Hotel Mingood, Georgetown

...getting a cab to our hotel as there were a load of drivers calling out at us to give us a ride. It took about 15 minutes from here to get to Hotel Mingood which is in the historical Georgetown (the main town in Penang). The drive is an interesting one taking you past what is typical Malaysia - a run down and falling apart shed with washing hanging up on a line outside and a dirty dog sleeping in the mud (hard to believe this is someone's home) whilst ...
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The hotel is a 10 minute walk to a shopping centre, supermarket and New World Park which is a fab new outdoor complex (opened in January 08) with a load of restaurants ranging from expensive and fancy cuisine, affordable bars and cafes or a cheap food court. There's also a stage where entertainment is held. A 20 minute walk in the opposite direction will take you to the main road and the bus station where every bus on the island stops. ... more

From the bus station in Penang (which is just a couple of minutes from the bridge from mainland Malaysia) it was no trouble getting a cab to our hotel as there were a load of drivers calling out at us to give us a ride. It took about 15 minutes from here to get to Hotel Mingood which is in the historical Georgetown (the main town in Penang). The drive is an interesting one taking you past what is typical Malaysia - a run down and falling apart shed with washing hanging up on a line outside and a dirty dog sleeping in the mud (hard to believe this is someone's home) whilst towering high above it is a huge billboard with a gorgeous man and woman sporting glittering jewellery, sleek watches or trendy clothes advertising the likes of Cartier or Louis Vuitton!

Upon arrival we were checked in by the most grumpy and miserable woman which made us directly think we should have stayed somewhere else. However, when we reached our room we were surprised to find it was huge and really spacious - we actually found that we had far too much space! A big comfy queen bed was in the middle of the room with a bedside cabinet on either side. There was also a large desk and mirror, wardrobe, fridge, TV plus a sofa and coffee table. There was air conditioning in the room which was perfectly easy to use. The bathroom was a good size and had a bath and shower. The whole room and bathroom was kept clean and we couldn't fault it at all. The room made us completely forget about the miserable receptionist. During our stay we did try on numerous occasions to get her to break a smile but with no such luck.

Breakfast was held on the roof terrace which had a great view of the rest of Georgetown. The breakfast that was included in the price of the room was simple and included toast, cornflakes and drinks. You had to pay more for hot food. I was glad I'd packed my Marmite to make it less boring!

Reception can book any trips or tours you want to do but try to go at a time when Grumpy isn't there as other members of staff are much more helpful. We booked a bus to pick us up at 5 am and the night staff were also very helpful in getting us checked out and onto the bus.

The hotel is a 10 minute walk to a shopping centre, supermarket and New World Park which is a fab new outdoor complex (opened in January 08) with a load of restaurants ranging from expensive and fancy cuisine, affordable bars and cafes or a cheap food court. There's also a stage where entertainment is held. A 20 minute walk in the opposite direction will take you to the main road and the bus station where every bus on the island stops. On the day of our arrival there was bus strike and whilst we were at the bus station on our second day some reporters interviewed us about the effect this had had on tourists and we were in the local newspaper!

At only £12 a night for a double ensuite room I don't think we could have done any better in Penang. It was such pleasure to be in a proper hotel with our own toilet and bath after staying in hostels for a few weeks beforehand. 

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