Country: Penang, Malaysia
Address: Bangkok Lane
While planning for a 4D3N staycation with my mother to Penang, I stumbled upon this listing own by Iz. It cost SGD$40.26* per night then and my total came down to SGD$145.60, inclusive of cleaning and service charges.
*Airbnb listing prices varies at different travel period so do check the final price prior to booking.
Be amazed by this 90 years old heritage 2-storey townhouse on one of the most preserved and famous row along Bangkok Lane or Lorong Bangkok.
Booking
Iz had several listings consisting of 2-4 pax rooms with private or shared bathrooms. With several questions on each of them, he was very responsive and helpful throughout the booking process.
Check In
Check in was stated to be from 3pm onwards. As we had a morning flight and would reach Penang by 10am, Iz allowed us to check in ahead of time since the previous guests left earlier.
While we were on the way to the accommodation, Iz texted us the instructions on how to enter the house and access the rooms. There was no obvious front counter and we went straight to our room. Someone did came by the stairs so we might have missed out in acknowledging the owners/ staff if any.
First Impression
Everything was exact to their photos, meeting my expectations of a comfortable place to crash. However, note that the room was on the second floor and the place had no lift. We went up the uneven steps (in terms of both height and length), so it might be quite a trip hazard with heavy luggages.
The small balcony had a lovely view of the Burmese Temple across the street and would be a great place to chill if the weather was cooler.
The bathroom is enclosed with glass windows and clips to secure the curtains when in used. Heater and clean towels were provided, there was not much to fuss about.
Closer look
As the entire townhouse is 90 years old, its interior was based around the old heritage theme. With wooden flooring, stained glass windows and vintage table lamps, it reminded me of my grandparents' place in Malaysia. Our few issues revolves around the sound and security factors.
Most of the Iz's reviews states that rooms were not soundproof. While wooden flooring and doors are not rare in kampung houses, it can cause frustrations for those who are not used to it. We could hear people going up and down the stairs, opening and closing of doors, and every footsteps. Bless to whoever staying in the rooms at level one.
Their wooden doors and bronze knobs were a little hard to maneuver and our main door could not be fully closed as it was bent.
I did not have any photos of our door from the front but the main lock consist of a metal latch and giant lock as shown below. The latch was hard to push and pull, perhaps due to its old age or being very worn out. It might be dangerous in the events of any emergencies and the front latch gets caught, it could lock someone from the outside.
Final Thoughts
Given the old age of the infrastructure, you cannot expect the place to be at the same level of a hotel room. There were wall stains and spider webs at corners that you cannot reach. The room get quite stuffy when we return for the night as we had to off all electricity when we leave the room for the day. We could hear laughter and murmurs from the other rooms, which might not be ideal if you want a good night rest.
However, it is located along Bangkok Lane and it is a few minutes walk to Gurney Drive, Gurney Paragon & Burmese Temple. There are also multiple dining options around the corner.
There is a common space at level one where the smaller rooms' shared bathroom is. Hot water, refrigerator, dishes and cutleries ironing board are available, Everything in the room (excluding the vintage table lamp) still works well if you are fuss-free and just looking for a place to sleep.
That's all I have for this place.
Check out my Penang videos below!
Travel Period: December 2019
*Kindly note that all information are correct as of date of publish. Always do your own research prior to heading down to avoid disappointment during your trip! :)
**All photographs are taken by myself unless stated. Hence, please do not use without permission. Thank you.
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