Macalister Mansion

Absolutely fantastic stay at the Macalister Mansion. Lovingly restored colonial home, built in 1880. We spent four glorious nights in room #4, complete with original spiral staircase leading up to turret looking over the pool (which we enjoyed all to ourselves). Public areas and room tastefully designed without losing historic references. ||Dinner at blanc was better than many Michelin starred restaurants we’ve dined in. Elegant room, exquisite menu and service. Enjoyed drinks in the bar which was appropriately dark and cozy.||Staff were uniformly warm, attentive and professional, accommodating several 3am Zoom calls in a quiet space.

I love this heritage house so much that we have to stay a few nights here. The front desk person told us that this heritage house was actually owned by one of the Royal family previously, and it was recently sold in fact just last mth to a local business man. The entire house was well maintained and all the rooms are spacious with fully functional amenities you needed. The welcome drink was really nice, they change every morning with fresh chill drinks. Every corner of the house is a great spot for photos. Quite worth the stay.

Everthing aspect of this hotel were excellent and perfect! Except for 1 point - there is no lift nor electric chairlift available to access to the guestrooms. This is a huge issue for guests who are unable to climb stairs or disabled. This is a real pity as my mother-in-law could not enjoy her stay with us, and we had to book another hotel room nearby for her instead which does not require her to climb any stairs.

This has to be my favorite hotel stay in Penang so far! 🩷 What makes it really special is its boutique charm — only 8 rooms in total, which gives such a personal and cozy vibe. The service is excellent, definitely 5-star level. The check-in felt so warm and welcoming, and I loved being greeted with fresh coconut water — such a thoughtful touch and so refreshing! The bar is another highlight: the cocktails are professional, very well-crafted, and the bartenders take time to explain everything patiently, which I really appreciated. Another thing I absolutely love: parking is available and completely taken care of. I never had to worry — the hotel prepared everything for me, which is such a relief in Penang where parking can be stressful. Honestly, this is one of the best parts of staying here. The overall environment is just lovely. Every time I step into the hotel, there’s this subtle, pleasant fragrance — not too strong, just right. The room and the bed both smelled fresh and clean, making the whole stay feel extra comfortable. Honestly, I definitely see myself coming back here again! The only small downside is the soundproofing in the morning. I could sometimes hear doors opening and closing from nearby rooms, which startled me a few times. It wasn’t a big issue, but improving this would make the stay absolutely perfect. Overall, an amazing boutique hotel with outstanding service, cozy atmosphere, hassle-free parking, and details that make you feel cared for. Highly recommend!

Our 2-night stay fell short on our expectations. Macalister Mansion was a beautiful and visually striking hotel with not all that impressive service level, which is to be expected from this type of hotel. ||We were assigned room 8. It was absolutely beautiful and spotless. Bed was comfortable and the ameneties on offer were exceptional. ||Room tech wasn’t necessarily the best (eg. no Chromecast/Airplay available to use, only one USB-C charging outlet) but not the worst, either. ||Fulfilling breakfast was limited, but as we inquiried about it before our stay, it was expected. Still, it was truly shocking to us that no additional items could have been ordered from the menu without additional charge. ||We also asked if it was possible to exchange the complimentary evening cocktails (we do not drink alcohol) to additional item from the breakfast menu the next morning. The answer was plain and simple NO. The explanation was that the restaurant and bar are separate businesses (?). ||While this might be true, hotel guests do not care of such things. Staying at Macalister Mansion was visually pleasing, felt somewhat exclusive and very historical, but our experience did not feel luxurious.||To us luxury means bending the ’rulebook’ a little to personalize the service as the guests like it. ||Compared to other luxury boutique hotels in George Town, we didn’t really feel looked after here. No tour of the building, hardly any greetings etc. With only 8 rooms, it was smallest of the luxury hotels we ever stayed in – which should make personalized service extremely easy. ||No senior staff in sight, all the service events felt rather awkward, and upon checking out we weren’t even asked if we had a pleasant stay or if there was anything the could do better the next time. It felt like they couldn’t get rid of us any quicker. ||We do not recommend staying here, unless it is only for 1 night and you are aware of these limitations. George Town has so much more to offer in terms of luxury and value.

