Dragon & Phoenix Hotel

The rate was good, and the hotel had basic facilities, its own parking, and felt safe. It’s a medium-rate hotel in a pleasant area, despite being close to a busy main road. The place was neat, clean, and quiet. One practical tip: bring an extension cord for charging your phone and other devices, since the outlets can be far from where you’re sitting.

When I arrived, my taxi driver warned me that the hotel was in a Chinese drugs den and said the area wasn’t safe. The counter staff seemed surprisingly delighted to have an international reservation, which set off alarm bells for me. In the room, the furniture was worn and dated, the bed and bathroom were dirty, and the taps dripped. Although it was meant to be a non-smoking room, it reeked of cigarette smoke. I checked out immediately and wouldn’t recommend this hotel, especially for international travellers.

We come back to this hotel whenever we’re in Ipoh because the rates are cheap and it has the basic amenities we need. We’re usually out most of the time and mainly need somewhere to sleep, bathe, and rest. There’s a lift and free WiFi, though the connection isn’t very good, as well as the hotel’s own car park. The location is convenient, within walking distance of UTC and

For 69 ringgit, this clean budget hotel was good value, especially compared with other Malaysian places that fell well below expectations. It’s also well located near the old town, the Sunday morning market, and the night market.