Campbell House: the Highlight of Penang
Despite our exhausting, disappointing tour, I loved the island of Penang, and it was all thanks to our amazing hotel, the Campbell House.
Once I discovered there were no Hyatt or Starwood properties, I asked my friend to do a little research and pick out the hotel she most wanted to stay at. It wound up being Campbell House, a boutique hotel in the heart of historic Georgetown, and ranked #1 on Trip Advisor for B&B and Inns. Even better, it was bookable on Orbitz, and the reasonable $125 rate became free once I redeemed my Orbitz Rewards!
We dropped our luggage off mid-morning when we first flew in and they went ahead and checked us in and stored our luggage since the room had not been vacated yet. I was a little sad about that since I had read about the luggage lift and wanted to see it in action. The three story building has no elevator — a large rope is tied around your suitcase and hauled up by hand to your floor. I felt a little guilty since I’d packed for two weeks.
Arriving back at the hotel around 2PM, our room was already ready for us and we were escorted upstairs, only after removing our shoes. This worried me a little bit. I switch up my shoewear throughout the day to save my feet and was afraid I would forget and leave a pair in the stand when I left (fortunately this didn’t happen and they do ask you to double check at check out).
We made our way up the staircase to the first floor, arriving in a very pleasant common area with computer for guests’ use, books to borrow and even a DVD library to watch movies in your room.
After researching our options, I’d deliberately splurged a little picking the Sari room, the only one with a private balcony. It was located at the end of the hall and felt delightfully private.
When we walked in, I was blown away by how spacious the room was.
As we were given a tour of the amenities, you could see how the owners’ philosophy had been put into practice. Who needs elite status when everything I hoped to achieve with it was already provided? Our room was quaint, clean, truly luxurious. Everything that mattered was there.
We had a Nespresso machine and tea making facilities.
Complimentary water, fresh squeezed juice, and milk in the fridge.
The bathroom had amazing tile (and water pressure).
High end toiletries although getting body oil instead of lotion threw me a little bit.
I liked the look, but when it came to practicality, wasn’t really crazy about the windows from the bathroom opening into the room, but that was a small thing.
The balcony was tiny but awesome! Not much of a view but interesting enough.
And when I woke up at 5 the next morning I was glad to have a place I could sit and sip tea and answer work email without disturbing my friend.
Everywhere was an attention to detail — even the foyer lighting was unique.
Each room has its own internet router so speed was quite good. The only thing we would have improved about the room would be to add a comfortable chair. There was seating, but nothing super relaxing or inviting so we wound up mostly lounging on the bed.
Another amenity for all guests was free pressing up to two pieces a day. I rarely take advantage of these services, but since the cotton dress I’d hoped to wear the next day had not traveled well, it was nice to have it return half an hour later looking much more respectable.
After relaxing in the room for a bit we went for a walk in the nearby neighborhood, returning sweaty and hot in time to check out happy hour in the downstairs restaurant. As we waited to order a bottle of wine to take back to our balcony we heard the Australian couple placing an order to be delivered to the rooftop deck. That’s when we found out not only did the hotel feature a third story roof top deck for guests, but you could order food and drinks from the restaurant and still be eligible for the 10% discount!
We’d planned to go out somewhere for dinner but the view was nice and the company was enjoyable, so we wound up picking Italian instead of Malaysian. The salads and pizza were really good and our food bill was under $20.
The next morning we went downstairs for the complimentary breakfast included in the room. After taking our coffee orders, a huge plate of fresh fruit was served, as well as a basket of tasty bread with homemade jams.
You could then opt for continental or a hot breakfast. I decided to relive my study abroad days and go for the Welsh Rarebit which didn’t look particularly impressive but was tasty.
For once we weren’t tempted to cram a bunch of siteseeing into the morning. Instead we rested and reminisced in our room. Quite honestly if this hotel was in the US, I’d be willing to make a weekend trip just to spend time there.
Check out was a bit chaotic as several of us were all vacating our rooms at the same time. So my luggage almost wound up being thoughtfully carted out to another couple’s taxi, but we got it all straightened out in the end. The highlight was finally getting to see how the luggage lift worked. 🙂
The owners were in the lobby greeting folks and there was an overall atmosphere of good nature and friendliness despite the hectic activity. If you’ll be in the Penang, I highly recommend a stay at the Campbell House!
More posts from the trip:
Checking In and Air France Lounge at IAD
Korean Airlines First Class IAD-ICN
Hyatt Regency Incheon: Great Service, Hard Beds
Accidentally Seeing Seoul Like a Native
Tight Quarters at the Park Hyatt Seoul
Worth a Hike — Bukchon Hanok Village
Checking In for a Flight from Downtown SeoulÂ
Korean Airlines First Class Lounge Incheon Airport
Korean Airlines First Class Seoul to Kuala Lumpur
You Don’t Get Massaged By a Blind Paralympic Everyday...
Great Value at the Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur
Flying Firefly Airlines from Subang to Penang
Is Penang Hill Worth It?
Tour Bust in Penang
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