Whilst Malaysia is not really a gay friendly country, you will be tolerated as long as you are not over the top with it and into public displays of affection. A few gay friendly hotels Georgetown Penang are available to be booked online.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons in Malaysia face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Sodomy is a crime in the country, and social attitudes towards the LGBT community are shaped by Islam, the official state religion of Malaysia.
George Town is the colorful, multicultural capital of the Malaysian island of Penang. Once an important Straits of Malacca trading hub, the city is known for its British colonial buildings, Chinese shophouses and mosques. Beyond the old town, George Town is a modern city with skyscrapers and shopping malls. Verdant Penang Hill, with hiking and a funicular railway, overlooks it all.
Penang – a vibrant island well worth visiting. Penang is a wonderful holiday island with loads to see, do and experience. The guided heritage tour of Georgetown (Unesco World heritage site) is a must to truly understand the different cultures and religions that live in the town and on the island.
Top Things to Visit Georgetown Malaysia
Kapitan Keling Mosque · Kek Lok Si Temple · Khoo Kongsi · Fort Cornwallis
Georgetown / Penang Malaysia Day Tours
- Penang: Flexible 6-Hours Highlights
- Orangutan & Charcoal Factory Tour
- Penang City & Temple Tour with Penang Hill(Fast Lane) & Kek Lok Si
- Private Tour: Malacca Historical Tour With Personal Chauffeur
- Penang Full Day Tour including Penang Hill(Fast Lane) with Lunch
1. Hotel Seven Terraces 4* – Gay Friendly Hotels Penang, Georgetown Malaysia
Located in the capital city of Penang, Seven Terraces is only within a 5-minute walk to the significant Goddess of Mercy Temple and the popular Penang Peranakan Mansion.
The property is just a 10-minute walk from Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, Penang Museum and the large Chinese clan house of Khoo Kongsi. Penang International Airport is a convenient 30-minute drive away.
Featuring a balcony, spacious air-conditioned rooms are equipped with an electric kettle, a personal safe, ironing facilities and a flat-screen TV. Private bathrooms come with a hairdryer, shower facilities and complimentary bath amenities.
Seven Terraces is a grand row of seven C19th Anglo Chinese terraces. The hotel is situated in one of Penang’s finest and most intact heritage streets which is in the very heart of the World Heritage Site and next door to the 1810 Goddess of Mercy Temple with just a few minutes walk from all the major icons. It successfully captures and celebrates the spirit of this world heritage town and its unique Peranakan culture.
Gorgeous historic building filled with antiques and very well maintained. Great location in the centre of Georgetown and lovely attentive staff. Have stayed at some other colonial hotels in Penang on previous trips but Seven Terraces has a real charm about it.
We stayed at this architectural and historical gem for three nights and thoroughly enjoyed the unique setting and appointment of the rooms. I’m sure each room and suite is unique – ours certainly was. The Stewart Apartment 2 has a spiral staircase leading to a separate sleeping area upstairs. But that’s after experiencing a beautiful and historically directed downstairs replete with a comfortable living room and separate bedroom.
All of the beds were very comfortable. And the hotel’s lounge and breakfast areas were just as exquisite. The service excellent – attentive but not overbearing. And in a terrific location in the heart of Georgetown making it easy to tour the town. The restaurant is superb.
The room was great, spacious, beautifully furnished and a very pleasant space to be in. The hotel is perfectly located in historic Georgetown, the breakfasts are delicious, and the outdoor pool is a perfect place to cool off after spending a day exploring Georgetown. The best thing about the hotel though, is the great welcoming staff there.
This hotel is remarkably restored and has such unique character throughout – its an absolute gem of a place situated in the heart of Georgetown with easy access to all the sites. Most importantly, it’s a place of calm and tranquility amongst the hustle and bustle outside!
The rooms were beautiful and we loved the lay out, large bathrooms, four poster beds and historical decor.
The facilities are excellent – the afternoon tea by the poolside from 4-5pm is a nice treat.
We also dined in the hotel restaurant and although it’s considerably pricier than other restaurants nearby, it’s totally worth it (and only comes out at £25 for 4 courses!) highly recommend.
Overall, this place gets top marks for excellent service – the staff go above and beyond to make you feel welcome.
Location – Awesome location; it is within walking distance to anywhere in the historic section of Georgetown. You can even walk to Komtar (it will be about 15 mins) but you need to get used to the weather in Malaysia – hot and humid. Very easy to call for grab/uber.
