Southeast Asia Trip Report

This article is part of a larger Trip Report on Southeast Asia, where you can learn about flights, lounges and hotels within this route.

All information about the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card has been collected independently by 10xTravel.

I spent three nights at the DoubleTree Resort on the Malaysian island of Penang in February 2023, as part of a longer trip to Southeast Asia. Although the property has some shortcomings, it’s worth considering under certain circumstances.

I returned to the hotel in early 2024 for three nights and updated the review to include information about the one-bedroom suite and other key changes.

Overview of DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Penang

Hilton classifies this 11-floor, over 300-room and suite property as a resort, and the DoubleTree has some resort features and is located across the road from a small beach named “Miami Beach.” While the DoubleTree’s address references “Batu Ferringhi,” the hotel is about two miles away. Additionally, the DoubleTree lacks the expansive grounds and some amenities that I usually associate with a beach resort.

DoubleTree Penang Resort

DoubleTree Penang Resort | Photo courtesy of Hilton

I observed individuals, couples, families and groups attending meetings at the property. Compared to the Alila hotel I stayed at in Kuala Lumpur before staying at the DoubleTree, there was much more of a family focus at the DoubleTree, with several amenities geared towards children. The hotel also is suitable for adults seeking a less busy area. It’s not a good place for those seeking nightlife or city activities because the hotel is several miles from George Town and other livelier areas.

How I Booked DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Penang

I have the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card, which includes a resort credit, provided as a statement credit, that can be used at selected properties to cover room rates and taxes, food and beverage charges and other incidental expenses. Since the DoubleTree in Penang is a participating resort, I booked a cash rate so I would be eligible for the credit.

Regarding money, I’m mostly noting U.S. dollar amounts, but the Malaysian Ringgit (symbol: RM; currency code: MYR) is the currency used in Malaysia. Its value fluctuates against the U.S. dollar. At the time of my trip, the conversion rate was around 4.4 RM to $1 U.S.

The total bill — including room rate, taxes and service charges and a sandwich purchased at the hotel — was about $195 for three nights and was fully covered by the resort credit. I booked a standard king bedroom at a refundable rate about seven months in advance and revised my reservation a couple of weeks before my stay when prices decreased. The nightly room rate including taxes and fees was about $64.

Even if you don’t have a resort credit to use at the DoubleTree, paying cash rates might be the best option. Booking with points didn’t provide good value for my travel dates, and looking at rates for the same time next year, the situation is similar.

Hilton no longer has hotel categories, and award pricing is highly variable. Hilton differentiates awards for standard rooms and premium rooms. Standard awards usually are for base rooms, and at the DoubleTree Penang, this seems to be two twin or one king bedrooms without a balcony or sea view.

Let’s consider cash or points for a stay in February 2024. At the time of writing, Hilton didn’t show any standard room award availability for any dates between mid-December 2023 and the end of May 2024. For February, the lowest premium room award rates were 24,000 to 44,000 points per night, depending on the date.

Use points and money

Since award rates are refundable up to the cancelation deadline, we’ll compare them to cash rates for the same room type and cancelation policy. Looking at a one-night stay in a king balcony room on February 21:

  • The award rate is 27,000 Hilton points.
  • The cash rate is approximately $75 + 10% service charge + 6% tax + 3 RM government fee per night or $88.50.
Select a rate

Dividing the cash cost — including taxes and fees which aren’t shown above — by the points rate provides a cent per point (cpp) value. In this case, the redemption value is about 0.33 cpp. I typically don’t use Hilton points at less than 0.5 cpp, so I wouldn’t redeem points in this scenario.

If booking with points is a good option for your situation, it’s easy to obtain Hilton points by:

  • Spending money or getting welcome bonuses from co-branded credit cards, which include:
    • Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
    • Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card
    • Hilton Honors American Express Card
    • The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card
  • Earning points through Hilton stays or partner earning opportunities
  • Buying points through Hilton during periodic sales with a 100% bonus, resulting in a net cost of 0.5 cent per point
  • Transferring American Express Membership Rewards points to Hilton, which usually isn’t advisable given the relative value of Hilton and Membership Rewards points and the normal 1:2 transfer ratio

With Hilton Honors elite status, booking directly through Hilton is preferable to booking through third-party booking sites — including bank travel portals — because third party bookings usually don’t provide status benefits. If you want to minimize out-of-pocket costs and still receive elite benefits, you could book directly through Hilton and pay with a credit card such as the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card that allows you to redeem points to erase travel charges.

DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Penang Location

The DoubleTree is located on the main road that runs along the coast of Penang Island. The hotel is across the street from Miami Beach, which is a small beach with one casual bar and restaurant. There’s a bus stop in front of the hotel, so staying here without a car or using taxis or ride services is feasible. But, there’s not much near the DoubleTree for tourists.

Even for people who don’t mind walking longer distances, it’s a little challenging to walk from the DoubleTree. The area near the hotel doesn’t have continuous sidewalks, so pedestrians sometimes have to share the road with vehicles.

For people who stay at the property with a car, the hotel charges for parking. At the time of writing, the daily fees for self-parking or valet parking were just over $1 or $6 respectively.

Approximate driving distances from the hotel to some key areas of interest for tourists are:

  • Batu Ferringhi beach: 2.2 miles
  • Straits Quay: 4.2 miles
  • Central George Town: 8.3 miles
  • Penang airport: 17 to 19 miles depending on route

Whether the DoubleTree’s location is good or bad depends on your perspective. I think the location is poor for travelers who want to have quick access to dining, nightlife and tourist attractions. On the other hand, I think the location is good for people who primarily spend time at the resort or nearby beaches, have a car and prefer being away from crowds and noise.

I’m glad I split my stay in Penang between the DoubleTree and an Airbnb located between Straits Quay and George Town in the Tanjung Tokong area. I organized my activities to minimize the location impact. On days I was at the DoubleTree, I visited Batu Ferringhi beach, which is west of the hotel, and places between the hotel and Straits Quay to the east. Once I switched locations, I spent time around Gurney Drive and in George Town.

As detailed below, I took a luxury bus from Kuala Lumpur to Penang Island and took two buses from the Queensbay Mall to the DoubleTree.

Best Parts of DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Penang

I was happy with the value and benefits I received as a Hilton Honors Diamond member and Hilton Honors American Express Aspire credit cardholder. The resort credit covered the cost of my stay. I received a complimentary upgrade to a sea-view room with a balcony. I also received complimentary daily breakfast — an extensive buffet at the main restaurant — and happy hour beverages and canapes.

Staff working at the front desk, the Axis Lounge and the Food Store were friendly and helpful. The front desk staff was efficient with check-in and checkout and accommodated my requests to exchange larger bills for smaller bills and coins since Penang buses don’t provide change. They also helped print some documentation I needed for upcoming travel.

DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Penang Drawbacks

The hotel wasn’t as updated and well-maintained as I prefer. The public areas felt somewhat dated and worn. Similarly, the rooms showed some wear and tear and felt kind of basic.

This can be a positive or negative depending on perspective, but the “resort” elements and ambiance focused more on family entertainment than adult relaxation. For example, there was a main pool and a kids’ pool, but no adults-only pool. Since the beach across the road from the DoubleTree is small and public, there really wasn’t a quiet outdoor area for adults to relax.

Getting to DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Penang

I traveled from Kuala Lumpur to Penang Island by Aeroline bus, which is a luxury bus company. The bus left from the Corus Hotel in the Kuala Lumpur City Center area and took a little over five hours to arrive at the Queensbay Mall on Penang Island.

Since I had been staying in central Kuala Lumpur before traveling to Penang, it seemed like the Aeroline bus offered a more convenient and comfortable option than flying. I also viewed this as an opportunity to see some views on the way. The bus had spacious seats with power outlets and seatback entertainment. I paid about $15 for my ticket. Based on the information on the company’s website, I expected to pay an additional fee for luggage, but the representative checking me in said my bag was fine.

My experience with the Aeroline bus was good, but I felt a little lost when arriving at their terminus at a mall in Penang. I didn’t see an office, so I went into the mall to figure out my next steps. I didn’t have the Grab app — an Asian service like Uber — on my phone, so I planned to either take a taxi or Penang public transportation (two buses) to the hotel. I didn’t see any taxis, so I chose the RapidPenang bus option suggested on Google Maps. These were regular buses, but other people with luggage were using them, so I did too. There is a designated bus stop for the DoubleTree Resort. Bus costs are based on distance, and the two buses cost a total of about $1.

It’s more common to fly into Penang International Airport (PEN), and both Malaysian Airlines and AirAsia offer multiple daily nonstop flights from Kuala Lumpur with a scheduled one-hour duration. Flights were inexpensive, with the lowest ticket prices on AirAsia at about $20, but since AirAsia is a low-cost carrier and only includes a 7 kg/15 lb. carry-on baggage allowance, the extra charges likely would be more than the ticket price. I noticed that Malaysian Airways flights dropped significantly in price a couple of weeks before travel.

