Must-see hotels in Malaysia, Singapore & Brunei

  • Kinabalu Backpackers

    Kota Kinabalu

    This central hostel is clean, icy-cool and, despite lacking atmosphere, is quite OK to kip for the night. Note that dorm beds don't come with a blanket …

  • Izz Room

    Pulau Langkawi

    A pleasant community feel enlivens Izz Room's basic, sparsely furnished accommodation spread around a palm-shaded gravel courtyard. The best rooms are in…

  • Desa Inn

    Malaysia

    Featuring pastel tones and a mustard colour scheme beloved of budget inns in these parts, this inoffensive hotel has plain but clean rooms comfy enough…

  • Yard Boutique Hotel

    Kuala Lumpur

    Contemporary design rooms are comfortable and decent value at this rough-luxe style place set around a shady courtyard. Bring earplugs to block out the…

  • Uncle Homestay

    Kuala Terengganu

    This budget hotel is handy for the bus station. Rooms are prosaic (and mostly windowless), but the shared bathrooms are clean and well kept. Spacious,…

  • My Friend’s Place

    Pulau Tioman

    Located just south of the jetty in ABC, this backpacking place is busy, social, clean and priced just a whisker lower than the competition. All bungalows…

  • Zeeadam Backpackers

    Johor

    The only true backpacker place in town, the Zeeadam has just two dorm rooms, sleeping 10 people on ultrafirm beds, and a twin with terrace. There's a…

  • Sahabat Guest House

    Kuala Lumpur

    This blue-painted guesthouse is well run, offering 14 tidy bedrooms with tiny en-suite bathrooms and a feature wall plastered in vivid patterned wallpaper…

  • The Chambers

    George Town

    With views through trees across to the Padang, this 11-room hotel and restaurant offers pleasant, reasonably spacious rooms with wooden floors and some…

  • Ola Lavanderia

    Melaka City

    Spanish speakers will understand the reason for the name. This B&B was once a laundry, though the washers and dryers have made way for one minimalist dorm…

  • Hotel Juta

    Sabah

    Hotel Juta has business-like, international-style rooms with clean bathrooms, fresh linen and mismatched furniture. There's a decent breakfast, but you'll…

  • Sea Princess Hotel

    Penang

    You can't miss this brightly coloured, three-storey block, located along Teluk Bahang's main drag. The 18 rooms are clean and spacious, and have a dash of…

  • Pusat Belia Youth Centre

    Brunei Darussalam

    This simple, renovated hostel is in a bright-orange building just north of the ferry terminal. The sex-segregated dorms, each with six beds (bunks), are…

  • Aseania Resort

    Johor

    Rooms are big and clean enough, with dark-wood interiors. The service is stellar and the jungle pool, surrounded by a stylish wooden deck, is a shady…

  • Hotel Embassy

    Johor

    A decent choice compared with other cheapies in town, this is a reasonable place to clean up and return to reality after bumming it on island beaches. All…

  • Mado Homestay

    Sarawak

    This family home is a peaceful spot to relax after a hike. After dinner, host Mado (a guide) likes to sit at the kitchen fire and tell stories of tourists…

  • Muarar Hotel 99

    Johor

    Muar doesn't have a great selection of hotels, but this is reasonable value, offering comfortable rooms with flat-screen TV; staff are pleasant. Find it…

  • Johan’s Resort

    Pulau Tioman

    This not-very-welcoming place has two decent value four-bed dorms up the hillside; the chalets are pretty much the same as other cheap options on the…

  • Century Pines Resort

    Cameron Highlands

    Stepping into Century Pines' lobby gives the impression of an upmarket hotel from the '80s (statement pillars, marble floors) but thankfully rooms have…

  • Panorama Hotel

    Taiping

    With a beige colour scheme and trapped-in-the-'80s ambience, the Panorama isn't a stylish address – and rooms (particularly bathrooms) aren't ageing…

  • Victoria Inn

    George Town

    There's just a hint of style here, with faux-wood floors, splashes of paint and arty Penang photos on the walls, but other than that it’s really just a…

  • Federal

    Kuala Lumpur

    The Federal opened shortly after Malaysia gained independence in 1957 and there's something of a nostalgic feel to this old-school hotel, which has…

  • Purnama Hotel

    Sarawak

    Ensconced in Limbang’s tallest building (12 storeys), this uninspiring hotel – ornamented with rainbow-hued balconies – has 218 spacious but aesthetically…

  • Forest Lodge Type 5

    Sarawak

    'Type 5' accommodation is in either two-room wooden lodges (three single beds in each) with a shared bathroom, or a newer concrete terraced block (four…

  • Hotel Supreme

    Singapore

    One of the few inexpensive options available around Orchard Road, you can usually grab a room for S$110 here. Decor is basic and old-fashioned – lots of…

  • Frenz Hotel

    Kuala Lumpur

    Fairly typical of the many lower priced midrange options in the area, with comfortable, clean rooms (but not all with windows and all pretty compact)…

  • Hiap Chiong Hotel

    Sarawak

    Not much to look at from the outside, the Hiap Chiong has 15 passably clean rooms with outdated furniture and tiny flat-screen TVs. Cash only. A sign on…

  • Telang Usan Hotel

    Kuching

    A welcoming hotel popular with domestic travellers that exudes an old-school feel. The rooms are a little old-fashioned, with ageing furniture, but the…

  • Expo Hotel

    Sabah

    While considerably less grand than its name suggests it might be, Expo is clean, central, good value for money and will do in a pinch as an overnighter…

  • Impiana

    Kuala Lumpur

    This chic property offers spacious rooms with parquet floors and lots of seductive amenities including a spa and infinity pool. The newer and more pricey…

  • Nazri’s II

    Pulau Tioman

    Similar to Nazri’s Place, but on the north end of ABC and set in a particularly well-tended garden that spreads up the hillside. The high-up restaurant is…

  • Hotel Timotel

    Johor

    Just over the bridge, this long-established business-style hotel is a step up from the rest of the town's accommodation, but it's fraying a bit at the…

  • Abell Hotel

    Kuching

    This nonsmoking hotel offers 80 rooms that are stylish but not luxurious; the cheaper ones look out onto an air well. The name – like that of the street…

  • Hotel Malaysia

    George Town

    It's definitely not the sexiest hotel in town, but the spacious and recently renovated rooms boasting crisp sheets, professional service and views to the…

  • Kembara Resort

    Peninsular Malaysia's Northeast

    Kembara Resort is an inexpensive and friendly place, with simple bungalows that are popular with the student crowd. There are organised activities and a…

  • Sweet Hotel

    Johor

    Serviceable for a night or two, this modest hotel has simple but very affordable rooms, with parking out front and a 24-hour restaurant pretty much right…

  • Imperial Hotel

    Miri

    The city centre’s poshest multistorey hotel has business and fitness centres, restaurants, a sauna and a swimming pool. Try to book a more modern room in…

  • Hotel Mini Indah

    Kuala Terengganu

    This hotel is relatively clean and functional and provides you with an inexpensive stay that's not too far from Shah Bandar Ferry Terminal and the town…

  • Mayo Inn

    Little India & Kampong Glam

    A no-frills midrange hotel with courteous staff members, and simply furnished Western and Japanese concept rooms with sparkling bathrooms. More expensive…

  • Forest Hostel

    Sarawak

    Built of wood, the old hostel buildings are scuffed and dented but perfectly serviceable. Rooms have four single-storey beds lined up in a row, fridges…

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