Room – Nicely done. They are furnished with Peranakan furniture. Not the modern contemporary type of design, but more old world charm – you get the sense that you are staying in a rich Baba’s house. Rooms are spacious – the rooms have two levels and I am not sure if the hotel allows for this (or whether they will charge extra). However, since this is a rather new hotel, there should have been USB friendly receptacles by the bed (easier to charge cell phones)
Bathroom – Clean and spacious. However, we had a hard time figuring out how to switch off the lights at the sink. Additionally, the location of the tap for the shower is a bit off – you need to step out of the shower to turn the shower on or to adjust the water’s temperature. I am sure maybe its an atas design but its not practical.
Breakfast – Awesome. It’s ala carte and I had the french toast which is done really well.
How much does a room costs at Seven Terraces Georgetown?
Prices start 142 $/night for Terrace Duplex Suite. The Argus Apartment is 283$/room per night with breakfast included – if coming on a honeymoon this is the perfect choice for gay couples.
This apartment has a balcony, seating area and cable TV.
Where to book online – Seven Terraces – Gay Friendly Hotels Georgetown Penang– you can find the best hotels deals in Penang during Penang Orchid Show which is celebrated with much enthusiasm in Georgetown on Booking.com or Trip.com and see more reviews on TripAdvisor.
2. EN Penang Georgetown by Shangri-La 4* – Gay Friendly Hotels Georgetown
JEN Penang Georgetown by Shangri-La is located in the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Georgetown, next to the KOMTAR building, 1st Avenue Shopping Mall and Prangin Mall. It offers an outdoor swimming pool and guests can enjoy meals at the in-house restaurant or have a drink at the bar. Free WiFi is available throughout the property.
It is 500 m to 5D Interactive World, while Upside Down Museum and Dark Mansion – 3D Glow In The Dark Museum are within 600 m of the property. Penang International Airport is 17.8 km away.
Rooms and suites at JEN Penang Georgetown by Shangri-La feature modern Malaysian décor. Large bay windows provide views of the city. Each room is equipped with a cable TV and safety deposit box.
JEN Penang Georgetown by Shangri-La, centrally located in the heart of Penang’s vibrant and bustling George Town, is situated within walking distance to the UNESCO World Heritage Site, as well as prime commercial and business areas and shopping malls. Enjoy your stay in George Town.
Have a leisurely stroll to over 20 exciting street arts and satisfy your cravings for must-eat famous street hawker food in Penang. Enjoy direct access to the main public transportation options such as the Central Area Transit (CAT shuttle buses), taxis or trishaws with only a few steps from my hotel. My newly redesigned rooms and suites feature distinct highlights of Penang blended with contemporary touches offering comfortable rooms to business and leisure travelers alike Stay with me and enjoy fuss-free simple pleasures – fast WiFi, 24-hour gym, and much more.
This is an ideal centrally located base for seeing the sites and getting around. Just round the corner from the hotel a free bus service runs which takes in the dock area and other places of interest.
Having been taken over by the Shangri-La group and refurbished, the hotel has a really good, clean feel to it from when one first walks in, all the way to the rooms. For the price one pays per night, it is a very good hotel and the location is really good too, it can be considered right smack in the centre of Penang Island city centre.
Location was not as central as perhaps some of the tourist attractions. I would say it was a 15-20 minute walk or if not, a 5-15 minute car ride to various tourist destinations. The plus side was that it was close to Hin Bus Depot (cool arts and events space).
Rooms were really quiet and soundproof! We weren’t even able to hear the neighbours except for then they were in the corridors. The bathroom I have to say can be a little stuffy because there isn’t much ventilation. After a hot shower, the entire room tends to steam up pretty quick.
In terms of service, the reception was attentive albeit a little slow when doing things sometimes. The housekeeping service was really good because they made sure to tidy up our rooms properly and even returned our apple cable when we left it in the room after check-out.
We chose a Club Floor room with access to the Club Lounge also on the 16 th Floor. The room was clean, spacious and spunky in outlook with a wide enough luggage rack for both our suitcases. This shows thought was given to this aspect. Many hotels fail in this regard. There was even an extra lounge chair and a chair near the table.
The bed was a huge king sized one and extremely comfortable too. The pillows were soft and comfy and we both had 2 nights of restful sleep. The room was also quite sound proof from the………… street noises below. The toilet too was clean and well maintained with sufficient toiletries for our use.
The Club Lounge which we visited on both nights offered different levels of service. It did seem under staffed when compared to the ones at Renaissance Johor Bahru and the JW Marriott in Medan, Indonesia.
