Ascott Gurney Penang — Hotel in George Town

I can say that the rooms at this hotel are nice and big, pristinely clean and there are several options of pillows available on request.

However, for a hotel in this high price range I was very disappointed in how little thought went into service, services and the facilities.

Edit: the hotel also overcharged me for tourist tax. They asked for 20 ringit for two nights I just checked in to my new hotel where I will stay for 4 nights and they told me it's 6 ringit per night.

The gym is tiny and directly in front of the pool. The upstairs bar is just a glass room with almost no seating and while they will bring you drinks and food to the table or sunbed, there isn't anyone servicing that area so you have to go inside the cold room to order (not ideal if you are wet from swimming). I wasn't allowed to put my orders on my room bill and was told that's because I didn't pay a deposit. But I wasn't asked about that option at check in.

Secondly, and honestly the hotel can be happy I didn't give them one star only for this: I ordered a chicken katsu burger at the pool. It took very long to arrive but after eating half of it, I noticed the chicken wasn't cooked through. It was very obviously raw on the inside! I then told the lady at the bar and she just dismissed it as being marinated meat and therefore pink. But the consistency of raw chicken is very different from cooked chicken and it was clearly not cooked. She didn't offer me a new burger or even to comp the food or anything at all, not even an apology. And one day later I had massive stomach problems and diarrhea as is to be expected after eating raw chicken!!! Absolutely terrible service and food quality in my view.

Then also the downstairs bar is just in the lobby. Why would you want to have drinks in the lobby where children run around. At least put walls around it?

And lastly, it's a luxury hotel and there seemed not a single customer service available except for room service and those pillows. Ah yes and a genius water filter in the kitchenette so you could have endless drinking water. But a simple request for like a tourist map, some advice or car or bike rentals was all too much to ask. Guys even hostels and two to three star hotels have partnerships with rental agents! I would expect that level of service for a hotel that charges more than 50$ per night and especially one that markets themselves as luxury hotels. But then I would also expect a bar not just be one side of the lobby in...

My partner and I checked in on October 19th in the afternoon, and we were assigned to Room 3303. Upon arrival, everything seemed fine and we were initially satisfied with the room’s condition. However, our experience took a distressing turn later that night.

After midnight, the television began turning on by itself repeatedly every 20–30 minutes. The first time, we simply turned it off, assuming it was a one-time glitch. When it happened again, we grew uneasy, but tried to remain calm and went back to sleep. By the third time, both of us were frightened and decided to call for assistance.

We immediately contacted room service/front desk, and were told that a technician or maintenance staff would be sent to our room right away. However, after waiting for 30–40 minutes, no one showed up, and the television switched on yet again. At that point, we felt extremely uncomfortable and unsafe, so we packed our belongings and left the room immediately.

We went down to the front desk around 2:30 a.m. to check out. Although it was clearly unusual for guests to leave in the middle of the night, the staff at the counter showed no concern or empathy, even after we explained the situation in detail.

Since our booking included breakfast, we requested a refund for the breakfast portion, as we were checking out early and would not be dining. Unfortunately, the staff informed us that the breakfast could be packed or taken away, but no refund would be provided. Given the distress and inconvenience we experienced, this response felt dismissive and unsatisfactory.

This stay was meant to be a birthday trip for my bf, but the entire experience was ruined.

It was clear that our situation was not taken seriously at all. Checking out in the middle of the night is certainly unusual, yet the staff treated it as if it were a normal occurrence. Not a single person asked if we were alright or offered assistance in arranging another room. The entire response was cold, dismissive, and unprofessional—especially for a property under the Ascott brand, where guests expect care and attentiveness.

Due to the situation and lack of assistance, we had no choice but to leave and check into a nearby Marriot hotel in the middle of the night. We lost sleep, peace of mind, and confidence in the service standards of the property. It was particularly disheartening that our loyalty as returning guests was met with such...

Stayed one night for vacation.

Decent room but away from main touristy spots. Traffic can be heavy during rush hours.

I left only one star mainly for the gross rude service.

I called previously if I could have a late check out and was informed all room were fully booked so my request could not be fulfilled (as a background information). After checking out, I believe I have left a personal item in the room and emailed & called to enquire. I was told the room service had not been completed and they would inform me IF they have found anything. I accepted the answer and waited - till 6pm.

And I called again later the EVENING. 1. as I was told all rooms were booked after my stay, it is only reasonable to conclude all rooms were to be cleaned by the check-in time next day and 2. I have already called and inquired about a lost item. I am not a Karen or expecting hotel staff to rush out to help me find my stuff the second I called, but I also think it’s normal to expect they would register my enquiry and ask house keeping team to take a look when cleaning (something I assumed would happen daily).

I got an authoritative scolding on calling again and I should just wait for them to reply my email. At 6pm - I was told the cleaning was not finished yet so I could not get a yes or no. Confused, I proceeded and asked why it is not done in the evening after 1. I was told someone is checking in that night and 2. I told them I might have left something there and appreciate it if they could check the room. Then I was told I got the wrong person and I should directly ask the house cleaning team.

I actually paused a second after she said that because I thought she would transfer my call to the house cleaning team. Then I realized she was only simply giving me a cold shoulder. Oh yes - how rude of me to assume a front desk number should be a portal to communicate with a hotel?

As of the time of this review - my email is still dangling in the air (and of course no confirming that they had seen my email and would reply). It may be a yes or no, or I will never know. I have travelled most of the world staying at both expensive and cheap hotels, including the Ascott series in other countries. This is some rudeness I have never had...