Although Penang (PEN) isn’t a major international airport, it has nonstop flights to other parts of Malaysia and international flights to several Asian destinations including Indonesia, Hong Kong, mainland China, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand.

It’s also possible to travel by train and ferry combination or other buses between Kuala Lumpur and Penang for even less money, but I didn’t research these options.

Check-In

It was about 5 p.m. when I arrived at the hotel. An employee acknowledged me as I approached the lobby entrance and pointed me toward the check-in area. I didn’t need baggage assistance, and it wasn’t offered.

The lobby was open air, and the first thing I noticed was the view of the sea, which is across the road from the hotel. The lobby itself was spacious, but the décor wasn’t my style.

DoubleTree Penang lobby

DoubleTree Penang lobby | Photo courtesy of Hilton

There was no one waiting, so I approached the employee at the front desk. He was efficient and friendly with the check-in process. He thanked me for being a Hilton Honors Diamond member and proactively mentioned that I had been upgraded to a sea-view room.

He also reviewed other Diamond benefits and provided a small card summarizing them. Since the hotel doesn’t have an executive lounge, they offer a complimentary happy hour for Diamond guests between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. in the Axis Lounge. They also offer complimentary breakfast at the Makan Kitchen restaurant.

At the end of our interaction, he gave me a signature DoubleTree chocolate chip cookie and directed me towards the elevators.

On the morning I was leaving the DoubleTree, I requested a late checkout and was granted an extension to the time I requested, 2 p.m.

The Room at DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Penang

From reviews, I knew that the DoubleTree was an older property that needed some updates. I also understood that with Malaysia essentially being closed to international tourism for a significant amount of time during the pandemic, investment in hotel renovations wasn’t common.

King bedroom

My initial impression of the room was that it was a little generic and basic but overall seemed fine for a DoubleTree property at this price point. During my stay, I noticed more areas where maintenance was needed.

I stayed in a king bedroom with a balcony and sea view on the seventh floor. The room size was average, and the furnishings seemed a little sparse.

Upon entering the room, the bathroom was to the left, and an open closet area was on the wall to the right. The closet area had open storage space and a couple of small drawers. Slippers, an iron, an ironing board and a safe were in the closet. There also was a small seat or area to place additional luggage between the closet and the bed.

DoubleTree Penang room closet area

DoubleTree Penang room closet area | Photo by Julie Neafach

The king-size bed and two nightstands were positioned on one wall. The bed was comfortable with good quality linens.

DoubleTree Penang room king bed and nightstands

DoubleTree Penang room king bed and nightstands | Photo by Julie Neafach

Across the room from the bed was a cabinet, wall-mounted television, round table that would work for dining or as a work area and one chair. It seemed like there should have been a second chair since the only other place to sit in the room was the bed or the built-in bench next to the closet.

DoubleTree Penang room television, table and chair

DoubleTree Penang room television, table and chair | Photo by Julie Neafach

The cabinet contained a mini-refrigerator and in-room coffee and supplies. Two larger bottles of water and an electric kettle were on top of the cabinet.

DoubleTree Penang room cabinet exterior
DoubleTree Penang room mini refrigerator and beverage supplies

DoubleTree Penang room cabinet exterior | Photo by Julie Neafach

DoubleTree Penang room mini refrigerator and beverage supplies | Photo by Julie Neafach

A note and Diamond welcome amenity consisting of some dried fruits and desserts were on the table when I entered the room.

DoubleTree Penang room welcome note and amenity

DoubleTree Penang room welcome note and amenity | Photo by Julie Neafach

The overall comfort level of the room was good. Air conditioning worked well to keep the room at the desired temperature. Sound insulation seemed good.

Asian-style plugs and USB ports were in convenient locations near the bed and the table. An adaptor was needed for U.S. devices.

The balcony had two chairs and a small table and allowed a nice view of the sea over some trees.

DoubleTree Penang room balcony and view

DoubleTree Penang room balcony and view | Photo by Julie Neafach

The bathroom had a vanity with one sink, a toilet and a shower with rainfall and handheld shower heads. Everything was in the same room, and the size of the bathroom was adequate for one or two people. The pipes were quite loud when running the water in the sink or flushing the toilet, but everything worked. The water pressure and temperature in the shower were good.

