Malabar Inn

Recent Reviews: 196

• User:GerieJinx

  Trip type: Couples

  Awful place. Seriously terrible.

  04 Feb 2020

  We arrived after two flights just to be told that our Expedia booking was wrong (even though it stated we had a double bed) and we would need to upgrade and pay more. Felt like a scam. Not a good first impression. The walls are paper-thin. You can hear everything going on outside your room. The place was incredibly noisy, with drunk backpackers and other guests coming in and yelling until about 3 in the morning. At 6am, you’ll be awakened by staff yelling at each other or yelling on their phones. There is zero respect or consideration for guests. The first morning, the incessant yelling was followed by interior construction which began around 8. There were four WiFi points and none worked for the first couple of days. The rooms are grimey, in complete disrepair (broken bathroom door, holes in the ceiling), the beds are uncomfortable, and the bathroom was about as clean as one you’d find at a bus station. It may be a budget hotel, but it’s not worth the lack of sleep and comfort. I highly suggest paying a few bucks more to stay anywhere else. Yes, it’s near many attractions, but you won’t be able to enjoy them when you’re getting 3-4 hours of sleep a night. I spend months at a time in Southeast Asia, and I have to say, this is one of the worst places I’ve ever stayed in. Don’t make the same mistake I did, book a room somewhere else.

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• User:RosemarieNorth

  Trip type: Solo travel

  Cheap and central, but noisy young guests

  28 Aug 2019

  It’s shallow to choose a room on the basis of literature (Malabar in Mumbai features in the Moor’s Last Sigh by Salman Rushdie) but I did. Excellent location, friendly welcome, luggage storage, cheap windowless room, clean, shower gel, aircon. But a toddler in the next room was playing cheerfully till midnight and again at 4am, making me aware of how paper-thin the walls are.

• User:andretwx

  Trip type:

  Could be cleaner but overall a comfortable stay.

  09 Aug 2019

  First of all, there is no noise reduction or cancelling from inside or outside the room so if you're easily disturbed by noises it is better to look elsewhere (speaking from experience). Now, I slept for two nights here, the first night when I checked in, the manager (?) was very hospitable and helpful, and guided me to my room across the street from the reception. The bed was comfortable to sleep in, that's all I have to say, the bathroom however, is unclean. One specific example is the sewer cover that was clogged with hairs which I assumed was from previous guests. The water began stagnating around and on top of the cover and eventually flood the floor.The room is air-conditioned, comes with hair dryer and guests are provided with towels.Overall, it is pretty good for a budget hotel.

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• User:Uberflynina

  Trip type: Solo travel

  Excellent Choice

  09 Feb 2019

  Malabar was an excellent choice for my week long trip in Penang! The staff was very helpful and always willing to give help and suggestions. The room wasn't fancy, but if you just desire comfort and clean, it is indeed the place. I chose the single room with the personal bathroom. I'm not for the frills, that's what the city and activities are for. Overall, everything was great and I would consider staying here again. Note there is no elevator and steep stairs so keep that in mind if you have heavy luggage or a lot of luggage.

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• User:CraftBeerDean

  Trip type: Solo travel

  Nicest budget hotel in Georgetown

  04 Jan 2019

  Nicest budget hotel in Georgetown. I've stayed at a few and this is the best value for money so far. I booked an aircon room with private shower and toliet. The room had no windows, not uncommon here. My room was very quiet. All the staff were firendly and helpful. The room was clean. Wifi worked but wasn't very fast (also not uncommon here). The shower was hot and the bed comfortable. There's even a common area downstairs with an iron, a fridge and a water dispenser with hot and cold water for water and free coffee. Great location being a couple of minutes walk from the tourist area and about 10 minutes to Komtar bus station

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