Eureka Hotel Penang

This hotel is a popular choice for its strategic location, particularly for those attending events at the Setia Spice Convention Centre, which is just a short walk or drive away. Its proximity to the airport also makes it an excellent option for transit passengers and business travelers seeking convenience. The surrounding area is bustling with a wide array of eateries, shops, and convenience stores, providing ample dining and shopping opportunities right at the doorstep. Guests frequently commend the hotel's overall cleanliness and the friendly staff who contribute to a pleasant stay. It is especially well-suited for solo travelers, short-stay guests, and event attendees due to its practical amenities and affordability. To enhance your experience, consider requesting a room with a window, as some rooms lack natural light, and be prepared for parking fees if you are driving.

Facilities & Amenities
The hotel offers a range of basic facilities to meet guests' needs, though feedback is mixed on their quality. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the property, generally reported as fast enough for mobile devices, though some guests noted it could be slow for streaming on the TV, which occasionally had no signal or was not working. A convenient communal ironing facility is provided in the hallway on each floor, a thoughtful addition for business travelers. Guests also appreciate the presence of water dispensers on every floor for complimentary hot and cold water, although some reviews highlighted concerns about the cleanliness of the filters. While basic in-room amenities like shampoo, body wash, and dental kits are supplied, some guests found them insufficient or reported issues with dispensers. The hotel is equipped with a lift, making access to upper floors convenient for all guests.

Cleanliness & Room Comfort
Guests generally find the rooms to be clean and the beds comfortable, ensuring a restful stay for many. However, several recurring issues impact overall room comfort. Noise levels are a significant concern, with many guests reporting thin walls that allow sounds from neighboring rooms and hallways to be easily heard, leading to disturbances; earplugs are even provided. The air conditioning receives mixed reviews, with numerous complaints about it not being cool enough or blowing warm air, even at the lowest settings, making rooms uncomfortably hot for some. A notable and frequent complaint is the presence of small cockroaches in the rooms. While bathrooms are often described as clean with good water pressure, some guests encountered issues such as mold, broken tiles, staining in the toilet bowl, or even a complete lack of water supply. Additionally, the towels are often described as old, thin, or worn out, and some rooms have reported damaged walls or dust accumulation.

Dining & Food Quality
The hotel does not provide an in-house breakfast service, but this is largely compensated by its highly convenient location. Guests consistently praise the extensive array of dining options available just a short walk from the hotel. The surrounding neighborhood is a vibrant culinary hub, offering everything from local food stalls to various cafes and restaurants, including popular choices like Japanese eateries and Dim Sum establishments. This allows guests to easily explore a wide spectrum of food choices for all meals throughout their stay. Many appreciate the flexibility and convenience of being able to step out and find numerous choices for meals and snacks at any time of day, making the absence of an on-site restaurant or room service a minor point. The sheer variety ensures that guests can always find something to suit their taste and budget.

Location & Accessibility
The hotel boasts a highly strategic location that is consistently praised by guests. It is exceptionally convenient for those attending events at the Setia Spice Convention Centre, being just a few minutes' walk or drive away. Its close proximity to the airport also makes it an ideal choice for travelers with early flights or those in transit. The area surrounding the hotel is bustling, offering easy walkable access to a vast selection of eateries, cafes, shops, supermarkets, and convenience stores, ensuring guests have everything they need within reach. Public transportation, including a bus stop for the airport bus, is also readily accessible. However, parking is a significant drawback; it is not free and can be very expensive, often charged hourly with no daily cap, requiring guests to use a Touch 'n Go card. Finding available street parking can also be challenging, leading to frustration for those traveling with their own vehicles.

Staff & Service
The staff at the hotel generally receive praise for their friendliness and polite demeanor, with many guests highlighting their pleasant interactions. However, feedback on service efficiency and problem resolution is mixed. While some guests experienced a quick check-in process, others reported issues with strict check-in times, even when rooms were ready, leading to frustration. There are recurring complaints regarding the hotel's maintenance and responsiveness to issues; guests reported problems like no water supply or non-functioning amenities, with staff often being slow to respond or unable to resolve issues promptly, sometimes stating technicians were unavailable. Some guests also found certain front desk staff to be unhelpful, unresponsive to calls, or lacking in customer service attitude when dealing with requests or complaints, such as lost access cards or room changes. Overall, while the staff's initial approach is often positive, the follow-through on service requests can be inconsistent.

Additional Information
For tourists, it is important to be aware of a 12 MYR tax that is applied per room per night. The hotel itself is uniquely structured, being a conversion of a town house or shoplot, which results in a compact design with a small lobby and a four-story layout accessible by a small lift. Guests planning to bring their own food should note that the hotel does not provide cutleries such as forks, spoons, or bowls, so it is advisable to come prepared. A particular design element that has drawn comment is the semi-transparent toilet door, which some guests found to be a significant privacy concern. Furthermore, some guests reported finding the art paintings displayed within the rooms and in the hallways to be unsettling or "creepy," which negatively impacted their overall comfort and ability to relax during their stay.