Last updated on February 16th, 2025 at 09:22 am

Victoria Street Entrance

I Stayed at Rare Heritage House in Penang, Here’s My Review

I gotta say Rare Heritage House Penang was one of the most interesting hotel stays I’ve had in Malaysia. I booked a deluxe room with king sized bed with a courtyard view. Didn’t know exactly what a courtyard view consisted of when I made the booking.

But the price at the time was just right for my bank account. The hotel’s location was a good strategic start-off point for exploring part of Georgetown and a little beyond. Also helps that Rare Heritage House has a lot of good reviews on Agoda.com.

I was excited! The beautiful island of Penang in Malaysia holds a special place in my heart. And also my stomach. If you didn’t know, the food in Penang is excellent!

Where’s Rare Heritage House Located?

I wrote in a blog post with Penang hotel reviews, that the city of Georgetown is a prime location, especially if it’s your first visit to Penang.

Georgetown is located northeast of the island. That’s where you can hop on a ferry that will zip you from Raja Tun Uda Ferry Terminal to Sultan Abdul Halim Ferry Terminal on the mainland in around 20 minutes.

Rare Heritage House is about a 10 – 15 minute walk from Raja Tun Uda Ferry Terminal. Penang International Airport is about an hour away by public bus if you plan to fly to the island instead.

By the way, flying to Penang from Kuala Lumpur is extremely affordable. And it’s only 1 hour. Though Penang International Airport is located in the southern part of Penang so to get to Georgetown you’ll need to take the bus or taxi. Which only adds another hour to travel time.

Of course, there are many ways to get to Penang by bus and train from Kuala Lumpur or anywhere else in the country. For this trip, I took the bus from KL and then the train back to KL. Check out my post about traveling to Penang from KL and back for more information.

The location of Rare Heritage House is spectacular especially if you love taking leisure strolls.

Goddess of Mercy Temple in Georgetown, Penang

What’s Around Rare Heritage House?

I walk a lot. It’s my preferred mode of transportation time permitting. That said, there’s a lot to see and eat near this hotel within walking distance. Georgetown is a UNESCO world heritage site after all.

  • Armenian Street—This popular short walking street is full of charm and character. It’s teeming with tourists, so you get that certain tourist trap vibe. I don’t think it’s that bad, but it’s worth the visit. Rare Heritage House is about 400 meters away.
  • Khoo Kongsi – If your surname is Khoo why not drop by your clan temple and pay respects? Even if you’re unrelated to the founders of this splendid temple you’ll enjoy the culture. You’re only 300 meters away.
  • The Clan Jetties – From the Lim to the Lee to the Tan, Chew, and Ong family lineage walking distance is only 80m, 100m, 200m 300m, 500m respectively. These charming homes and stores on planks add a unique charm to the shores of Penang.
  • Little India Penang – It is little but you’ll get a big experience and taste of India here.
  • Komtar Bus Terminal – If you’ve got plenty of days visiting Penang there’s a good chance you’ll go to the beaches of Batu Ferrenghi, about 11km away. Komtar Bus Terminal is also where 1st Avenue Mall is located for leisure shopping. Rapid Bus #102 makes a stop at Komtar from Penang Airport.
  • MacCallum Night Market and Kimberly Street Food Night Market – Penang locals eat here too. If it’s good enough for the locals it’s good enough for you. If you can only make it to one of these markets, I recommend going to Kimberly Street Food Night Market for proper chow authentic Malaysian chow down.

Those are the major places in my book. But there are more places to check out like Sun Yat Sen Museum, the Upside Down Museum, Wonderfood Museum, and Penang Fort Cornwallis.

I won’t go too deep into my recommended eating places near Rare Heritage House. Because this post will get way, way too lengthy. I’ll write a separate food blog post soon.

Onwards to the review!

My Rare Heritage House Deluxe King Room

It used to be called Reunion Heritage House. Don’t know when or why the name changed.

Rare Heritage House is listed as 3½ ⭐️ accommodation in Penang. To be honest that is a bit of a stretch. There’s no swimming pool and no gym. I would say it’s more 2½ ⭐️ to 3⭐️ at most for boutique style property.

That doesn’t mean this hotel is bad.

I’ll be right to the point. I like this hotel. I like it a lot.

To be more specific I like my room a lot. I booked a deluxe king room, with king sized bed and a courtyard view.

