The Shophouse studio in George Town
Entire condo in George Town, Malaysia
- 3 guests
- 1 bedroom
- 2 beds
- 1 bath
Hosted by Sharon
- 14 years hosting
Listing highlights
Lots to do nearby
Guests say this area has plenty to explore.
City view
Soak up the view during your stay.
Great host communication
Recent guests loved Sharon's communication.
The Shophouse is a studio apartment-style accomodation in a 100+year old townhouse in George Town. A lot of Penang's best food can be found within 20 mins walk.
The space
The Shophouse is a renovated apartment-style accommodation in a 100+year old townhouse in George Town.
This is the ground floor suite of a three-storey house. As an open-plan private apartment unit, it has a queen-sized bed and a convertible sofa (firm and comfy!) so two people share a bed and the third guest sleeps on a sofa bed. It comes complete with an ensuite bathroom, and a simple kitchen and dining area. Only a microwave (to heat up food) and kettle (for hot drinks) are provided because guests are literally surrounded by Penang's best hawker foods available throughout the day. One 2hp air-con and two ceiling fans keeps the place cool, and the room's centrepiece is its lovely airwell.
** We apologise for the peeling wall next to the bed. This is a quirk of old houses in the city as they sit on water, yes, like Venice, and the limestone wall carries the water up. We will get this repaired as soon as we can get the workmen!
Despite being in the city, you could be woken up by the chirping of birds in the mornings, the ringing of a bell at the Krishna temple behind; and in the afternoon, the warm, yeasty aroma of baking bread will waft in from the next door bakery - one of the few still making traditional Hainanese bread.
*A minimum two-night stay is required.
*During your stay, the floor above your unit could be occupied by the host, or the second floor could be occupied by other guests. All share a main door and common staircase but all have separate entrances to their floors so it's like your own private apartment. I've picked the description as a "private room" though because you will hear people come through the main door and up the stairs.
Hawker highlights around the corner include my neighbour's kaya toast and eggs (Toh Soon, 7.30am-6pm at Campbell Street), wonton mee on Argyll street (morning), koay teow th'ng in the lane next to the Anglo-Indian bungalow opposite (morning to early aftn), pork broth (9am till late) on Kampong Malabar, roti prata and fried maggi mee (9pm -4am), Nasi Kandar (24 hours). ** A food map will be provided!
Guest access
Dato Koyah is off Penang Road which is a paradise of the best hawker foods in Penang. This is a great space for foodies who want to enjoy the rhythms and pace of George Town. The street is largely residential with low-traffic businesses, except at night when one end of the road draws in the supper crowd. Staying in a George Town shophouse will mean ambient sounds of the city. There will be some traffic noise, ie muffled drones of motorbikes whizzing by and the beeping sounds of automatic car locks. This suite is relatively "embedded" within the building so the sound is muted.
The space
The Shophouse is a renovated apartment-style accommodation in a 100+year old townhouse in George Town.
This is the ground floor suite of a three-storey house. As an open-plan private apartment unit, it has a queen-sized bed and a convertible sofa (firm and comfy!) so two people share a bed and the third guest sleeps on a sofa bed. It comes complete with an ensuite bathroom, and a simple kitchen and dining area. Only a microwave (to heat up food) and kettle (for hot drinks) are provided because guests are literally surrounded by Penang's best hawker foods available throughout the day. One 2hp air-con and two ceiling fans keeps the place cool, and the room's centrepiece is its lovely airwell.
** We apologise for the peeling wall next to the bed. This is a quirk of old houses in the city as they sit on water, yes, like Venice, and the limestone wall carries the water up. We will get this repaired as soon as we can get the workmen!
Despite being in the city, you could be woken up by the chirping of birds in the mornings, the ringing of a bell at the Krishna temple behind; and in the afternoon, the warm, yeasty aroma of baking bread will waft in from the next door bakery - one of the few still making traditional Hainanese bread.
*A minimum two-night stay is required.
*During your stay, the floor above your unit could be occupied by the host, or the second floor could be occupied by other guests. All share a main door and common staircase but all have separate entrances to their floors so it's like your own private apartment. I've picked the description as a "private room" though because you will hear people come through the main door and up the stairs.
Hawker highlights around the corner include my neighbour's kaya toast and eggs (Toh Soon, 7.30am-6pm at Campbell Street), wonton mee on Argyll street (morning), koay teow th'ng in the lane next to the Anglo-Indian bungalow opposite (morning to early aftn), pork broth (9am till late) on Kampong Malabar, roti prata and fried maggi mee (9pm -4am), Nasi Kandar (24 hours). ** A food map will be provided!
Guest access
Dato Koyah is off Penang Road which is a paradise of the best hawker foods in Penang. This is a great space for foodies who want to enjoy the rhythms and pace of George Town. The street is largely residential with low-traffic businesses, except at night when one end of the road draws in the supper crowd. Staying in a George Town shophouse will mean ambient sounds of the city. There will be some traffic noise, ie muffled drones of motorbikes whizzing by and the beeping sounds of automatic car locks. This suite is relatively "embedded" within the building so the sound is muted.
Where you’ll sleep
What this place offers
City skyline view
Wifi
Window AC unit
Hair dryer
Sanyo refrigerator
Unavailable: Carbon monoxide alarm
Unavailable: Smoke alarm
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Rated 4.84 out of 5 from 339 reviews.
Guest favorite
This home is a guest favorite based on ratings, reviews, and reliability
Overall rating
- 5 stars, 86% of reviews
- 4 stars, 13% of reviews
- 3 stars, 1% of reviews
- 2 stars, 1% of reviews
- 1 stars, 0% of reviews
Rated 4.8 out of 5 stars for cleanliness
Rated 4.9 out of 5 stars for accuracy
Rated 4.9 out of 5 stars for check-in
Rated 4.9 out of 5 stars for communication
Rated 4.9 out of 5 stars for location
Rated 4.7 out of 5 stars for value
Guests mention
Where you’ll be
George Town
From the host
It's a residential neighbourhood with small businesses and it is calmer compared to parallel roads but yet within short walking distance to every amenity, primarily food and heritage sites.
If you've 30 mins, do watch this recent Singapore documentary on Penang!
If you've 30 mins, do watch this recent Singapore documentary on Penang!
Meet your host
My work: writer
I spend too much time: Watching Korean Drama
I've lived in Malaysia, Singapore, the US, UK and parts of Europe. I'm a writer and have authored a travel book on Malaysia. As a traveller, I believe in a more "authentic" experience and getting a sense of the local way of life. That's why the Airbnb hosting appeals to me.
Host details
Response rate: 100%
Responds within an hour
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