Red Inn Court - Hostel

The bathroom and toilet share one compartment, and because it’s practically outdoors, mosquitoes were everywhere. The hostel itself was full of mosquitoes too. Good food was at least a 15-minute walk away, so the location felt limited. My four-bed room was tiny, with nowhere to put my luggage. The place is old, and the service was very bad. There was no AC in the common room or area, and there was no laundry nearby or laundry service offered. I found nothing good about this place. If you want a good time in Penang, avoid this hostel.

So, the girl in the lower bunk called me a weirdo behind my back for putting my quilt on the floor. I didn't explain at the time. There were bedbugs crawling out in swarms. Now you know why. Enjoy your stay.

The location is the best part, with almost everything within walking distance. The maintenance man on site was kind and fixed issues when I let the front desk know. Coffee and tea with sugar and creamer were available all day. I never got up for breakfast, so I can't say how good it was. I stayed in a queen room with a private bathroom. It was a good size, with several lighting options, including book lights on both sides of the bed. The bathroom was small but not cramped, with a rainfall showerhead and hot water. The firm bed had three pillows, and there was a desk and TV. Both the ceiling fan and AC worked great. There was spray at the front desk for mosquitoes, and after using it once I had no further trouble. A plug-in bug killer was also in the room. In Malaysia's rainy season, mosquitoes are hard to avoid. The downside was the room's position at the back of the building beside the bathroom area. You could hear people showering or scrolling on their phones while on the toilet. I met a mix of people from around the world, across different age groups, including regulars who return every year for Christmas and New Year's. This was my first hostel stay, and it was good. I wanted to extend, but my room was already booked.

There was a bed bug in my bed, and the room was the tiniest hostel room I've ever stayed in, with no space for luggage. But what really tainted the stay was the way cleaning staff opened my curtain while I was still asleep at 11:15 AM and made me leave, even though checkout wasn't until noon. It felt like a serious invasion of privacy and left me shaken and uncomfortable. That staff member's behavior was very unprofessional. It's a shame because the two women at reception were very kind, but being interrupted and kicked out 45 minutes before checkout made the whole stay feel awful.