Best Hotels in Penang: Budget to Luxury
This guide covers 24 hotels in Penang, including one hostel, from about RM50 dorm beds on Lebuh Muntri to RM2,000 sea-view suites in Batu Ferringhi. Every property was checked in October 2026: we confirmed it is still open, corrected names, addresses and nightly rate ranges, and removed hotels that have closed.
Rates are typical room-only prices per night in Malaysian Ringgit (RM). Foreign guests also pay Malaysia's Tourism Tax (RM10 per room per night) and a Penang state levy of about RM3 per room per night, collected at the hotel. Standard check-in is 3 pm and check-out 12 noon, and every hotel listed has a 24-hour front desk unless the entry says otherwise.
Jump to a place (24)
- Eastern & Oriental Hotel
- Cheong Fatt Tze Blue Mansion
- Seven Terraces
- G Hotel Gurney
- 23 Love Lane
- Campbell House
- Shangri-La Rasa Sayang
- Hard Rock Hotel Penang
- The Prestige Hotel Penang
- JEN Penang Georgetown by Shangri-La
- Macalister Mansion
- Shangri-La Golden Sands, Penang
- The Edison George Town
- Muntri Grove
- Ren i Tang Heritage Inn
- Chulia Heritage Hotel
- Ryokan Muntri Boutique Hostel
- Courtyard by Marriott Penang
- Sunway Hotel Georgetown
- Ascott Gurney Penang
- PARKROYAL Penang Resort
- Lone Pine, Penang
- Lexis Suites Penang
- Iconic Marjorie Hotel, Penang
Where to stay: hotels in Penang by area
George Town heritage zone (E&O, Blue Mansion, Seven Terraces, 23 Love Lane, Campbell House, The Prestige, The Edison, Muntri Grove, Ren i Tang, Chulia Heritage Hotel, Ryokan Muntri) is the best base for street art, temples and hawker food, all walkable. Gurney Drive (G Hotel Gurney, Ascott Gurney Penang) is next to Gurney Plaza and Gurney Paragon and the hawker centre. KOMTAR, Jalan Macalister and Jalan Burmah (JEN Penang Georgetown, Macalister Mansion, Courtyard by Marriott, Sunway Hotel Georgetown) are central and good for buses. Batu Ferringhi (Shangri-La Rasa Sayang, Shangri-La Golden Sands, Hard Rock, PARKROYAL, Lone Pine) is the beach strip, 30–45 minutes by car from George Town. Bayan Lepas and Teluk Kumbar (Iconic Marjorie, Lexis Suites) are in the south of the island, close to the airport. Note: Bayview Hotel Georgetown closed on 30 April 2026 for redevelopment.
Eastern & Oriental Hotel
The Eastern & Oriental Hotel opened in 1885 and is George Town's grand colonial seafront hotel, with all-suite rooms in the Heritage Wing and newer Victory Annexe. The sea-facing lawn, Farquhar's Bar and the 1885 restaurant are the classic spots, and the heritage zone starts at the front door.
Cheong Fatt Tze Blue Mansion
Cheong Fatt Tze – The Blue Mansion is a restored 19th-century courtyard mansion with 18 individually furnished rooms. Breakfast and a daily manager's reception are included, and Indigo restaurant is on site. Expect a deposit of about RM200 per stay. Daytime tours bring visitors through the public areas.
Seven Terraces
Seven Terraces is a row of seven restored Anglo-Chinese terrace houses behind the Goddess of Mercy Temple, turned into a 16-suite hotel with a courtyard pool and Peranakan antiques throughout. Love Lane, Armenian Street and the street art are a few minutes' walk away.
G Hotel Gurney
G Hotel Gurney sits next to Gurney Plaza on the Gurney Drive seafront, with Gurney Paragon and the Gurney Drive Hawker Centre a short walk away. The hotel finished a RM35 million renovation in February 2026 and has a rooftop pool.
23 Love Lane
23 Love Lane is a heritage boutique hotel spread across a restored 1800s mansion, an Anglo-Indian bungalow and shophouses on Love Lane, with rooms set around a garden. Bread, fruit and coffee are laid out in the lobby all day. One building has wheelchair-accessible rooms. There is no on-site parking.
Campbell House
Campbell House is a small boutique hotel in a restored heritage building at 106 Lebuh Campbell, a few minutes' walk from Kapitan Keling Mosque and Chulia Street.
Shangri-La Rasa Sayang
Shangri-La Rasa Sayang is a beachfront resort set in large gardens in Batu Ferringhi, with the CHI spa, two pools and the adults-oriented Rasa Wing. Batu Ferringhi's night market is a short walk away. George Town is about 30–45 minutes by car.
Hard Rock Hotel Penang
Hard Rock Hotel Penang has around 250 rooms, most with sea views, and Penang's largest free-form pool, with a sand island, water playground and cabanas. It suits families. A two-level Hard Rock Cafe is on site, and the Batu Ferringhi night market is about 15 minutes' walk.