A Perfect Venue for Special Moments. I recently visited this building and it's truly a fantastic place for special occasions. The ambiance is elegant and making it an ideal choice for weddings and celebration. One of the standout features is the convenience for car owners - you can easily park in Macalister Mansion and park your vehicle free. This added touch of convenience makes it a top choice for modern couples and guests. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a memorable and stress-free event experience.

Located in the middle of Georgetown. Macalister Mansion is one of the best preserved colonial time mansions in Penang. Service is impeccable and the property is stunningly beautiful and well maintained. Staffs are extremely professional,friendly and hospitable, notably Kelvin and Cheah Cheah. The bartender made wonderful cocktails. Everything goes right in this place. Highly recommended. A true gem ⭐️❤️✨

A beautiful blend of heritage and modern luxury! The rooms are stylish, spacious, and thoughtfully designed with elegant details that reflect Penang’s colonial charm. The location is excellent, right along Macalister Road… close to George Town’s main attractions, yet tucked away enough to feel peaceful and private. A perfect choice for a relaxing getaway or a special occasion stay in Penang!

If you've ever wanted to live in a mansion, Macalister Mansion will let you experience just that. With only eight rooms on the property, you may never even run into another guest, letting you keep up the ruse that it's yours for a moment. It's an absolutely stunning hotel. Part of the Design Hotels series, the rooms are just gorgeous. Comfortable beds, complimentary minibar (juice, soft drink and snacks only) and an enormous glass lined bathroom...albeit with absolutely no privacy. Seriously, even the toilet has clear glass and looks directly into the shower and room. There had to be some negotiation as a couple of toilet breaks. We were on our honeymoon and weren't quite ready to be 'that' couple yet. The hotel itself is what we really enjoyed. The staff and service was terrible. With so few guests (16 max really!) there were more of them than us, yet every interaction was so laboured. We got off on the wrong foot from check-in, with staff being extremely unhelpful in trying to rectify any problem, opting to fight us instead. There had been an issue with the web site when booking that kept defaulting to 1 guest instead of 2 - which we counteracted by including notes about travelling as a couple on our honeymoon. They kept insisting that we would only get breakfast/mini bar/water supply for 1 person because of the booking...but then there was a cake and congratulations note on our honeymoon for when we arrived. My husband asked how exactly they thought he was celebrating his honeymoon solo and the staff still insisted it was our fault. There is a pool outside that promises a swim up bar - but don't get excited about that. With so few guests around, it's never manned and we had to go back into the hotel to find someone to help us with a drink. They got us one and then never came back. Location wise, it's a fair distance from the action in town and it's on a one-way street, so cabs will need to take a longer round about route to get there (many didn't know where it was so bring the address in Malay and be prepared for this). If you opt to walk, there are some food vendors along the way and it's worth doing once, but the roads aren't very secure so you'll mostly need to cab around. Overall, a stunning hotel but that's where it begins and ends. We enjoyed our stay but were happy to leave and wouldn't return.

Macalister Mansion is an internationally renowned luxury hotel that is housed within a beautifully restored heritage building. It has eight rooms, each has its own design and character, supposedly inspired by the life story of Sir Norman Macalister. The story and heritage definitely adds to the charm of this property, and staying here was truly an amazing experience. Being a 5-star luxury property, its service, staff, comfort, and room conditions all exceeded expectations. What I found to be the most captivating thing about the stay was the interior / art decor, which is world-class. The design and fittings of the rooms sit nicely within the sweet spot between authentic heritage charm and modern / chic design - one thing so many heritage / boutique hotels strive for but don't get right. The exterior of the mansion when lit up at night is rather magnificent, while its pool and garden look like a scene out of a movie. Definitely worth a stay, but rooms don't come cheap.

Macalister Mansion is a really good hotel in Penang. The rooms are very spacious and are very clean. Also, they have a really big bathroom that's unfortunately see-through, but still is really nice. They provide you with a free snack bar consisting of a lot of things like muesli bars, crisps, cookies and so on! The staff are very helpful and friendly and there's also a bar for you to smoke and drink in. The only let-down was the restaurant where they served breakfast, which didn't taste so good and we had to wait a long time for our breakfast to arrive. My father wanted some nasi lemak to eat as he saw a packet on the cashier table and he asked how much the price was. It turns out that it was actually the staff's nasi lemak that he bought for himself, but the staff agreed to give it to my father for free, but in the end, my father paid him some money.