The room itself was relatively spacious with a nice lounger and study table. The usual amenities like bath robes (rolled up in a bag instead of hung in the cupboard), slippers, hairdryer, iron, bar fridge, complimentary bottles of water, and toiletries such as toothbrush and tooth paste, conditioner, shampoo, lotion, body wash, shower cap, soap and cotton buds/pads.
TV Channels were a mix of local and international news, and Vision Four. One the first day we could use the Netflix function but it didn’t work after that. But that’s fine.
The bed was comfortable.
The aircon was pretty strong but if you turned it off it got pretty stuffy. It was hard to turn it down to a comfortable temperature.
We had access to the Club Lounge so we had breakfast there a couple of times. The breakfast spread was understandably smaller than the lobby café ones, which is fine. You could still get your eggs made to order, or even the nasi lemak (national dish of coconut rice with spicy jam, egg, anchovies) and the Milo machine was great. Do try to go downstairs to sample the wider spread at some point as you will get roti prata, dhal and more.
How much does a room costs at JEN Penang Georgetown by Shangri-La?
Prices start 88 $/night for Deluxe King Room. The One-Bedroom Apartment is 140$/room per night with breakfast included – if coming on a honeymoon this is the perfect choice for gay couples.
This contemporary-style air-conditioned one-bedroom apartment features panoramic views of historic George Town. The seating area is fitted with a flat-screen satellite TV, a sofa and a working desk. The en suite bathroom includes shower facilities, a hairdryer and free toiletries.
Where to book online – JEN Penang Georgetown by Shangri-La – Gay Friendly Hotels Georgetown Penang– you can find the best hotels deals in Penang during Penang Orchid Show which is celebrated with much enthusiasm in Georgetown on Booking.com or Trip.com and see more reviews on TripAdvisor.
3. Reunion Carnarvon Penang 3* – Gay Friendly Hotels Georgetown Malaysia
Situated in George Town, within 1 km of 1st Avenue Penang and 1.1 km of Wonderfood Museum, Reunion Carnarvon features accommodation with a garden and free WiFi throughout the property as well as free private parking for guests who drive. Boasting family rooms, this property also provides guests with a terrace. The property is allergy-free and is set 1.4 km from Rainbow Skywalk at Komtar.
All rooms are fitted with air conditioning, a flat-screen TV with satellite channels, a kettle, a bidet, a hairdryer and a desk. At the hotel rooms are equipped with a wardrobe and a private bathroom.
Reunion Carnarvon offers 3-star accommodation with a sauna.
Location is unbeatable – there’s stuff to see, do and eat in every direction radiating from this hotel. Most downtown attractions are within walking distance.
This is a new hotel with an industrial design. Check-in is exactly at 3pm because they simply aren’t ready before that… I think there only have one cleanser for the whole property? Some reviewers commented on renovation noise but we stayed on the first floor and didn’t hear anything on construction in the day. There are USB ports on bedsides for you to charge your phones overnight. There is also a ceiling fan to augment the air-conditioning, which itself was very strong. In-room fridge is strong. Two large bottles of water are provided daily.
The hotel stay was very pleasant and comfortable. The staff was very polite and helpful, room look very nice ,clean and look very wonderful, If we were to travel to Penang again, we would definitely stay in reunion carnarvon again.
1) I love the aesthetic vibe brought into the room and bathroom.
! 2) Room was spacious! The beds too! 3) Staffs were friendly and efficient with communicating 4) They have their own car park which is a plus point! ?! I love my stay at Reunion Carnarvon and will look forward to stay for another time!
How much does a room costs at Reunion Carnarvon?
Prices start 32 $/night for Deluxe Courtyard. The Queen Room with Garden View 39$/room per night with breakfast included – if coming on a honeymoon this is the perfect choice for gay couples.
This double room has air conditioning, flat-screen TV and electric kettle.
Where to book online – Reunion Carnarvon – Gay Friendly Hotels Georgetown Penang – you can find the best hotels deals in Penang during Penang Orchid Show which is celebrated with much enthusiasm in Georgetown on Booking.com or Trip.com and see more reviews on TripAdvisor.
4. Campbell House Georgetown 4* – Gay Friendly Hotels Georgetown Penang
Campbell House is conveniently located a 5-minute drive from Penang Museum and is surrounded by a variety of local shopping and eating options. It provides beautifully designed rooms with a seating area and free Wi-Fi.
The spacious rooms are all air conditioned and equipped with a flat-screen cable TV, a laptop safe and an iPod docking station. They also have a minibar, ironing facilities and modern bathroom facilities.
The Campbell House is located about 17 km from Bayan Lepas International Airport and a 10-minute drive from Gurney Drive. Parking is available on site.