This room has a nice homey feel…

When I booked the hotel I didn’t know what a courtyard view meant. At the time I just hoped it wasn’t a view of another room mere meters away from my window.

In any case, I was handed the keys to room #116. Checking in was quick, there didn’t seem to be a lot of guests at the moment. I booked through Agoda.com for four nights stay. But I still had to pay a 2RM per night Malaysian room tariff.

Deluxe King Room 18 sqm.
Nice Clean Toilet

The nice receptionist walked me to my room. From the outside, you can tell it’s not a tall building. But from the inside, it looks more spacious. The front of the hotel has a restaurant and a small kitchen.

Room #116 is situated at the Beach Street entrance. Which lends the room a particularly interesting view. When I opened the door I liked the warm interior design. The floor was wood which I liked a lot. The air con was on already so it was chilly. Even though the deluxe king rooms are 18 square meters it felt a little bigger to me.

One thing I always look for inside hotel rooms is power outlets. This room had plenty of it. From the bedside with USB ports to the small work table. I had many options to charge my phone, computer, and microphones.

These are other rooms
A room deeper inside the hotel

The king sized bed was comfortable and the pillows were nice and soft. There’s an electronic safe wide enough to fit a 15″ notebook computer. Mini-fridge for keeping my diet colas frosty. And a litre-sized glass bottle filled with water. There are water refill stations in the halls.

There’s even a ceiling fan with a remote control. I never used it for the duration of my stay, but it works I turned it on. There weren’t many channels on the television. Not that it’s a big deal, especially today. I watch videos on my phone and notebook computer. The internet Wi-Fi is fast and stable.

The bathroom was just right. Spacious, clean shower stall with consistent hot water. The toilet had a bidet. The towels had no funky smell. Nice and clean just the way I like it.

My only gripe. No disposable slippers.

Another gripe is I could hear other guests as they exited or entered the Beach Street access door. The walls feel thick, but I believe the room door is not soundproof.

And oh yeah, about the window and my view…

History of Penang
And History of Rare Heritage House

Just Like Living in a Penang Shophouse

So the interesting thing about room #116 is I didn’t have a courtyard view. I had a view of the street but on the street level instead. More specifically Beach Street which runs parallel to Victoria Street. And there is a door leading out to Beach Street using a magnetic key.

At first, you might think it’s kinda weird to have a window on street level where people can see you. I did at first admittedly. But first, Beach Street is quiet and few pedestrians are walking past. Secondly, the window blinds work well for privacy.

I like natural light coming into the room. While working on my computer I would leave the window blinds open. Once in a while pedestrians would pass by. But no one stood around the window or peeked inside my room.

My room is down the hall

Most people respect others’ privacy anyway so eventually I got comfortable. However, I still tried to keep my room tidy, just in case someone did peek in. Wouldn’t want anyone to think I was a slob.

I enjoy the unique feeling of staying in a room like this. When you walk down the lanes and alleyways of Penang you do see how people live. Even though I am a simple hotel guest, I know how that feels even though it was just for a short while.

How Much I Paid for My Room at Rare Heritage House Penang?

I have to admit I am hesitant to share this review. Especially to reveal room #116 because if someone reads this they’ll know what to ask for at check in if it is available.

I was a guest at Rare Heritage House in late January 2025 for four nights. I paid $30 USD per night including taxes, and no breakfast. I think that is a fantastic price. I don’t know how high the price goes up during peak season though

You can read reviews and find discounts for Rare Heritage House Penang on Agoda.com like I did. Because I highly recommend this hotel in Georgetown, Penang!

If it were $50 USD per night I would think it’s reasonable. I don’t know what the other rooms at Rare Heritage House are like. I know they’ve got rooms with bathtubs and even duplexes. But seeing how the hotel is run I would guess they are just as nice. I would definitely would love to check out their duplex rooms if I ever go back and find a good deal.

Rare Heritage House is in a good location. My room was nice and clean and the staff was friendly and helpful. I think you will enjoy it here as much as I did.

Psst… remember I said I won’t get into recommending a good place for food near Rare Heritage House. I lied.

You’re welcome!

361 Char Hor Fun/Hokkien Char @Lebuh Pantai

Location: 📍 Google Maps

Just mere steps from Rare Heritage House entrance/exit on Beach Street. This gentleman makes an amazing must-try noodle dishes.

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TheWayfaringSoul.com is an online travel guide to Asia. Written by Warren, a native New Yorker and long-term resident in Thailand.

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