Top 10 Hotels in Penang
Ten real hotels across George Town's heritage core, Gurney Drive and the northern beach strip, ranked by verified guest reviews with direct booking links to Booking.com, Agoda, Trip.com and Expedia.
Penang is one of the few places in Southeast Asia where the best hotels are the old buildings. George Town's UNESCO heritage core is full of restored shophouses, colonial mansions and a century-old seafront hotel, all within walking distance of the street art, the clan jetties and some of the best hawker food in the world. A few kilometers to the west, Gurney Drive and Persiaran Gurney are lined with modern towers, malls and seafront promenade, and the northern coast at Tanjung Tokong and Batu Ferringhi has the beach hotels.
Every hotel below is reviewed individually, with direct links to check current rates and book on Booking.com, Agoda, Trip.com and Expedia. Penang has a steady season rather than a sharp one, but rates climb around Chinese New Year, school holidays and the George Town Festival, and weekends fill early, so compare platforms for your exact dates.
| Hotel | Area | Stars | Guest Score | From (USD/night) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern & Oriental Hotel | George Town Heritage | 5 | 9.1 | $687 |
| The Prestige Hotel Penang, a Member of Design Hotels | George Town Heritage | 5 | 9.2 | $253 |
| Cheong Fatt Tze - The Blue Mansion | George Town Heritage | 4 | 9.4 | Check rates |
| G Hotel Kelawai | Gurney Drive | 5 | 9.0 | $224 |
| Ascott Gurney Penang | Gurney Drive | 5 | 8.9 | $212 |
| Royale Chulan Penang | Weld Quay | 4 | 8.6 | $126 |
| Citadines Connect Georgetown Penang | KOMTAR / Old Town | 4 | 8.6 | $120 |
| Hompton Hotel by the Beach | Tanjung Tokong | 4 | 8.5 | Check rates |
| G Hotel Gurney | Gurney Drive | 5 | 8.5 | $257 |
| Gurney Bay Hotel, A PARKROYAL Partner Hotel | Gurney Drive | 5 | 8.5 | $103 |
All ten hotels were chosen from live inventory data rather than a fixed editorial list. We looked at four- and five-star properties with strong guest scores across a real volume of reviews, then balanced the shortlist across George Town's heritage core, the Gurney Drive area and the beach strip so there is a strong option whichever part of the island you want to be in. Guest scores shown are the scores we have on record and will differ slightly between booking sites.
1. Eastern & Oriental Hotel
A heritage seafront landmark on Lebuh Farquhar, the Eastern & Oriental Hotel is split into two wings: the Heritage Wing, which keeps the original colonial character, and the more modern Victory Annexe, where rooms have balconies and sea views and often better value. There are two outdoor pools, a spa, a gym and two restaurants, with free parking and airport pick-up. Breakfast at Sarkies is the reason many guests return. It is a short walk to the Blue Mansion and the heart of George Town. Check current rates on Agoda.
Agoda
Check Rates & Book →Trip.com
Check Rates & Book →2. The Prestige Hotel Penang, a Member of Design Hotels
The Prestige Hotel Penang is a Design Hotels member with 162 rooms, opened in 2019 on Lebuh Gereja. The theme is a Victorian-era magic motif drawn from the film The Prestige, with illusion touches like levitating beds and hidden doors. The rooftop infinity pool has sea and quayside views, and there is a glasshouse restaurant and a spa. Guests score it 9.0 to 9.3 for location, cleanliness and staff. Check whether breakfast is included in your rate. Check current rates on Booking.com.
3. Cheong Fatt Tze - The Blue Mansion
The indigo-blue Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion on Leith Street is a UNESCO-listed heritage building that you can actually sleep in: around 18 rooms, antique furnishings, a courtyard pool, a restaurant and a bar. It was a filming location for Crazy Rich Asians and Indochine. Guided tours run twice a day, and hotel guests visit for free. It is a romantic, one-of-a-kind stay with a 9.4 score, and it is not the choice if you want modern conveniences. Check current rates on Agoda.
