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Ask every Penangite about hotels around Penang and they would definitely mention Cititel Penang. Standing at 16-storeys high, Cititel Penang has been serving guests for more than 20 years. Cititel is centrally located within the upper Penang road, the city’s most vibrant dining and entertainment precinct. Cafes, Bars, and Restaurants are all just a stone’s throw away from Cititel.
At 451 well-appointed guestrooms, Cititel Penang is one of the largest in the area. The rooms ranged from Standard, Deluxe, Superior and Executive Suite. Room prices are pretty affordable at Cititel Penang, and you can check it out HERE.
First Impression – Cititel Penang
The lobby is pretty grand. It doesn’t show any sign of wear and tear despite being a 20+ year old hotel. I arrived at around 12PM to check in and the process was very smooth. Staff and receptionist were very friendly and I got myself checked-in in less than 10 minutes.
Lobby is located on G (ground) floor, the same as Main Street Cafe, Cititel’s all-day-dining restaurant.
I was assigned room 1219, located on the 12th floor. The room was pretty small, but not suffocating, and pretty cozy and comfortable. I was lucky that I was assigned a seaview room!
Unfortunately, no bathrobes are provided. However, there is a safe, ironing board and prayer mat. Slippers are complimentary. The minibar is also pretty simple, with free drinking water, coffee and tea.
The king-sized bed is pretty standard, and its super comfortable to sleep in! There is also a working table just beside the TV.
Right at the corner is a smaller table with a resting chair. The view is amazing. You would also be able to spot Eastern and Oriental Hotel.
The bathroom is just nice with single vanity, toilet and a separated shower area. Basic toilet amenities are also provided. The room assigned to me did not have a bathtub, but there are some rooms who retained the bathtub. The reason behind was Cititel is one of the favorite hotels for Japanese who visit, and hence rooms with bathtub are provided to them. More on the Japanese influence later.
The Facilities
There is an indoor-jacuzzi pool in Cititel Penang that operates from 9AM-5PM. To be honest I felt 5PM was pretty harsh as I see no reason why it can’t be beyond evening and into the night as the water wont be too cold since it’s indoors. The gym on the other hand, is open until 9PM.
entrance to gym and pool 
Gym at the far end
Main Street Cafe – Cititel Penang All Day Dining Restaurant
Breakfast buffet are served in Main Street Cafe, Cititel’s all-day-dining restaurant. Breakfast buffet runs from 7AM-1030AM everyday. I’ve also had the opportunity to have lunch on both days during my stay with Cititel Penang.
For breakfast, the usual suspects can be found (Western and Malaysian). I had the omelette, some ham and sausage, as well as nasi lemak and roti canai. Chawanmushi, Sushi, and soba is also on offer. Freshly prepared noodles is also available.
roti canai sarang burung 
Omelette with extra cheese 
Nasi Lemak with Ayam Rendang
I’ve also had the opportunity to sample the lunch/dinner menu at Main Street Cafe. The foods are all recommendation from the FnB Manager.
Seafood Wat Dan Hor (kuey teow and Bihoon) 
Iced Mocha
The seafood noodles tasted great! Stir-fried bihoon and kuey teow was full of ‘wok-hei’, and goes well with the starchy sauce. The seafood is fresh as well. Iced Mocha on the other hand, was a bit mild and watery.
Iced Latte 
Chicken Sandwich 
Mushroom Soup 
Fried Chicken Chop with Tomato Sauce
On the western side of things, the mushroom soup was thick and creamy. Unfortunately, it was a tad too salty for my liking. Chicken chop was crispy on the outside, and juicy on the inside. The chicken goes well with the sauce too. My favourite has to be the sandwich, 3-tier sandwich with chicken, avocado, vege, egg, as well as pineapple! Tasted very delicious and refreshing. Iced latte tasted average at best, again too light for my liking.
Final Thoughts – Cititel Penang
We had a great stay at Cititel. Grand lobby, refurbished rooms, and a very interesting breakfast menu. Also one of the very few hotels that has an indoor jacuzzi pool. it’s all-day-dining restaurant offers something different for the already spoilt-of-choice consumer.
If you’ve always wanted to stay near the upper Penang road, why not give Cititel a try?
We would like to thank Lin Lin and the Cititel Penang team for their hospitality and for hosting us for 2 nights! We thoroughly enjoyed out stay.
Cititel Penang Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CititelPenang/
Cititel Instagram Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cititelpenang/?hl=en
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