Renovation notice: the hotel is being refurbished from 30 March to 30 November 2026. It stays open, but the bar and lounge and some rooms are affected, so ask what is open when you book.
The Prestige Hotel Penang
The Prestige Hotel Penang is a five-star design hotel on the edge of the heritage zone near the Weld Quay clan jetties. It has a pool and spa, and is a short walk from the Penang ferry and Fort Cornwallis.
JEN Penang Georgetown by Shangri-La
JEN Penang Georgetown by Shangri-La is a modern business-style hotel on Jalan Magazine, next to Prangin Mall, KOMTAR and the main bus terminal. It has a pool and free parking, and the heritage zone is 10–15 minutes' walk away.
Macalister Mansion
Macalister Mansion is a 100-year-old colonial mansion turned eight-room design hotel, with a pool and garden. It is on Jalan Macalister, about ten minutes by car from the heritage zone, and suits couples who want privacy.
Shangri-La Golden Sands, Penang
Shangri-La Golden Sands, formerly Golden Sands Resort, is the family-focused sister of Rasa Sayang next door, with 387 rooms, interconnecting family rooms, a kids' club and water-slide pools on Batu Ferringhi beach. A refundable deposit of about RM200 per night is taken at check-in.
The Edison George Town
The Edison George Town is a 35-room boutique hotel in a restored 1906 mansion on Lebuh Leith, the building that housed the old Cathay Hotel for decades. Rooms keep the high ceilings, marble floors and cast-iron columns of the original house, and there is an outdoor pool in a leafy courtyard, a library and an all-day lounge. Breakfast is included and parking is free.
It suits couples and travellers who want a quiet heritage stay with a pool. The Blue Mansion is across the road, and Penang Road, Chulia Street and the Penang State Museum are a few minutes' walk away. Rates start at about RM650 a night.
Muntri Grove
Muntri Grove is an adults-only boutique hotel in a row of converted shophouses on Lebuh Muntri, with rooms set around a garden and a small pool. Rooms are compact and calm, with free Wi-Fi, and there is a laundry service.
It suits couples who want a pool in the heritage zone without five-star prices. Love Lane, the Chulia Street hawker stalls and the Blue Mansion are all within a five-minute walk.
Ren i Tang Heritage Inn
Ren i Tang occupies the former Yin Oi Tong Chinese medical hall, built in the 1800s at the corner of Lebuh Penang and Lebuh China. The old herbal shop front has been kept as a small museum, and the inn has a herbal courtyard, the PO Box 1 bar and cafe, and a library. Some rooms are small and the staircases are steep, which is typical of shophouse hotels.
It suits travellers who want character at a mid-range price. Little India, the Goddess of Mercy Temple, Kapitan Keling Mosque and the street art on Armenian Street are all within a ten-minute walk.
Chulia Heritage Hotel
Chulia Heritage Hotel is a budget hotel on Lebuh Chulia with plain white rooms that have air-conditioning, a flat-screen TV and a kettle. Some rooms share bathrooms and others have their own, so check which you are booking. Wi-Fi and parking are free, and there is luggage storage and motorbike rental, but no pool and no breakfast.
It suits budget travellers who want a private room rather than a dorm. The Chulia Street night hawker stalls are on the doorstep, and Love Lane, Penang Road and the Blue Mansion are a short walk away.
Ryokan Muntri Boutique Hostel
Ryokan Muntri is a hostel in a converted shophouse on Lebuh Muntri, with 4-bed and 6-bed mixed dorms, a 4-bed female dorm, dorms with their own bathroom and a few private double rooms. Each bunk has its own power socket and USB port. Breakfast and Wi-Fi are included, and there is bicycle rental, a games area and luggage storage.
It suits solo travellers and backpackers; dorm beds are at the bottom of the price range and private doubles at the top. Check-in is 2 pm to 10 pm (tell the hostel in advance if you will arrive later) and the front desk is staffed from 7 am to 11 pm. Love Lane, Chulia Street and the Penang ferry are within walking distance.
Courtyard by Marriott Penang
Courtyard by Marriott Penang opened in September 2024 as the brand's first hotel in Malaysia. It has 199 modern rooms with city or sea views, an outdoor infinity pool facing Penang Hill with a pool bar, a 24-hour gym and two restaurants.
It suits business travellers and couples who want a newer international-brand hotel at mid-range rates. It sits on Jalan Macalister between the heritage zone and Gurney Drive, about five minutes by car from each, and Macalister Mansion is a few doors away.
Sunway Hotel Georgetown
Sunway Hotel Georgetown is a 250-room four-star hotel on Lorong Baru, just off Jalan Macalister, with Deluxe rooms, Family rooms and suites. It has an outdoor pool, a jacuzzi, a 24-hour gym and free parking, and the higher floors look over the city.
