Hotel Penaga is on the edge of the old town and it's walkable to every tumble-down, derelict, sad old mansion in Georgetown
Georgetown
Having a good hotel really puts me in the mood for touring! It's because there's air conditioned comfort to return to. And the pool at Penaga, though just a small lap pool, is surprisingly refreshing at the end of a day.
We had taken a painfully early, but cheap, Air Asia flight from KL to Penang and at 10:30 in the morning, the hotel reception simply took our bags into the back office until our room would be cleaned and we took breakfast in the meantime. There was no hassle, no extra price for early check-in. We were in our room before noon.
The room is artfully renovated for modern convenience but it doesn't detract from the original feel, or smell for that matter. There's an air of polished wood and something a bit musty but not unpleasant, like the smell of history. The stained glass inserts of the balcony and bathroom doors make the room dance with colour and the dark heavy woods give it a warm and rich feel. I note however that the chair at the desk requires a pillow to improve the ergonomics for some good work.
There's a small but comfortable balcony appointed with two wooden chairs. In the morning, it's delightful. I appreciate the overhead fan (keeps away any bugs) as well as the electrical outlet in which I can plug my computer. Our room is H25, the with-balcony version of the Hutton. It's located far enough back from the street to be quiet. Allowing for the creaking of the floor from 3rd floor guests, the entire experience is quiet enough for the old city.
On each side of the queen bed there are reading lights that can be twisted into position, though the one on my side needs to be coaxed, being a bit droopy. This is in addition to the bedside lamps which are normally too weak for reading. On the flip side, the stained-glass inserts for the washroom is a bad idea in that you can see through some of the panes.
The suitcase bench is big enough for two cases and includes a practical built in shoe shelf underneath. No more tripping over shoes! The desk has a LTD study lamp and there are lots of electrical plugs for both of our computers and camera chargers.
The overhead fan keeps the gently cooled air moving, again both practical and aesthetically pleasing. I'm loving this place.
Although the room safe was not working properly when we arrived, it took five minutes to get service for it and we now have a replacement. One negative point however is that the safe is not fixed to the wardrobe; it can easily be carried away. Shhh.
There must have been a woman involved in the design of this room. There's a plug for the hair-dryer conveniently located by the mirror in the washroom. There's a hook for one's toiletry bag next to the vanity. And there are plenty of hooks for towels and the robes provided.
Thankfully, there's a TV guide in the room showing what we can see this week on the two movie channels in English. This has been sadly lacking everywhere else we've stayed, even in places at a higher price point.
In balance, this space is my favourite inAsia . I'm happy to trade off a few of its idiosyncratic negatives (like glass inserts for the bathroom door which do nothing for a woman's mystery).
The only thing the room didn't provide is something I've never yet found, but yearned for - earphones for the TV so I can read in peace while my husband watches ear-piercing gangster movies.
******
I was reluctant to spend $175 (Cdn) a night on accommodation in Having a good hotel really puts me in the mood for touring! It's because there's air conditioned comfort to return to. And the pool at Penaga, though just a small lap pool, is surprisingly refreshing at the end of a day.
We had taken a painfully early, but cheap, Air Asia flight from KL to Penang and at 10:30 in the morning, the hotel reception simply took our bags into the back office until our room would be cleaned and we took breakfast in the meantime. There was no hassle, no extra price for early check-in. We were in our room before noon.
The room is artfully renovated for modern convenience but it doesn't detract from the original feel, or smell for that matter. There's an air of polished wood and something a bit musty but not unpleasant, like the smell of history. The stained glass inserts of the balcony and bathroom doors make the room dance with colour and the dark heavy woods give it a warm and rich feel. I note however that the chair at the desk requires a pillow to improve the ergonomics for some good work.
There's a small but comfortable balcony appointed with two wooden chairs. In the morning, it's delightful. I appreciate the overhead fan (keeps away any bugs) as well as the electrical outlet in which I can plug my computer. Our room is H25, the with-balcony version of the Hutton. It's located far enough back from the street to be quiet. Allowing for the creaking of the floor from 3rd floor guests, the entire experience is quiet enough for the old city.
On each side of the queen bed there are reading lights that can be twisted into position, though the one on my side needs to be coaxed, being a bit droopy. This is in addition to the bedside lamps which are normally too weak for reading. On the flip side, the stained-glass inserts for the washroom is a bad idea in that you can see through some of the panes.
The suitcase bench is big enough for two cases and includes a practical built in shoe shelf underneath. No more tripping over shoes! The desk has a LTD study lamp and there are lots of electrical plugs for both of our computers and camera chargers.
The overhead fan keeps the gently cooled air moving, again both practical and aesthetically pleasing. I'm loving this place.
Although the room safe was not working properly when we arrived, it took five minutes to get service for it and we now have a replacement. One negative point however is that the safe is not fixed to the wardrobe; it can easily be carried away. Shhh.
There must have been a woman involved in the design of this room. There's a plug for the hair-dryer conveniently located by the mirror in the washroom. There's a hook for one's toiletry bag next to the vanity. And there are plenty of hooks for towels and the robes provided.
Thankfully, there's a TV guide in the room showing what we can see this week on the two movie channels in English. This has been sadly lacking everywhere else we've stayed, even in places at a higher price point.
In balance, this space is my favourite in
The only thing the room didn't provide is something I've never yet found, but yearned for - earphones for the TV so I can read in peace while my husband watches ear-piercing gangster movies.
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| Eclectic artwork of the Hotel Penaga |
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