ERNES Hotel Alma Bukit Mertajam

For my four-night business trip, the room had what I needed: a kettle, fridge, towels, soap, shampoo, and a table and chair for work. There’s a convenience store, local food and Aeon mall nearby, so the location was handy. One thing to plan for, if it matters to you, is bringing your own laundry bag, as there wasn’t one in the room.

The hotel is in a convenient spot, with eateries and a lively pub just a few doors away. The rooms are basic but clean. Front desk service could be better.

The room floor was sticky, and I wouldn’t recommend this place. I asked about checking in early and was told it was possible if I checked out earlier, which seemed fair. Then I was quoted an extra RM30+ for room preparation, even though I was arriving less than an hour early, not half a day. I’m not sure whether that charge is really hotel policy. If it is, perhaps it should be reviewed, since many newer hotels allow early check-in at no extra cost when a room is available. They didn’t say there was no room, only that I’d have to pay.

We spent two nights here, and it wasn’t a good fit if you want quiet rest. On the first night, the air-con remote had a problem and staff gave us a replacement. The next day I planned to work in the room, but there was a lot of corridor noise from staff “working” or “doing housekeeping”; the room soundproofing is poor. Just as I was about to rest, reception called to say they wanted to come in and repair the controller. Why not do that after the stay, when there are no guests? They came in wearing shoes and left the floor dirty. Even though we booked a non-smoking room, we could smell smoke from somewhere, and it was disturbing and unbearable. Other guests were noisy until midnight too. I’d rather pay more elsewhere for a better rest next time.