Hotels

Every hotel we actually stayed in

Place Hotel Price Verdict
Kuala Lumpur Royce Residence KLCC by Cobnb €330 / 3 nights Would book again.
Ipoh The Octagon Ipoh – In the Heart of the City €89 / 2 nights Would not book again.
Penang Lost Paradise Resort €345 / 4 nights Clear recommendation.
Mersing BASED – Mersing €106 / 1 night Good ferry stop.
Tioman Melina Beach Resort €1,090 / 5 nights Trip highlight. Would return.
Singapore YOTEL Singapore Orchard Road €911 / 2 rooms / 4 nights Small rooms, very good location.

Royce Residence KLCC by Cobnb, Kuala Lumpur

Very good overall. The KLCC location worked extremely well for us, the rooftop pool had the skyline feel we wanted, and the apartment was spacious, clean and good value.

We had seen criticism online about check-in, elevators and service, but those issues were not part of our own stay.

Would we book it again? Yes.

The Octagon Ipoh – In the Heart of the City

This was the accommodation we would not repeat. The main problem was a strong smell coming from the toilets.

We only ended up here because our originally planned accommodation at The Horizon / Infinity View Suites had its pool closed at short notice.

Would we book it again? No.

Lost Paradise Resort, Penang

We loved this place. It has a lush, distinctive Balinese / Asian atmosphere with greenery, pools and real character.

It does not have a proper swimming beach, but that did not stop it from being a clear recommendation for us.

It is outside George Town, yet Grab made getting around easy enough that the location did not feel like a problem.

Would we book it again? Yes.

BASED – Mersing

Mersing was mainly a necessary overnight stop before the ferry. The town itself did not give us a reason to stay longer, but the hotel did exactly what we needed and was good for one night.

Would we book it again for the same purpose? Yes.

Melina Beach Resort, Tioman

This was paradise for us and one of the standout stays of the trip.

It is expensive, but a large part of what you are paying for is the location. The biggest downside was the cost of boat taxis. The town was still reachable on foot in around 25 minutes.

Would we book it again? Yes.

YOTEL Singapore Orchard Road

The rooms are small — very small compared with the space we had elsewhere on the trip — but the location is very good and it worked well as a city base.

Would we book it again? For a city trip, yes.