YES Hotel Penang

The place is close to everything, including a beautiful Thai food restaurant right across from the tap on the same block as every hostel. I liked the interesting atmosphere and roommates, and there are several shared spaces upstairs that are nice for relaxing with a partner or just hanging out. It also works well for remote work and digital nomads. I had a good experience overall, but the bathrooms seemed badly neglected. I hardly ever saw staff cleaning them. Under every bed I slept in, there was a lot of dirt, even dead cockroaches.

I couldn’t sleep because the door kept rattling in the wind. The room was old, dirty, and smelled damp and moldy. It was a shared space, but I stayed several nights and never saw anyone come to clean it. There were already lots of negative reviews, yet the owner still hasn’t made changes. Avoid this place. If zero stars were an option, I’d give it zero.

The location is the best, close to everything but quiet, and the price felt well worth it. I loved staying at Tido Hostel Penang. My private room was soundproof and had a beautiful view, which is hard to find in Penang. It was super comfortable, and the top floor common area was a lovely place to relax and meet people. The reception team were lovely and helpful throughout. One thing to keep in mind: the rooftop common area closes at midnight, and you lose access to the water dispenser then. It wasn’t a big deal if you plan ahead. I’d definitely stay again!

The showers were decent and had hot water, which was a highlight. The top floor lounge was a nice place to unwind, though it didn’t have the bar that was advertised. I stayed 6 nights. Staff quickly moved me to a bed with access to a full sized locker, since 2 beds in the dorm didn’t have one. There were 4 bathrooms on each floor, but during my stay they seemed to get cleaned just once. At least there were enough that I could choose the one that looked ‘the best’.