Penang has a large selection of hotels in a wide range of locations and prices. The grand dame of the hotels is the historic Eastern and Oriental on city's ocean front not far from Fort Cornwallis. Built in 1885, the hotel was the first and foremost hotel built by the Sarkies brothers who went on to build Raffles in Singapore and The Strand in Rangoon. Contrary to what you'll read in Lonely Planet's 2001 guidebook, the hotel has in fact been fully restored to its former glory. It's worth a look even if you aren't staying there.
The historic Eastern & Oriental hotel
Oddly enough, most of Georgetown's mid-range tourist class hotels are spread out along Penang Street which runs from the E&O into the middle of town. Since the World Heritage Site declaration, a number of old shop-houses and mansions in the historic area have been turned into boutique hotels. Other popular areas are the Ferringhi Beach area, but these are not really convenient for exploring the city, which is the main reason for visiting Penang.
Suggested Georgetown Hotels
Here's a short list of hotels that you can book on the Internet through one or more of our hotel partners. If you don't like our selections, you can use the search box at the bottom of the page to compare prices from dozens of booking sites to find the best rates.