DoubleTree Penang bathroom vanity, toilet and shower

DoubleTree Penang bathroom vanity, toilet and shower | Photo courtesy of Hilton

Toiletries were individual size Crabtree & Evelyn brand products and included body lotion, body wash, conditioner, shampoo, soap, a grooming kit, two dental kits and a shower cap. Between my first and second visits, the hotel switched to full-size bath products, as discussed for the suite.

DoubleTree Penang bathroom amenities

DoubleTree Penang bathroom amenities | Photo by Julie Neafach

I find the DoubleTree brand to be inconsistent, so it’s hard to say if my room met brand expectations or not. Some people criticize this hotel for not being a luxury or five-star property, but I don’t think that’s fair. At best, DoubleTree falls into the upscale, four-star category, but many DoubleTree properties have rooms that aren’t upscale and could use some updates. I consider my room at the DoubleTree Penang in the latter group. Given the price, it met my expectations.

One bedroom suite

For my second visit in early 2024, I booked a standard king bedroom. When doing online check-in on the Hilton app before arriving at the hotel, I saw a recommended room, which was a one-bedroom sea view suite with a king bed on the 8th floor. I selected this room as a complimentary upgrade.
The space and amenities of the suite exceeded the king bedroom, and the style was similar.

Upon entering the suite, the living room was to the left. It featured two chairs, a sofa, two small tables, a lamp and a television. It had floor-to-ceiling windows.

DoubleTree Penang suite living room

DoubleTree Penang suite living room | Photo by Julie Neafach

There was a small alcove that contained the beverage center, with a mini refrigerator inside the cabinet. The key difference between the beverage center in the suite and the regular room was that the suite had a Nespresso maker with two complimentary pods in addition to the electric kettle.

DoubleTree Penang suite beverage center

DoubleTree Penang suite beverage center | Photo by Julie Neafach

The bedroom was completely separate with a door that closed. The bed, two nightstands and a desk were along one wall. A television was on the opposite wall. A mirror and the closet area were located near the back of the bedroom. Robes, slippers, a safe, an iron and ironing board and a scale were in the closet.

DoubleTree Penang suite king bed and nightstands
DoubleTree Penang suite desk
DoubleTree Penang suite bedroom television
DoubleTree Penang room closet area

DoubleTree Penang suite king bed and nightstands | Photo by Julie Neafach

DoubleTree Penang suite desk | Photo by Julie Neafach

DoubleTree Penang suite bedroom television | Photo by Julie Neafach

DoubleTree Penang suite closet area | Photo by Julie Neafach

There were separate temperature controls for the living room and the bedroom. The thermostats noted that the “unoccupied” room temperature was 27 degrees Celsius, which is almost 81 degrees Fahrenheit, and the thermostat was programmed to allow cooling to 21 degrees Celsius or almost 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

While I’m comfortable with temperatures in the mid to high 70s Fahrenheit, the problem I had was that there was a lot of humidity in the bedroom, bathroom and closet areas. The bedding felt a little damp when I checked in, but I thought maybe the room hadn’t been occupied and just needed the fan and air conditioning running. During my stay, I tried various temperature and air circulation combinations, but the dampness persisted. I didn’t say anything about this issue to the staff.

The bathroom in the suite was a single room without any separation. It contained a separate tub and shower, as well as a toilet and vanity with one sink. The shower was similar to the one in the regular room, with a handheld and rainfall shower head. The tub in the suite was a garden-style tub that also had a handheld sprayer.

DoubleTree Penang suite bathroom vanity
DoubleTree Penang suite bathroom tub
DoubleTree Penang suite bathroom shower
DoubleTree Penang suite bathroom toilet

DoubleTree Penang suite bathroom vanity | Photo by Julie Neafach

DoubleTree Penang suite bathroom tub | Photo by Julie Neafach

DoubleTree Penang suite bathroom shower | Photo by Julie Neafach

DoubleTree Penang suite bathroom toilet | Photo by Julie Neafach

The bathroom amenities were Crabtree & Evelyn brand. Full-size containers of hand soap, body lotion, body wash, conditioner, and shampoo were provided. Additional amenities included a grooming kit, two dental kits, a shaving kit, a mending kit, a comb, a shoe mitt and a shower cap and a small bottle of mouthwash.

The balcony had two chairs and a small table and allowed a view of the sea over some trees. Compared to the view from the room I stayed in previously, the position of the suite resulted in a less direct sea view, with another building and the side street being part of the view from the suite.

