I had a wonderful stay with the nice people at the Penview Inn. They have done a wonderful job trying to attract the traveler who wants a nice place but doesn’t want to have to pay too much. The rooms are clean, better than any budget hotels in the US, and the cost is fantastic. Expect to pay anywhere from RM40 to RM80 for a room. That’s about $12 to $25 a night.
The lobby of the hotel is actually quite grand. There are marble slabs and marble-esque tile everywhere. The elevators have a nice gold finish. The rooms are fully air-conditioned and the hotel has hot water. You may laugh at the last one, but more than a few hotels in Asia don’t have hot water. The linens were clean and the maids do a nice job.
Since Kuching is a small town, and a safe one, location of a hotel isn’t really a big deal. It’s in a decent area with several local eateries around. There is a grocery store that has most snacks and toiletries within a 5-minute walk.
The Penview also has a wonderful restaurant and excellent banquet facilities. There were several local weddings happening there, and they really seemed to do a nice job. It seems to be a very popular place for the locals to have weddings, as there were five separate wedding going on the weekend I was there. The restaurant is reasonable, and they make a roasted chicken dish that is fabulous.
Getting from the hotel to most destinations in town is only a RM5 taxi ride away, and the hotel staff is only too happy to help you. It may not be the Hilton, but it’s not Motel 6 either, and the rates just can’t be beat.