IL Bacaro Restaurant serves Italian dishes. Meals can also be enjoyed in the privacy of guests’ rooms. There is also a bar on site.
Campbell House is a wonderful 12 bedroom boutique hotel with Italian restaurant located in the heart of heritage Georgetown. A stunning and unique 3 story corner shop house circa 1903 that has been extensively and lovingly restored offering today’s modern traveler a luxurious home away from home. Campbell House has plenty of charm, and personal touches, modern amenities mixed with classic Colonial style at affordable prices.
Perfectly located in the hustle of Chinatown, minutes from some of the best street food, and walking distance to historical museums, and fabulous street art. Campbell House offers an oasis of calm in this wonderful UNESCO world heritage city, come and explore Georgetown and Penang with us, we look forward to welcome you!
The old house has been beautifully restored, comfortable whilst losing none of its heritage charm. I loved the pulley they used to get our cases up the stairs! Good coffee machine and range of teas in the room, Delicious juice in the fridge and they even put a cake in the fridge each day. The beds and linen were fantastically comfortable and very nice L’Occitane products in the bathroom. Lovely roof terrace where you can chill out.
Breakfast was substantial and cooked to order, with delicious fresh fruit. Lucca was very friendly and attentive. Location is just perfect and right in the centre and everything you want to see is within walking distance. The Italian restaurant was very good and made a change from eating Penang’s legendary street food. This is one of the best and friendliest hotels I have ever stayed in.
Room was great!! Simply loved the colourful glass window, the 4-claw bath tub and spacious bathroom. Toiletries are full-sized bottles to reduce single-use plastic bottles…which is a really great go-green move!!
The restaurant on street level is where you have your welcome drinks and daily breakfast. Choices of breakfast was good enough for us (we don’t like run of the mill buffet style anyway). So this a-la-carte breakfast style was good for us, served with gourmet coffee of your choice too.
Campbell House style of boutique hotel is more for couples. Instead, Campbell House offers their guests, tranquility, peace, relaxed atmosphere and an almost at-home feeling after you walk on the Penang streets after streets, a whole day under the hot sun.
Location is a huge big plus too, with all the nice eating places within easy walking distance.
Breakfast was included with our room rate and found the offerings to be substantial. To start off, you’re greeted with a plate of fresh fruit, coffee or tea, yogurt and/or a breadbasket, and freshly pressed juice. This is all refillable. For the main course, you can choose anything from scrambled eggs to a Full Monty (eggs, lamb sausage, bread, and grilled tomato). We enjoyed breakfast every day. The drawback is that there is only one gluten-free item on the menu and strictly western breakfast items only (no Malaysian offerings). Service in the restaurant was decent…hardly comparable to the excellent service in the hotel.
Our room was gorgeous and just as beautiful as the photos. Located on the third floor, and accessible only via a staircase (no lift), we climbed the wooden staircase and got our workout in daily. The staircase has sandpaper grips to prevent slippage but we found it slippery especially on the turns right before and after each flight of stairs.
Regarding the room: we loved everything from the old wood floors and the period tiles to the vaulted ceilings and super comfy pillows. The stained glass windows were just gorgeous. The fresh ice tea and pitcher of water were replenished daily and a slice of some different flavored cake stocked nightly in the fridge.
The room was well appointed, with all the essentials available. We also loved the soft water in the bathroom and the no shoe policy—which meant that the hotel was even cleaner than usual. Generally, the bathrooms, rooms, and facilities were all very clean. The terrace was located just beside our room and found it to be usually unoccupied. During occupancy, it was only momentarily noisier than usual. Otherwise, we didn’t find the noise to be an issue—and we can be rather fussy guests.
The service provided by the hotel staff was impressive. Everyone was kind, welcoming, friendly, and helpful.
How much does a room costs at Campbell House Penang?
Prices start 118 $/night for Deluxe Double Room. The Duplex Suite is 130$/room per night with breakfast included – if coming on a honeymoon this is the perfect choice for gay couples.
This duplex suite features a separate seating area, an en suite bathroom and a galleried bedroom, which is accessible via a handmade wooden staircase.
Where to book online – Campbell House – Gay Friendly Hotels Penang Georgetown – you can find the best hotels deals in Penang during Penang Orchid Show which is celebrated with much enthusiasm in Georgetown on Booking.com or Trip.com and see more reviews on TripAdvisor.
5. Eastern & Oriental Hotel 5* – Gay Friendly Hotels Georgetown Malaysia
Located in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Georgetown, Eastern & Oriental Hotel offer 19th century heritage accommodations in Penang. It features an outdoor swimming pool and guests can enjoy meals at the in-house restaurant or have a drink at the bar. Offering a 24-hour butler service, free WiFi is available throughout the property.
