5-Star Hotels in Penang, Malaysia

Let me start with the location. -a little bit far from the center, had to drive around 5-10 mins to reach nearest 7e. forget about the other attractions, it needs more than 30 mins from the hotel. Staff. -i dont know but i feel like not helpful enough. they could’ve done better for the so called “5 stars” hotel wannabe. Cleanliness. -well it was clean BUT! right when we entered the room we saw the notice of the charlie ants. we were so scared to touch the floor with bare foot as i lost count on how much we had seen and managed to kill the insects on our own! Buffet. -was ok, not the best. many verities to choose from. well at least they tried. Facilities. -they won this time. my only complaint was the insects on the floor and walls of the toilet.

The hotel staff were incredibly dedicated and responsive to all our requests. The room was clean and tidy. The beach behind the hotel is a bit small, but it's shared with the neighboring hotels, so you can walk along it, and the scenery is still beautiful. However, the hotel's internal landscaping is fantastic. It's definitely worth another visit.

The hotel is about 40-50 minutes from the city center and roughly an hour from the airport. If you're not in a rush, public transport is an option. Arriving at Penang Airport at 7:30 AM, it was perfect to grab breakfast before checking into the hotel. We added an extra bed, which was quite low, like a camp bed. We asked if we could get another mattress, and they said they'd check but never got back to us, so we just let it go. For our 5:30 AM return flight, we pre-ordered a takeaway breakfast the day before. The balcony was very spacious with expansive views. The private beach was just okay, a bit rocky underfoot. The entertainment activities were a bit underwhelming; they said 10 minutes but we only got about 3 minutes of actual play. There were staff who spoke Chinese, so communication was no problem. There are no dining options right by the hotel, but there's a restaurant called 'Da Dong Seafood Restaurant' that's pretty good and offers great value for money. You might have to queue during peak hours, and getting a taxi back could incur a surcharge.

Overall, I'm satisfied, but of course, there were a few things that weren't perfect, haha. Check-in was good and fast, even though there were a lot of people. There was complimentary juice while waiting to check-in. The swimming pool is great and big, with slides for kids too. The kids' room is amazing, with a ball pit, PS5 games, slides, and more! The kids' room is definitely the best 👍🏻 Breakfast was a bit disappointing because the table I got was hot. Didn't feel the air conditioning at all. The room was great, sea view, and clean. Parking was a bit difficult. It's first-come, first-served, or you'll have to valet park if you want secure parking. The staff were very friendly. Excellent.

This hotel offers incredible value for money! For 1200 RMB, I got a room with a sea view balcony and a spacious shower – absolutely perfect 💯. It's super close to the Blue Mansion; you can just exit the heritage wing lobby, cross the street where there's a HeyTea and a bar street, and then cross another street near a gas station, and you'll be right at the Blue Mansion and the Red Garden food market. Many famous people have stayed here, and it beautifully blends history with modern touches, all while having that lovely Nanyang resort vibe. I'll definitely be staying here again on my next trip to Penang!

Getting to Shangri-La Rasa Sayang from the airport takes about 50 minutes by Grab (around 70+ MYR, 100+ MYR at night). From George Town, it's about a 20-minute Grab ride (around 20+ MYR). The hotel offers two free shuttle buses daily to and from George Town (see picture 5; just book at the concierge desk). Alternatively, public bus 101 stops right outside the hotel and goes to George Town (2.7 MYR per person, cash only). The hotel is huge, connected to the Golden Sands next door. You can explore both on foot or by using the hotel's complimentary buggy service. The breakfast selection is decent, but nothing particularly stood out to me. Room cleanliness, water pressure, and air conditioning were generally satisfactory. The toiletries are Shangri-La's own brand, with that distinctive Southeast Asian scent, and the bedding was very comfortable. The hotel is very close to Batu Ferringhi Beach, within walking distance. It's a great spot to watch the sunset, grab dinner, and then enjoy a fire show after dark – very chill. Across from the hotel, there's a durian shop offering an 88 MYR all-you-can-eat buffet. However, I'd recommend buying individual 'Black Thorn,' 'Red Prawn,' and 'Musang King' durians instead; these Penang specialties are delicious and better value. You can pay with cash (MYR) or Alipay (at an exchange rate of 1.7 to RMB). A special shout-out to the concierge service! We had an early morning flight home and wanted to explore George Town after checking out, but dragging luggage around would have been inconvenient. The concierge proactively arranged for us to store our luggage for free at their sister hotel, Shangri-La's Hotel JEN George Town. Even better, after our sightseeing, we were allowed to use Hotel JEN's gym and showers free of charge (Penang is hot and humid, so you get sweaty quickly outdoors). This meant we could freshen up before heading to the airport. From Hotel JEN, a Grab to the airport costs about 30+ MYR, or you can take public buses 102/401/401E directly from behind the hotel for just 2.7 MYR per person.

Overall, I had a pleasant stay at Crowne Plaza Penang Straits City. The hotel is new, modern, clean, and well-maintained, with comfortable rooms and excellent facilities. The overall ambiance made for a relaxing and enjoyable experience. That said, there is room for improvement in the service quality. The hospitality from the reception team and the kitchen staff could be warmer and more welcoming. Overall, it’s a great hotel with excellent facilities and a comfortable stay. With some improvements in customer service, it has the potential to be an outstanding choice for visitors to Penang

Positive -have requested for a connecting room， and hotel arranged the connecting room for us. The buffer restaurant got a nice view, but not our room, Negative - we were allocated the room could see the opposite building closely, means other buildings could see us as well. No privacy at all. Rooms getting a bit dated The rubbish bin not clean up every day We haven't been notified there was a short renovation upstairs in the afternoon, we were taking rest at the hotel by that time. The worse is after we come back from dinner, the light at the corridor and in our room all dark. This is the first time I experienced all night off in my hotel room. The manager told me that because we switched off the main switch, and made both rooms light off. Do you think it is possible for us even turn off the corridor light and another room night? In fact, we never turn off the light.

It is a beautiful place to stay, we love it, especially the bathtub and the swimming pool, but there are some things that we really regret, the first menu for breakfast is the same menu on saturday and sunday please change it, the second its buggy not provide for our, who parking car far from the lobby hotel, the third its towel you don't provide for extra , l'm with three people in one room 2 adults and 1 children, we had to share towel..please considered it..this is my second time staying here..

The front desk offers luggage storage, and the location is quite convenient. The room has two separate bedrooms, so you won't disturb each other while sleeping; one bedroom is larger than the other. There's a convenience store in the lobby on the first floor. If you're staying for consecutive nights, there's no cleaning service in between. The price is quite reasonable.