I stayed at Northam frequently 7 - 8 years ago and it left good impressions. Northam was therefore my natural choice this time around.

I was sorely disappointed. The upkeep is terrible - and the hotel has not kept up with the times. We stayed at the junior suite and my heart sank the minute we stepped into our room. It had a musky smell and the wooden panels were badly in need of replacement - the floor creaked all over. Many things were not working well - the TV (by the way, the 2 sets in my suite are I think obsolete now), one of the phones, the jacuzzi tap. The air-conditioning was poor, throughout the hotel in fact. This affected our stay because Penang can be humid at times. The duvet was old, worn out and even torn. The sofa cushion was dirty. The fake plant in the room was dusty.

The hotel didn't even provide toothpaste, robes and provided a bare minimum of towels (no face towels in fact). The fact that the room, being a suite, was a good size, and had a good view of the sea were not enough to make my stay enjoyable. There are many other hotels with a better view of the sea in fact (the hotels on Gurney drive which are closer to the sea).

Penang is a lovely city to explore so it's a shame when you don't get good accommodation. Northam has lost a loyal customer.

Have heard about the hotel thru' friends that it is great with extra large room c/w big bathroom with jacuzzi, different compartment of sleeping area with study area, .......etc.. So, as usual before deciding to make any bookings, I check the reviews from trip advisor. As the reviews shows all mostly above average - we decided to book in the Junior Suite.

Upon entering the lobby, we find that it's just like another hotel BUT when we were brought into our Suite, everyone were like "Ohhhhhhh, it's great" ........... t's really exceed our expectation !. Even the kids like it so much that they rather stay in the suite than going out. My personal opinion is that it's really worth the rate we are paying - the view from the huge window glass is great too - sea view. The range of food serve at the buffet table is great compared to nearby Gurney & Evergreen Hotel. The room loooks clean and the bed looks welcoming too.

I would say that I strongly recommend all fellow travellers to give Northam a try and I shall look forward to stay there again if I were to go to Penang again....................

This seemed like a good place to spend six nights in Penang. Highrise suite, sea views, a hawker centre opposite. We were so disappointed that we opted to move out after two nights. The hotel is sadly lacking in upkeep: the laminate floor is creaky, wavy and lifting, the blinds had to be tied off to keep them up, the exterior of the windows were dirty and mouldy. The so-called "double" bed consisted of two single beds pushed together, made up with overlapping single sheets and single doonas. The cheap cane lounge and chairs were too uncomfortable to sit for more than a short period.

The breakfast (included) was uninspiring. (The cold, limp hash browns were simply revolting, the beef bacon tough and stringy.) The cockroach running around the pastry table confirmed for us that it was time to go.

Our new choice, the G Hotel, proved to be an excellent selection.

I travel globally for business and am currently every 2 weeks in Penang and this is the 4. Hotel I have stayed so far and the one I liked most. The advertise 260MYR for the studio per night, but I got a corporate rate of 180MYR.

Their website gives a wrong impression as it looks more like a lowrise building direct by the sea. Its is actually approx 300meters off the beach and has 30+ floors.

What made me like it most is a good feel. The wooden flooring in the rooms, welcome drink upon arrival, almost bali style design and the very large suites give you the feeling of home away from home although its quite a large hotel.

Regarding the comments on maintenance, i only found as well that the wooden flooring in some rooms needs to be fixed, otherwise I found the hotel clean and up to date.

Breakfast is certainly not the best I had but I found it fully sufficient. Nice buffet with asian food, egg/omelette corner, fruits, cereals etc etc

Location is very central. Last time I walked up to Guerney Drive and the Mall in approx 15 minutes.

This Hotel is definetely very good Value for money.