Eastern & Oriental Hotel is 3.3 km from popular Gurney Drive, where Gurney Plaza and Gurney Paragon offer shopping options. It is 700 m to Penang State Museum and Art Gallery and 850 m to Penang 2D Trick Art Museum, while Fort Cornwallis is 1.2 km away. It is 20 km from Penang International Airport.
Featuring classic wood furnishings and floral prints, spacious colonial-style suites come with ample lounge and work areas. They come with a safe, cable TV and large bathrooms with a claw-foot bathtub. Complimentary newspapers are delivered daily.
The Eastern & Oriental Hotel is the embodiment of both a special time and a special place. For well over a century, this remarkable hotel – known simply as ‘The E&O’ to generations of travellers – has stood as a testament to the grand elegance of the British colonial era. In many ways, it has also come to represent Penang itself; its story inextricably woven into the island’s history, its traditions an indelible part of many a traveller’s treasured memory, its name synonymous with the magical island once known as The Pearl Of the Orient.
The building itself is very impressive and the entire decor inside this building has a very rustic colonial feel which reminds me of the 50s and 60s building. The hotel is very well maintained despite its age and every single item works perfectly well. There are only suites in the hotel and the suites are very spacious! There is a living room, large bathroom with a bathtub, separate shower and toilet and his and hers basin.
The common areas are well kept and clean and you will feel more like at home than in a hotel as everyone from the doorman, waiters and waitress to house keeping staffs are very friendly. Since this is now the RMCO period, breakfast will be on a la carte with a few selections. No complains as the food are great and tasty and I think I have gain a few extra pounds now! Loved the egg benedict with salmon! The pool was very nice spot for a good tan and relaxing, with the constant sounds of the ocean waves hitting the rocks. Hotel wasn’t very crowded during my stay which made it even more perfect. Kudos to all the friendly staffs there for a magnificent 6 star service.
The hotel itself really is a sight to behold and impeccably maintained. Sweeping corridors, stately function rooms, perfectly positioned plants that draw your attention to even more perfectly positioned seating areas throughout the entire property.
In terms of services and amenities – this hotel is effectively a mini resort. Two pools (a high level infinity pool in the Victory Annexe with uninterrupted views of the Andaman Sea, and the more intimate and exclusive smaller ground level pool in the Heritage Wing, reserved solely for Heritage Guests – we loved the latter), three restaurants including a fine dining experience at ‘Java Tree’, lounge and a bar. And oh, that bar – Farquhar’s Bar. This place oozes class with dim mood lighting, rich leather seats, deep indigo walls, and stately accents such as classically styled rugs, lamp style wall lights, and dark wood tables.
Room : we stay in the heritage wing .
The room is Spacious with a living room , bedroom and bathroom and with sea view. The room design was superb with colonial style, eg the claw foot design bathtub, the switch , the table lamp. Even their amenities toothbrush n comb is design with woods. And shampoo body wash from their PanPuri spa.
The housekeeping came in the evening for the turndown service and clean up our room again. They were very attentive, as notice the spoiled coffee filter and change a new one for usage.
Breakfast :
In Palm court, continental style. The restaurant follow proper sop with social spacing . Thus the table are limited, and advisable to go early. The services although is good and friendly, but seem slow, not sure it’s due to the understaffed or the sudden change of buffet style to continental.
How much does a room costs at Eastern & Oriental Hotel?
Prices start 133 $/night for Studio – Victory Annexe. The Writers Suite is 357$/room per night with breakfast included – if coming on a honeymoon this is the perfect choice for gay couples.
This luxurious air-conditioned has a separate seating area fitted with a cable TV and a desk. The dining area is equipped with a bar. The spacious en suite bathroom includes a bathtub, shower facilities, twin vanities and free toiletries. Ironing facilities are available.
Inclusions: – Butler service on request only – Complimentary minibar with selected Beverages (replenished once daily) – Complimentary evening amenities in-suite – Complimentary daily seasonal fruits – Evening canapes and cocktails in The Cornwallis – Exclusive use of the Heritage Wing pool – Early check in and late check out (subject to availability) – Complimentary laundry and pressing service (3 pieces per stay) – Choice of local newspaper – 2 hour boardroom usage (subject to availability)
Where to book online – Eastern & Oriental Hotel – Gay Friendly Hotels Penang Georgetown – you can find the best hotels deals in Penang during Penang Orchid Show which is celebrated with much enthusiasm in Georgetown on Booking.com or Trip.com and see more reviews on TripAdvisor.
