachers, journalists, etc. whenever they seek information on places, particularly those in Malaysia and Singapore. I have been doing this since 5 January 2003, for over twenty years already. You can read about me at Discover Timothy. By now I have compiled information on thousands of places, mostly in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, and I continue to add more almost every day. My goal is to describe every street in every town in Malaysia and Singapore.

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