DoubleTree Penang suite balcony

DoubleTree Penang suite balcony | Photo by Julie Neafach

Food and Drink

There are a few dining options at the DoubleTree Penang:

  • Axis Lounge: The Axis Lounge is located in the lobby, and is open daily from 10 a.m. to midnight and serves light snacks and drinks, per its menu.
  • Makan Kitchen: The main restaurant is open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner and features indoor and open-air dining. Hours vary by day of the week, and the menu is available on the hotel’s website.
  • Room service: The hotel’s website notes room service as an amenity but doesn’t provide details about operating hours or menus.
  • The Food Store: This café / market is located in the lobby and is open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Its menu includes beverages, snacks, baked goods and sandwiches.

Breakfast at the Makan Kitchen

I had breakfast daily at the Makan Kitchen. Breakfast hours during my weekday stay were 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. As a Diamond member, breakfast was complimentary with access to the entire buffet. I’m not sure what the buffet costs if paying out-of-pocket, but single-night pre-tax rates including breakfast were approximately $15 to $20 more for two people compared to room-only rates in a sample search.

Indoor, open-air covered, and completely outdoor seating were available at the Makan Kitchen. I chose the covered open-air section, but I didn’t like aggressive birds sweeping in to grab food off plates. I also noticed some unpleasant remnants that the birds left on the chairs.

The choice of food was extensive and included Western and Asian cuisine, including Chinese, Indian and Malaysian choices. They also had an egg station where you could get made-to-order eggs including regular and egg white omelets. The buffet area had a lot of separate sections, and I sometimes found it difficult to locate certain items. Some items seemed to be available daily, while other items changed. Most items were labeled.

I was happy with the quality and variety of food. I didn’t photograph everything available, but the following pictures should provide some indication of the choices.

Makan Kitchen breakfast buffet hot items
Makan Kitchen breakfast buffet more hot items
Makan Kitchen breakfast buffet dim sum
Makan Kitchen breakfast buffet cold items
Makan Kitchen breakfast buffet desserts
Makan Kitchen breakfast buffet cold items
Makan Kitchen breakfast buffet baked goods
Makan Kitchen breakfast buffet coffee station
My Makan Kitchen breakfast buffet items and egg white omelet

Makan Kitchen breakfast buffet hot items | Photo by Julie Neafach

Makan Kitchen breakfast buffet more hot items | Photo by Julie Neafach

Makan Kitchen breakfast buffet dim sum | Photo by Julie Neafach

Makan Kitchen breakfast buffet cold items | Photo by Julie Neafach

Makan Kitchen breakfast buffet desserts | Photo by Julie Neafach

Makan Kitchen breakfast buffet bread | Photo by Julie Neafach

Makan Kitchen breakfast buffet baked goods | Photo by Julie Neafach

Makan Kitchen breakfast buffet coffee station | Photo by Julie Neafach

My Makan Kitchen breakfast: buffet items and egg white omelet | Photo by Julie Neafach

I usually eat breakfast later in the morning, so I didn’t appreciate that staff members began removing some items 10 to 15 minutes before breakfast was supposed to end. Many hotel buffets have staff notify guests just before the end of breakfast to provide patrons with a final opportunity to get items from the buffet, but Makan Kitchen didn’t do this. One morning in particular, it seemed like the staff wanted everyone to leave the restaurant by 10:30 a.m. On top of this, when I tried to refill my coffee from the self-serve espresso machine, I found that it had already been turned off.

Axis Lounge

The Axis Lounge and the Food Store are adjacent to each other on the main lobby level. There is a large open seating area, for dining patrons and other hotel guests.
For happy hour at the Axis Lounge, I selected seating with a sea view. These tables were further away from the bar and food case, so I let the waiter or waitress know that I was there for happy hour.

Hilton Honors Diamond members could order a limited choice of complimentary beverages, which included wine and beer, and were served a selection of canapes. Canapes included six to nine small plates per person. The lounge staff was friendly and would proactively offer drink refills.

Axis Lounge happy hour food and beverage

Axis Lounge happy hour food and beverage | Photo by Julie Neafach

The Food Store

The Food Store offered drinks, snacks, baked goods and a few more substantial items to eat in the lobby area or for takeaway. Guests ordered items at the counter.

The Food Store

The Food Store | Photo by Julie Neafach

One evening, I bought a turkey sandwich from The Food Store to eat for dinner in my room. It was fresh and tasted fine. I purchased it later in the day, and it was discounted from the regular price. Sandwiches at regular prices of about $3 to $4 are inexpensive by Western standards, but if you go to hawker centers in Penang, you can get local specialties that are more interesting for less money.

