Tien Hotel

The suite had plenty of room, and there’s no fridge inside it. You can use the large refrigerator in the kitchen area instead. There was just one person at the front desk, and sometimes he wasn’t there when I needed to check in or out.

Getting around for food was easy, with lots of choices just a few minutes away. We could hear music until around 11pm, though it wasn’t too loud for us. The room wasn’t as clean as it should’ve been: there was hair in the toilet and the sheets didn’t look very clean. Check-in was quick even though no staff were on site when we arrived, and they promptly brought more toiletries when we ran out. It’s basically what you’d expect for the price.

The location on the main street is handy, and the weekday street noise on the second level wasn’t too bad. Still, I could hear the staff member on a video call in the pantry early in the morning, so light sleepers may have a rough time. I wouldn’t suggest this place for solo travelers. My room had a used, wet towel on the floor, a TV remote with no battery, and a note saying housekeeping was required by the previous guest. It seems cleaning isn’t done daily, and the whole thing felt sloppy. The receptionist was often missing during her stated 11am to 6pm hours, so guests have to get their own key card for check-in and checkout. People here may be disciplined, but elsewhere someone could use your room without you knowing. The room was old, the towels worn, and there was a bit of sewage smell. The service at reception was terrible. I wouldn’t call it a hotel, and even at this price I think this Airbnb could do better with housekeeping and upgrades.

Agoda agreed that returning the payment made sense and contacted Tien Hotel Penang for me, but the hotel still refused to refund nearly $80. I’d booked through Agoda, then noticed I’d chosen the wrong date and contacted both them and the hotel less than 5 minutes later. This wasn’t a no-show or a last-minute change, just a mistake I tried to fix right away. The hotel said its policy allowed no refunds under any circumstances. I understand that policies matter, but in this case a little goodwill would’ve cost them no loss or inconvenience. Instead, this felt like a complete scam. They could’ve earned my loyalty and a future booking for the dates I’ll actually travel to Penang. I’m left with the bitter feeling of losing the money over something I tried to correct almost immediately. That kind of rigid, unempathetic management says a lot about how little guests are valued. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone expecting basic fairness and respect.