Flamingo Hotel By The Beach,Penang — Hotel in George Town

Check in 7/6/2022 Check out 9/6/2022

Late review

OVERALL MY KIDS WERE VERY HAPPY, THAT IS WHAT MATTER MOST, AND WE WILL DEFINITELY COME BACK.

LIKES: Check in, waited about 30-40mins, but oklah, maybe need to standby more Front desk personnel during check-in time. Bell guy (sorry forgot his name, night shift) was very helpful. Parking quite limited but oklah. Requested extra floor mats from housekeeping via room call, kena saying something like, "WE NOW MANY FULLY BOOK, NO EXTRA" alamak takut kejap haha, I apologize and said ok understand TQ. Later, at the front desk, met Mr Vincent Ng, who was very helpful, kind, informative & friendly. I requested for a broom, (kids got back from beach, sand everywhere) as I do not want t bother the housekeeping crew since its already 7pm. Anyhow, he told me after dinner come back to FD to collect fresh floor met from him. The room was nice, facing the seaside. AC working well, needed time to cool off the room but at night was better, colder. Beach sand was really nice, many nice seashells, swimming pool was nice, (tho many visitors not following the no TSHIRT rules, only swimwear allowed) We did not have breakfast but did order room service, the spaghetti bolognaise was nice (took about 40mins, maybe kitchen bz haha) Mini bar function was ok.. hairdryer also ok.

Disliked · I just have few suggestions Since your room comes with balcony, maybe the mgmt can consider putting out an extra floor mat inside near sliding door, so can wipe off dirt from the balcony floor. Toilet door need some TLC, at the bottom part, mgmt can consider investing a type of stainless steel plate or something at the bottom part of the door so the water from shower doesn't cause more damage that it is (wood rotting out) was really unpleasant to look at ... haha (its better than changing the whole door, the top part all good condition) At the showering area, maybe can install the corner rack / holder, for your guest to put their shower gel/shampoo bottles inside showering area, not on the floor while showering, if not have to go back and forth wet the whole toilet floor (hence needing the extra floor met). I do think the mgmt need to get NEW mattresses. The one I was sleeping on was errr, really bouncy. I not sure if the beach area can be clean or maintain by the Flamingo Mgmt, but even so, I think the mgmt should consider help to clean the beach area every once a while. I understand the rubbish thrown by people visiting or come from the sea, still I think your team can do some cleaning, as there were broken beer bottles, can drinks, plastic bags and rubbish (not a lot but its there) Maybe can provide some...

Pros:

Parking available on-site.

Pool accessibility for guests.

Breakfast and lunch buffet spread offered.

Less than 5 minutes’ walk to the beach.

Rooms with beach view can be nice.

Cons:

Rooms and facilities are outdated, giving an ’80s–’90s feel.

Old TV with no modern streaming options (YouTube/Netflix).

Bathrooms look worn out; sinks not clean and floors sticky even after housekeeping.

Corridors and lift area are dark with poor lighting, giving a creepy atmosphere.

Overall maintenance feels neglected compared to how the hotel was 10–15 years ago.

For RM300 per night, better options are available in Penang.

Overall: The stay felt below average and only worth it if you want quick beach access. Otherwise, the lack of upgrades and poor upkeep make it a one-time visit at best.

Flamingo Hotel by the Beach, Penang, is an old-school property that dates back to the early 90s. I have fond memories of attending school dinners here back in the day, which made me want to revisit for a short getaway.

Unfortunately, the hotel shows clear signs of aging and lack of maintenance. The corridors are dimly lit, with several lights not functioning, and the lift area feels gloomy with only a single small ceiling light — giving off a rather unsettling vibe. The rooms are still furnished with old-style décor and equipment, with no upgrades to suit modern expectations. The bathroom is also poorly designed: the floor is extremely slippery, there is no shelf in the shower to place toiletries, and no towel rack or hanging string provided.

On a positive note, the location is right by the beach, and waking up to the sound of waves and sea breeze, along with a sunrise view, is truly refreshing. The breakfast buffet is hearty, offering a decent spread from local Malaysian dishes to simple Western options, which was a pleasant way to start the day.

Overall, this hotel may appeal to those seeking nostalgia or a basic beachfront stay, but it feels outdated for the price point. It was fine for a one-time visit, but I wouldn’t recommend it for anyone expecting modern comfort...

Pro-tip to fellow future occupants: ✅ If you order food via grab, remember to request for cutlery because the hotel cannot provide any. We asked but request was rejected. I had to improvise with the 2 tiny teaspoon in the room to eat my noodles. ✅ Go to the nearest convenient store (Familymart is just walking distance) to get drinking water. The hotel charges RM5 for 2 bottles of 500ml water. You can get 1.5l bottle with change for ice cream in Familymart. Not sure if they replenish during daily housekeeping but was told that it would cost that much when we tried requesting for some. We didn’t need/have the daily housekeeping coming in throughout our 3 nights stay. ✅ There’s a beach side bar in the hotel next door.

Staff: Friendly and polite.

Location: Easy to locate the hotel and right next to the beach.

Room: Sea facing room. It is huge. Aircon works very well. The balcony is absolutely great for just chilling at anytime of the day (even if it’s raining and don’t mind getting wet 🤣). Bed is big and comfy. No bathtub. Water pressure is good but temperature is dependent on the volume of occupancy. It was mostly warm during our stay because it was a busy weekend. My only suggest is to have those refillable bottles for the shampoo and body wash. Or at least a space in the shower to put toiletries. My bottles had no where to go 🥲

Food: Decent breakfast buffet spread. I like that they have a system where we would know whether the table is occupied or not. We can comfortably leave the table unattended without worry. The coffee pot (not the machine dispenser one) can do with some improvement.

Facilities: Pool looks nice with a poolside bar. Cleaned daily. The gym was a little adventure to locate. The stairs heading up is in the cafe. The equipments is a little dated but its good enough to get in the daily adrenaline. Ample parking space. Was surprised to discover that they had a 2 basement floors...