Amenities

The DoubleTree has two main outdoor swimming pools. One is a resort-style pool with an adjacent spa tub for all guests, and the other is a kids’ pool. There was a sand-covered area around the main pool in 2023, but this had been removed before my 2024 visit.

DoubleTree Penang main pool
DoubleTree Penang shallow pool next to the main pool
DoubleTree Penang kids’ pool

DoubleTree Penang main pool | Photo by Julie Neafach

DoubleTree Penang shallow pool next to the main pool | Photo by Julie Neafach

DoubleTree Penang kids’ pool | Photo by Julie Neafach

The DoubleTree has a pedestrian bridge to cross the main road to access Miami Beach or the bus stop towards George Town.

DoubleTree covered bridge to Miami Beach

DoubleTree covered bridge to Miami Beach | Photo by Julie Neafach

Since Miami Beach is a public beach and small, there aren’t any lounge chairs on the beach.

Miami Beach across from the DoubleTree Penang

Miami Beach across from the DoubleTree Penang | Photo by Julie Neafach

The DoubleTree has a gym and offers spa services onsite. The spa seemed to be more of an afterthought and appeared to be a third-party provider set up in a random room. It didn’t look particularly relaxing or inviting.

The gym met my needs. It had Precor equipment, including multiple strength training machines, three treadmills, two elliptical trainers and two stationary bikes. There also were benches, dumbbells, exercise balls and similar items. The gym was spacious with floor-to-ceiling windows, and the cardio machines were positioned to provide views.

DoubleTree Penang gym treadmills and bikes
DoubleTree Penang gym elliptical trainers
DoubleTree Penang gym weight machines

DoubleTree Penang gym treadmills and bikes | Photo by Julie Neafach

DoubleTree Penang gym elliptical trainers | Photo by Julie Neafach

DoubleTree Penang gym weight machines | Photo by Julie Neafach

Other amenities at the DoubleTree included:

  • A kids club
  • A pool table
  • Meeting facilities
  • A gift shop
  • TeddyVille, a teddy bear museum located in the hotel

Service

I found some disparity in service, with the front desk, lobby lounge and housekeeping personnel being friendly and helpful, but with some Makan Kitchen staff being less customer-focused. When I saw one of the breakfast staff members removing items I wanted from the buffet well before the end of breakfast hours and saying something, she stopped removing the items and let me serve myself, but she wasn’t apologetic. The housekeeping staff was friendly and proactively offered me more towels and water when I declined room cleaning.

DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Penang Family Friendliness

I think this hotel would be a good choice for families with younger children planning to spend significant time at the property. There are multiple features geared towards families with children including a kids’ pool, kids’ club and the TeddyVille Museum. Restaurant menus had specific kids’ choices, and the breakfast buffet had a kids’ section.

DoubleTree Penang TeddyVille Museum entrance
DoubleTree Penang Kids Club activity schedule

DoubleTree Penang TeddyVille Museum entrance | Photo by Julie Neafach

DoubleTree Penang Kids Club activity schedule | Photo by Julie Neafach

The hotel seemed to have a family-friendly vibe. Despite being there during the week, I noticed multiple families with children enjoying the pool.

If staying as a family, a suite might be useful to provide additional space. My king bed deluxe room generally and the bathroom specifically seemed small for a family. Neither the room nor the bathroom had separate areas.

The suite where I stayed in 2024 was quite large, with plenty of extra space in the bedroom or living room for a crib or small extra bed. The suite bathroom had a separate tub and shower.

Final Thoughts on DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Penang

I have mixed feelings about the DoubleTree Penang. I think it’s a decent property for the price, but I think the location probably is a negative for many travelers. I also think it’s important for potential guests to have realistic expectations about the property since people expecting a luxurious property or a full-scale resort experience could be disappointed.

While the DoubleTree Penang wasn’t perfect, I decided to return to the hotel for a few nights during my 2024 trip to Penang. I paid a similar amount per night for the DoubleTree as for other hotels that weren’t US chains in Tanjung Tokong and George Town. Comparing hotels where I stayed in 2024:

  • With the suite upgrade and Hilton Honors Diamond benefits, the DoubleTree provided the best value by far.
  • Even without status or upgrades, the amenities (pool and gym) at the DoubleTree were better than the other hotels where I stayed.
  • On the other hand, I liked the convenience of walking from the other hotels to nearby attractions, dining and shopping.

Overall this is a decent property for the price with some nice amenities and basic comfort for different types of travelers.

This article is part of a larger Trip Report on Southeast Asia, where you can learn about flights, lounges and hotels within this route.