Family rooms and the central location make it a good-value choice for families and groups. The New Lane hawker stalls set up on the same street in the evenings, and KOMTAR is about 750 metres away.
Ascott Gurney Penang
Ascott Gurney Penang, formerly the Gurney Resort Hotel & Residences, is a 36-storey serviced-apartment tower at the eastern end of Gurney Drive. It has studios and one- and two-bedroom apartments, each with a fully equipped kitchen, and many face the sea. The seventh-floor pool deck has an adult pool and a children's pool with slides, and there is a playground, a children's playroom, a gym and a barbecue terrace.
The kitchens and kids' facilities make it one of the better family bases in the city. Gurney Plaza, Gurney Paragon and the Gurney Drive Hawker Centre are a 5–10 minute walk along the seafront.
PARKROYAL Penang Resort
PARKROYAL Penang Resort is a five-star beachfront resort on Batu Ferringhi, run by Pan Pacific Hotels Group. Rooms range from Superior and sea-facing Deluxe rooms to Family rooms and two-bedroom garden suites. There are pools for adults and children, a water park, the Amazonia Kids' Club, a water sports centre, a St. Gregory spa, a 24-hour gym and five places to eat and drink, including Gustoso and Cinnamon Asian Kitchen.
It suits families who want to stay put on the beach. The Batu Ferringhi night market is a short walk along the main road, and Penang National Park and ESCAPE theme park are within about 10 km.
Lone Pine, Penang
Lone Pine opened in 1948 as the first hotel in Batu Ferringhi and reopened in 2023 as Lone Pine, Penang, a Tribute Portfolio Resort under Marriott. It has 90 rooms, many sea-facing with balconies, set in gardens on the beach. Facilities include an outdoor pool, a spa, a gym, a restaurant and a bar.
With fewer rooms than its big neighbours, it suits couples and families who want a quieter beach stay. Connecting rooms and free cots are available. The Batu Ferringhi night market and the Shangri-La resorts are a short walk along the beach road.
Lexis Suites Penang
Lexis Suites Penang is a sea-facing resort at Teluk Kumbar on the south-west coast, where every Executive and Premium Pool Suite has its own private pool. It has LexSpa, four places to eat and drink including UMI Japanese restaurant and the Sky Terrace, and indoor and outdoor recreation.
It suits couples and families on a weekend break, and travellers who want to stay near the airport, which is about 20 minutes by car. George Town is about 45 minutes away, so you will need a car or Grab for sightseeing.
Iconic Marjorie Hotel, Penang
Iconic Marjorie is a 298-room Tribute Portfolio hotel by Marriott in Bayan Lepas that opened at the turn of 2025, with interiors that draw on Baba-Nyonya design. Rooms run from 30 sq m Guestrooms to Junior and Executive Suites. The 13th floor has an infinity pool, jacuzzi, steam room and 24-hour gym, and dining is at Tiffin Hall, the Loom & Leafs Lounge and Senses Bar.
It is about ten minutes from Penang International Airport and close to the Bayan Lepas business district, so it suits early flights and business trips. Queensbay Mall is six minutes by car and the Snake Temple about eleven; George Town is around 25 minutes.
Tips for booking hotels in Penang
- George Town is best explored on foot, so a heritage-zone hotel saves on Grab rides; Batu Ferringhi resorts suit a beach break but need a car or Grab into town.
- Chinese New Year, school holidays and the George Town Festival push rates up; book a month ahead.
- Many heritage hotels have no lift and steep shophouse staircases. Ask for a ground-floor room if mobility is a concern.
- Penang Hill, Kek Lok Si and the Botanic Gardens are 25–40 minutes from George Town by Grab.
Penang hotel FAQs
Where is the best area to stay in Penang?
George Town's UNESCO heritage zone for first-time visitors, because the street art, clan houses, temples and hawker stalls are all walkable. Choose Batu Ferringhi if you want a beach resort, and Gurney Drive if you want malls and the Gurney hawker centre.
Can you stay inside the Blue Mansion?
Yes. Cheong Fatt Tze – The Blue Mansion at 14 Leith Street has 18 heritage rooms around its courtyards, from about RM600 a night with breakfast. Non-guests can join the daily guided tours instead.
What is the cheapest place to stay in George Town?
In this guide, Ryokan Muntri Boutique Hostel on Lebuh Muntri is the cheapest, with dorm beds from about RM50 a night. For a private room, Chulia Heritage Hotel on Lebuh Chulia starts at about RM95, and Ren i Tang and Sunway Hotel Georgetown at about RM250. Check recent reviews before booking.
Is Bayview Hotel Georgetown still open?
No. Bayview Hotel Georgetown and its Three Sixty revolving restaurant closed on 30 April 2026. The site is being redeveloped.