Many of my friends know that I enjoy visiting the island we call the Pearl of the Orient, so much so that I visit almost every year. During one of my random browsing of Penang places to explore, I came across a place called Roomies. They were only renovating when I found out about them. Intrigued, I liked their Facebook page to keep track because who knows, I may pay them a visit one day. And visit them I did!
I went with a group of friends - 6 of us girls in total. It was an easy trek from the Penang Airport. We took the Rapid Penang #101 that goes all the way to Teluk Bahang, pressed the bell as we noticed the police station and thanked the friendly bus driver.
For those thinking of traveling with a 20kg luggage bag, please be informed that they are located on the 4th floor of a row of shops without elevators. We packed light and so the climb up the stairs was not too bad for us.
We were greeted by a panel of planks with a transparent case in the middle showcasing a statue of the head of the Buddha - unique but a little confronting.
The panel of planks also functioned as a divider that shields their Perfect 10 dorm beds from the main entrance. How clever.
After checking-in, the first request all of us had was for the washroom, as the bus ride had taken longer than expected. The washroom is a combination of the toilet and shower. They are located right at the end of the premises and could do with a few more hooks for clothes. For most of my friends, this was their first time using an accommodation with shared bathroom facilities and so were pretty impressed with the clean and simple layout. I, too, was impressed, and found them to be better than some of the more established B&Bs I have stayed at in Australia and New Zealand.
We took two rooms - the Studio Suite and the Cinema Room. Two of my friends and I opted to spend the night in the latter. First thing we did was to allocate beds and as they were both afraid to climb that high up, I volunteered to take the highest loft bed. Quite fun an experience to sleep that close to the ceiling, I thought, but boy did I regret my choice after a day at Escape. As I was aching every where, climbing up those steps was nothing short of painful and once I made it up there, I refused to climb back down!
However, it was convenient that this room is located just before the washrooms - made it easy to wash our hands, freshen up and to use the toilet. The downside of this was that we could hear footsteps throughout the evening and in the morning, as other people walked past to use the toilets.
You can't have a 32" LCD screen with free in-room HD blockbuster movies on demand with no snack, can you? Fret not, there is a whole basketful prepared but do check the expiry dates of each packet - one of my friends had one that was expired.
The Studio Suite is more spacious and has double room configurations - mini bar, ensuite bathroom and a window for fresh air (our Cinema Room didn't have windows).
Having checked out our rooms, we explored the rest of the place. I really appreciate their efforts in introducing Batu Ferringhi. They had a "Roomies Guide to Batu Ferringhi" in the reception area.
They even had a few bags of homemade cookies for sale.
As mentioned previously, behind the reception area are the dorm beds, which they claim to be "shake-proof". I like how they provide each bed with a curtain to provide some privacy - something I have not seen in the dorms I have been to. And should you worry about snoring or someone chatting on the phone/Facetime/Skype/, they provide complimentary Bose "QuietComfort" 20i Noise Cancelling plugs.
In addition to a sun deck and roof terrace (where we had our breakfast the next morning), they also have a lounge for guests to chillax and socialise.
And of course they are on TripAdvisor. Not only are they on there but they are also ranked the best B&B in Batu Ferringhi, so what's your reason not to choose them?
Roomies Penang
76C-4 Jalan Batu Ferringhi, 1110 Batu Ferringhi, Penang.
Tel: +60 4 881 1378; Mob: +60 12 474 1869, +60 16 477 5227
E-mail: stayatroomies@gmail.com
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