If it’s your first time visiting Penang with your furry friend, then this pet-friendly hotel guide will allow you to plan the perfect trip without leaving your pets at home.
Look no further than Penang, where you and your pet can enjoy an unforgettable staycation together! With its vibrant culture, inviting beaches, and delicious street food, Penang has something for everyone, including your four-legged companion.
In this article, I will uncover the best pet-friendly hotels in Penang that are both comfortable and enjoyable during your stay. All the hotels listed are my top seven shortlisted stays. But in the end Noordin Mews stood out the most in terms of service and being welcoming to my cat in general.
Whether you’re looking for a luxury resort with top-notch amenities or a cosy boutique budget-friendly hotel nestled in the heart of the city, this guide has you covered.
Here are 7 of the best pet-friendly hotels in Penang for you to consider for the perfect staycation with your pet in Penang.
Noordin Mews
I can vouch for this incredible stay. Noordin Mews is a converted boutique heritage hotel located in George Town, also known as a UNESCO World Heritage site. One of the most interesting and unique things about Noordin Mews is that it used to be a 1920s Peranakan Shophouse.
The rooms on the ground floor were once horse stables. If you get a chance to stay in one of those rooms you’ll notice saddle hangers on each side of the room windows.
In addition to the room charges, there is an RM 28 fee per pet. The hotel also offers pet meal services. Although we did not opt for the pet meal services, we received a complimentary welcome gift. The gifts included a salmon sachet treat for Eedris. It was a nice gesture.
Find out more here!
Citadines Connect Georgetown
Just a 4-minute walk from Noordin Mews and down the same road is Citadines Connect Georgetown. Citadines Connect is a hotel apartment with beautiful colonial architecture that’s preferred by many solo travellers. But it is also a favourite pet-friendly hotel apartment with in-room amenities for your pets such as sleeping mats, pet towels and a food bowl.
Keep in mind that even though Citadines Connect is pet-friendly, there are several house rules to abide by when you bring your pets. Each guest is allowed up to a maximum of two pets and each of them has to be below 10kg and preferably a pet that is easy to carry or be held in your arms.
Given that Citadines Connect is a hotel apartment, from time to time, you may see tenants and residents around the building. If that is not a big bother to you and your furry friend, then staying at Citadines Connect for a weekend getaway or a one-week stay is just the right place for you.
After a long day of exploring Penang, you can expect to return to a lovely spacious room with considerably huge beds, modern homie interiors, a pool that you get to dip and swim in and pleasant sun loungers for you to lounge on afterwards.
Find out more here!
Citadines Prai Penang
If you are ever in Prai and are looking for a place to stay with a friend or partner and your fur babies, I highly recommend you consider this hotel apartment. Yes, this is a hotel apartment under the same Citadines hotel chain brand. This Citadines however, is recognised as a 4-star accommodation whereas the Citadines Connect in Georgetown is recognised as a 3-star accommodation.
Although the rating varies between the two, the facilities and service standards are relatively similar. At the end of the day, it all depends on what you want to do in Penang and it is a question of how close you’d like to stay near certain attractions.
Similar to Citadines Connect Georgetown, some favourite facilities that guests appreciate are the 24-hour front desk service, pet-friendly, outdoor swimming pools, fitness centres, free wifi, paid airport shuttle, family rooms and breakfast.
Find out more about Citadines Prai and book a stay here!
Ascott Gurney Penang
Ascott Gurney Penang is located in Georgetown along a scenic waterfront promenade. Gurney Drive is one of the most well-known streets in the world to visit while in Penang. It is also filled with old-world charm and the allure of iconic and historical landmarks such as the Cheong Fatt Tze, The Blue Mansion, Fort Cornwallis, Khoo Kongsi and Kapitan Keling Mosque, all of which will surely make your stay at the Ascott Gurney Penang a great experience as they are only a short 5 to 10 minutes taxi ride away.
The Ascott Gurney Penang is a part of a luxurious collection of serviced apartments and they aim to set a sophisticated standard of living for guests who stay here. One of the top qualities that guests appreciate is its top-notch comfort which helps guests feel very much at home while they are away travelling. But the top-notch comfort doesn’t just stop with guests, it also extends to guests with pets.
The pet-friendly team at Ascott Gurney Penang go out of their way to ensure the best for your pets by offering all the possible home comforts and special amenities for your pets. Their in-room pet amenities package includes sleeping mats, pet towels and a bowl for food and drinks.
