Vince Villa

There was a TV in the room, but no remote control, so the room facilities weren't great.

We came as a group for a weekend, arriving Friday, and were greeted by swarms of mosquitoes. There apparently hadn't been guests for a few days, and everyone got bitten. I also found water in several plant pots with larvae. With so many potted plants, the owner should have put in Abate. It's an old villa and, in my opinion, not worth the price. The caretaker, a Myanmar lady who only understood Malay, was loud and rude. Our room was called a Family Luxury Penthouse, but it was a huge disappointment. The pillowcase was stained, as was the brownish extra mattress for a child. When we asked for it to be changed, the caretaker said to cover it with a bedsheet. The raised section had a steep metal staircase with unsafe railings. There was no shower screen, so bathing left the entire toilet wet, including the bowl. Imagine four adults showering twice a day. The soap dispenser was rusty, and the table lamp wires had black stains. The bedsheets hadn't been changed, and the blankets were old and smelly. Luxury for RM380.00? Each room gets only one key, and some rooms have no window. The toilet is so small an adult man would struggle to sit without his knees hitting the wall. Towels weren't provided unless we asked, and our four-person room got just two. The whole villa felt like a fire trap, with no fire extinguisher or exit signs, and our window was grilled. It's basically a corner house renovated to look like a villa, with nice decorations and lots of plants that attract mosquitoes. You have to park on the roadside at your own risk.

This is a three-storey terrace house turned into a homestay in a residential area. It suits people stopping in Bukit Mertajam for a short stay. Shops are a little way off, across the main road. The Balinese decor gives the place a distinctive look, and each room is named after a flower, like Jasmine. I stayed once about a year ago. It was clean, though showing its age, and some room fittings didn't work properly, including the shower door lock. The room was small, as was the shower room, but otherwise comfortable. Entry is by touch card, and two bottles of mineral water are included. There's no dedicated car park, just roadside parking outside, at your own risk.

I booked through agoda when we came all the way from KL for a relative's funeral. The owner has great taste, and I loved the exotic, cozy interior design. My brother, sister, and nephew liked it too. The staff were good: he answered my call and guided me, and the female staff were helpful even though we checked in at midnight. I'll definitely come back soon.