Luxury Hotels in Penang, Malaysia

The modern history of Penang began in 1786 where Captain Francis Light, an English trader-adventurer of the British East India Company landed on Penang Island, which was then part of Kedah. For Light, Penang Island situated in the middle of the maritime trade route along the Malacca Straits between China and India and an ideal location for French and Dutch territorial expansion in Southeast Asia. Currently, Penang's population stood at nearly 1.75 million as of 2017. It has among the highest population densities in Malaysia and is one of the country's most urbanized states.

Penang Island, which includes George Town, is Malaysia's second largest city by population. Some of the attraction sites of Penang include the sandy beaches of Tanjung Bungah, the landscape from the summit of Penang Hill and the vipers in the Snake Temple, the Tropical Spice Garden which is the only spice garden in South East Asia as well as Penang’s many flea markets, KOMTAR and modern shopping malls. The common languages of Penang are depending on social classes, social circles and ethnicities which is mainly are Malay, English, Penang Hokkien, Mandarin and Tamil. Penangite Malays usually speak Northern Malay dialect similar with people in Kedah and Perlis.

How to Get There

By Flight

Air Asia, Malaysia Airlines and Malindo Airlines connect Kuala Lumpur International Airport to Penang Airport at Bayan Lepas. It usually takes around 50 minutes and once you arrive, you can either take a bus and car to Penang for another 30 minutes.

By Car

It takes around 3 hours and 50 minutes from Kuala Lumpur city center to Penang by using the North-South highway.

Tourist Attractions

Penang Street Art

Located around 15 minutes away from Georgetown, there is a famous street art that can be found along a few streets. The artist which is known as Zacharevic created popular murals, the 20-foot high ‘Little Girl In Blue’, a mural of a young child dressed in ocean blue pajamas flanked by the two real windows of its ‘canvas’. The second piece is called ‘Little Boy with Pet Dinosaur’, a funny colored-image of a young child with an outline sketch of a dinosaur on a leash. Besides, Zacharevic’s other designs include a piece named ‘Reaching Up’ on Cannon Street, a fresco of a young boy reaching up to a pot of real flowers on a window sill. In addition there is a painting along Armenian Street called ‘Little Children on a Bicycle’, which is similar to the ‘Boy on a Bike’, only instead of a motorbike, the prop used is a bicycle. Found just down the road from Eastern & Oriental Hotel, brightly-colored trishaws can take you to see unique artworks around Georgetown. Prices start at about RM80 for a one-hour ride but you can whittle it down to mere RM40 for a 30-minute journey.

Hotels

Sunway Hotel

Sunway Hotel is located in the heart of Penang and it is located nearby popular attractions at Penang. It is a 5-minute drive from Penang’s famous food area, Gurney Drive and features an outdoor pool overlooking the city. The rooms in this hotel offer modern interiors and equipped with television with satellite channels, a minibar and a safe. Other than that, you can find a 24-hour fitness centre and a swimming pool. There is also free parking space and dining options as well as room service.

Vouk Hotel

Vouk Hotel is located around 1.5 kilometre from Komtar and 15 kilometre from Penang International Airport. This Balinese-inspired accommodation features its own in-house C'est Si Bon Restaurant that serves up an array of local and international delicacies including Penang-style and Thai-inspired dishes, from the à la carte menu and buffet. The rooms are modernly designed and come with a flat-screen cable TV, safety deposit box and a minibar. A work desk and ironing facilities are also available for guests' convenience. On top of that, there are also free toiletries, slippers and a hairdryer. The staff at the front desk are available to assist guests with concierge services and luggage storage. Laundry, trouser press and dry cleaning services are available at the property. Guests who drive can enjoy free parking on-site while other guests can also utilize the free shuttle services.