The good news is If you’re a foodie, staying at the heart and bustling Georgetown won’t disappoint as it is fondly referred to as the ‘all-day hawker capital’ of Malaysia. You’ll find a plethora of multicultural cuisines which are all influenced over the centuries by the Malays, Chinese, Peranakan, Indians, Europeans and Eurasians.
Find out more here!
Kim Haus Loft
Kim Haus Loft is a great option if you are looking for an affordable stay that allows pets. On booking.com this loft boasts as the best stay for solo travellers and is rated 8.9 for a one-person stay, particularly because of where it is located. Since it is situated on Campbell Street, it’s near the Armenian Park, Pantai Telok Molek, Komtar, Wonderfood Museum, and Pinang Peranakan Mansion.
The good news is, that pets are allowed on request and there are no extra charges. Unlike the Ascott chain of hotels, there are no pet-friendly packages with special amenities, but if that’s not an issue, then Kim Haus Loft is perfect for you and your fur baby.
At RM 704 you get to stay for a week which includes a private single room with a shared bathroom and a good breakfast.
Find out more here!
Boutique Guest House
If you’re looking for a more localised experience, where you can have a place all to yourself, Boutique Guest House is the perfect choice. It’s a 2-storey heritage house situated on the quiet street of Lorong Chulia, this guest house offers a vintage style stay with a terrace and city views, which also comes equipped with a fully furnished one studio bedroom, a living room with Astro TV, WIFI, a kitchenette with a mini fridge, dining area and two bathrooms.
Are pets allowed you may ask. The answer is yes! And the best part about this guest’s house is your pets can stay with you with no extra fees. While I wasn’t able to find any fine print or disclaimers about the maximum number of pets allowed or if there are extra cleaning charges, they do appreciate you informing them in advance of your plans to bring your pets along for the stay.
Some popular points of interest near this guest house are the 1st Avenue Penang, the Rainbow Skywalk at Komtar and Penang Time Square.
Find out more here!
Heritage in Boat Ally
A quaint, friendly and comfortable hang out for you and your fur babies. This is a good alternative to the Boutique Guests House as it sits in George Town itself at Lorong Stewart.
Some of the main attractions that are close by are the Wonderfood Museum, and if you are looking for a stroll with your pets, the promenade is easily accessible.
One of the features, you’ll truly appreciate is, of course, none other than the fact that they allow pets at no extra charge. The guest house is an old building renovated into a comfortable two-bedroom apartment with comfortable vintage interiors and a hint of the Southeast Asian vibe.
Find out more here!
Tips to know before choosing the best pet-friendly hotel
Each hotel has different pet policies and restrictions
As I scoured the internet, I discovered pet policies and restrictions imposed by the hotels I’ve shortlisted above. Keep in mind that they are not all the same. Some have breed restrictions or limits on the number of pets allowed. Meanwhile other hotels may claim that their hotel is pet-friendly when it is in fact dog-friendly only. This means if you plan on bringing your pet cat or rabbit, there is a chance you may be denied.
Unfortunately, this piece of information is not exactly clear so you may need to confirm with the hotel directly and make sure they allow both pet cats, dogs, rabbits and other domestic small animals if pet-friendly is stated.
Location of the hotel
Since I’m owned by a cat, location may not be my number one priority because, my cat prefers to hang out indoors and if I bring him out, he prefers staying in his bag than walking with his harness on. But if you have a dog, then location could be important because you may want to bring your dog out for strolls or simply enjoy the outdoors.
Where possible, consider proximity to a vet clinic in case of emergencies.
Check for special amenities and services for your pets
While the last three hotels listed above allow pets with no extra charges, bear in mind that these types of accommodations don’t typically come with hotel amenities and special services and packages for pets. However, if you opt for either one of the first four in the list above, be sure to check the hotel’s fine print on the services they may have on offer. This way you can plan on what to pack for your pet. Depending on the hotel, you may find that they provide rooms with comfortable bedding, food bowls, toys and even pet-sitting services and areas designated for pets to play.
Read the reviews
This is always something I highly recommend doing. When reading the reviews, look at both the good and the bad reviews and weigh your options based on the feedback that previous guests posted. Whilst their experiences provide you with valuable insights into the hotel’s pet-friendliness and overall quality, always take their experiences with a grain of salt and make the most informed decision possible.
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