Agoda
Check Rates & Book →Trip.com
Check Rates & Book →4. G Hotel Kelawai
G Hotel Kelawai opened in 2015 with 208 rooms on Persiaran Maktab near Gurney Plaza and Gurney Paragon, with a rooftop pool, a gym, a bar, a restaurant called Spoon and a buggy shuttle to the malls. It is an adult-oriented, design-led hotel, and the sister G Hotel Gurney next door is the better fit for families with young children. Guests praise the staff, the rooms and the breakfast. A buffet breakfast costs around 59 ringgit if it is not included. Check current rates on Booking.com.
5. Ascott Gurney Penang
Ascott Gurney Penang offers 271 serviced apartments on Gurney Drive, from studios to three-bedroom units with a kitchen, a living area and often a balcony and sea view. It has an infinity pool, a children's pool, a gym and free parking, and it works well for families and longer stays. Reviews are generally strong, and some mention inconsistent service and housekeeping. Pets are allowed on request, with charges. Check current rates on Booking.com.
6. Royale Chulan Penang
Royale Chulan Penang is a four-star heritage-style hotel at the heart of the UNESCO core zone on Pengkalan Weld, opened in 2014 with 179 rooms. There is an outdoor pool, a gym and a breakfast buffet, and the Weld Quay jetties and the main George Town sights are walkable. Guests praise the location and the attentive staff, with scores around 8.6 to 8.9. Some note that facilities in the older building feel dated. Check current rates on Booking.com.
Booking.com
Check Rates & Book →Agoda
Check Rates & Book →Trip.com
Check Rates & Book →Expedia
Check Rates & Book →7. Citadines Connect Georgetown Penang
Citadines Connect Georgetown Penang is a 143-room aparthotel on Lebuh Noordin, opened in 2022, among the shophouses and street art of the old town, near KOMTAR and Prangin Mall. It has a rooftop pool with city views, a gym, a coworking space and bike hire, and guests love the 24-hour coffee station. Scores run from 8.6 to 8.8. Parking is limited, and a few rooms are noisy or have drainage smells. Check current rates on Booking.com.
Booking.com
Check Rates & Book →Agoda
Check Rates & Book →Trip.com
Check Rates & Book →Expedia
Check Rates & Book →8. Hompton Hotel by the Beach
Hompton Hotel by the Beach sits on the northeast coast at Tanjung Tokong with direct beach access and a food court across the road, with around 240 rooms, an outdoor pool, a gym and a bar. Reviewers praise the sea views, the friendly staff and a breakfast with halal options. The pool is small, parking is free but limited and some guests find the lifts slow and the furniture dated. It is the beach pick on this list, about 20 minutes from the old town. Check current rates on Trip.com.
Trip.com
Check Rates & Book →9. G Hotel Gurney
G Hotel Gurney is a 312-room five-star at 168A Persiaran Gurney, right beside Gurney Plaza and overlooking Gurney Drive. Opened in 2006 and renovated in 2016, it has an outdoor pool, a spa, an executive lounge, a gym and free parking. Guests praise the location and breakfast, and a few mention that the sea view has become less appealing as land reclamation has progressed. It is the better G Hotel for families. Check current rates on Booking.com.
10. Gurney Bay Hotel, A PARKROYAL Partner Hotel
Gurney Bay Hotel, formerly the Evergreen Laurel, has 368 rooms at 53 Persiaran Gurney near Gurney Drive and is now operated as a PARKROYAL partner hotel under the Pan Pacific group. It has a pool, a children's pool, tennis court, jacuzzi, steam and sauna rooms and several restaurants, and it tends to be one of the better-value large hotels here. The building is showing its age and elevator waits can be long, but sea-view rooms and the staff earn praise. Check current rates on Booking.com.
A note on prices: every rate in the table above is indicative and pulled at a single point in time. Penang hotel pricing shifts with the day of the week, festivals and school holidays, and heritage boutique hotels in George Town can swing a lot between a quiet weekday and a festival weekend. Treat the table as a guide to relative price, and compare two or three of the booking links above for your exact dates before you commit.
