Royale Chulan Penang

Let’s be honest, it’s a very reasonable price so you can’t expect the world. It is a little rough around the edges (edge of pool decking coming away, very dusty shelves in the wardrobe and around bed and top of the shower head, a dodgy exterior door which actually locked me out on the balcony one afternoon, a little wallpaper peeling in the hallway - not surprised with the humidity - and the typical 3* hotel black silicone in the shower/flooding bathroom when you have a shower). BUT, the hospitality is outstanding. We had such fantastic service. Selva greeted us every day with a huge smile and always got a ball out for our son to play with in the pool. If you ever needed anything, it came quickly. There were several ladies in the hotel who were so kind, always playing with our son; Ling on reception was one of them. The breakfast room supervisor was another. Our son wanted to leave each of them a note when we left, he grew so fond of them and called them all his friends. The security on the doors were forever there, opening and closing doors for guests with a smile and were so polite. The breakfast is very, very good, and the location is excellent too. It’s next to a very good food court, and the restaurants and ice cream shop in Beach St Courtyard just next door were good. One of our taxi drivers recommended the food court to us as one of the better ones, so vouched for by a local too. We had a 3 year old and an elderly parent and the location was perfect for our non-walkers, as it was easy to get Grab. Me and my husband are walkers and most places you could reach within 15 minutes, but in the belting heat the taxis were a welcome relief. The beds and pillows are something I usually struggle with in hotels but they were super comfortable here. Overall we were so happy with our stay and would gladly stay here again!

Wow! It’s not often I’d say that about a hotel, but this was special. I was looking for a more upmarket colonial style in a good location in Georgetown and this exceeded all expectations. The attic suite room was fabulous and a great surprise. Entering the room is a small sitting room which leads onto an enormous balcony overlooking the port. Adjacent is the large main bedroom including a desk and dressing table plus a table for luggage. The main bathroom is large with a stand alone bath, and separate large cubicles for shower and toilet. The ceiling is partly open into the attic space above revealing old beams etc. All stylishly refurbished. Location is great close to the historic areas of George town, Little India and the ferry port with some great restaurants nearby. Disappointing not to find a cocktail bar in such a prestigious establishment. A gin and Tonic, for those who didn’t partake in the “English Afternoon Tea” would have been welcome! Sadly, the “tea” was for two people and not suitable for a lone traveler.

The price was reasonable but I felt the service and cleanliness was not up to standard of a 4 star hotel. The hotel room was big, although it was aged. It had a sofa and separate room for Wardrobe and luggage. But the Aircon was weak, which made my stay uncomfortable. The temperature seems to be controlled by the hotel as it would always feel like 24-25 degrees no matter how low I set it. The corridors are also very hot and stuffy. Only the lobby has proper Aircon. The shower drainage was also poor and the toilet bidet is leaking. The safe box is spoiled and the Wardrobe doors don’t slide well. The bed linens had small stains and small hairs. The housekeeping staff need better training as they didn’t clean the room properly or replenish the amenities completely. One staff also chose to hold the lift, while I was inside, to mop the floor. I understand he was just doing his job, but he shouldn’t do it at the inconvenience of hotel guests. Front desk staff and cafe staff are very good though. The breakfast buffet was average, but no Penang dishes at all. Swimming pool is small but cozy and water is nice.