Family-Friendly Hotels in Penang
Beach resorts · City hotels · Serviced apartments
With children, where you stay in Penang matters as much as which hotel. Batu Ferringhi on the north coast is the place for pool-and-beach days. Gurney Drive puts malls and seafood hawkers on the doorstep and keeps George Town close. George Town itself is walkable and full of food, but many of its heritage boutique hotels are small, often under 20 rooms, so check what each one offers children before booking.
Below are the hotels whose listings say they suit families. For a side-by-side look at the areas, try our where-to-stay area finder.
52 hotels
Shangri-La Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa
Penang's premier luxury beachfront resort with two wings, award-winning spa, and lush tropical gardens.
RM700-RM2,500 per night
23 Love Lane
Boutique heritage hotel on Love Lane, built across five architectural periods dating to the 1800s and set around its own walled garden.
mid range
Bayan Lepas
AC Hotel Penang
Marriott-branded hotel in Bukit Jambul, south Penang, with a pool, gym, two- and three-bedroom suites and a large amount of event space.
mid range
Bayan Lepas
Amari Hotel
Amari SPICE Penang — a large 453-room upscale hotel in Bayan Lepas, directly connected to the SPICE Convention Centre and Arena, with a 25-metre saltwater pool, four restaurants and a spa, about 5 km from the airport.
luxury
Teluk Bahang
Angsana Teluk Bahang Penang
Five-star beachfront resort on Teluk Bahang, managed by Banyan Tree, with Peranakan-inspired sea-view rooms.
heritage boutique
George Town
Apple Heritage Hotel (formerly Deluxcious Hotel, Spa & Restaurant)
Heritage hotel in the late-1920s Ong Eng Soon Mansion on Northam Road, George Town. Now listed by booking sites as Apple Heritage Hotel.
mid range
George Town
Areca Hotel
Heritage boutique hotel set in 12 restored pre-war shophouses within George Town's UNESCO World Heritage buffer zone.
mid range
Butterworth
Aroma Hotel
A 248-room business hotel in Butterworth on the Penang mainland, about 10 minutes from the Penang Bridge, with on-site dining and entertainment.
apartment
Gurney Drive
Ascott Gurney Penang
Serviced residence on Gurney Drive, George Town — the first Ascott-branded property on Penang island, with studios to two-bedroom apartments.
budget
Jelutong
Avatel Jelutong (formerly ATTA Hotel Jelutong)
Small hotel on Jalan Bukit Dumbar in residential Jelutong, about 4 km from the George Town heritage core, with a rooftop pool and free parking.
mid range
Batu Ferringhi
Bayview Beach Resort
Solid mid-range beachfront resort with pool and sea views at an accessible price point.
RM200-RM500 per night
mid range
George Town
Bayview Hotel Georgetown Penang
Large city hotel on Farquhar Street in George Town, with 340 rooms, an outdoor pool and a rooftop revolving restaurant and sky bar.
mid range
Gurney Drive
Berjaya Hotel
A practical mid-range city hotel in the 1-Stop Midlands Park complex on Jalan Burma, Pulau Tikus, five minutes from Gurney Drive and its malls.
budget
George Town
Broadway Budget Hotel
Budget hotel in a four-storey building at the Pitt Street and Market Street junction, in the middle of George Town's heritage core.
budget
Gurney Drive
Burmahtel
Budget hotel and hostel at Wisma Soon on Jalan Burma, near Pulau Tikus, with family rooms, dorms and free basement parking.
apartment
Batu Ferringhi
By The Sea
Beachfront two-bedroom serviced apartments on Batu Ferringhi beach, with a 50-metre infinity pool, a children's wading pool, direct beach access and balconies looking over the sea or the hills.
budget
Butterworth
Chariton Hotel Butterworth
Business budget hotel in Taman Jermal Indah on the Butterworth mainland, with 50 rooms, free WiFi, parking and a 24-hour front desk.
apartment
George Town
Citadines Connect Bertam Georgetown Penang
A modern 70-unit serviced apartment by Ascott on Jalan Penang in central George Town, with a rooftop pool, studio-to-two-bedroom layouts and Prangin Mall a few minutes' walk away.
apartment
Bukit Mertajam
Citadines Prai Penang
Ascott-run serviced apartments in Bukit Mertajam on mainland Penang, with 168 units, in-room kitchenettes and a 39th-floor pool and gym.
budget
George Town
Cititel Express
Budget hotel on Lebuh Noordin in George Town, a short walk from KOMTAR, with 234 simple air-conditioned rooms in three categories.
budget
Batu Ferringhi
D'Feringghi Hotel & Restaurant
Budget hotel on Jalan Batu Ferringhi with 34 rooms, an Arabic-Italian-Malaysian restaurant and free parking, a short walk from the beach and night market.
luxury
Batu Ferringhi
DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Penang
A family-focused Hilton beach resort at Miami Beach, Batu Ferringhi, with two lagoon-style pools, a spa, a Kids Club and an on-site museum.
mid range
Batu Ferringhi
Flamingo By The Beach
A 280-room seafront hotel on Jalan Tanjung Bungah, between George Town and Batu Ferringhi, with sea-view and hill-view rooms and direct beach access.
mid range
Bukit Mertajam
FUHOTEL
Modern hotel in the Setia Sentral commercial block in Bukit Mertajam, on Penang's mainland, with free private parking and eateries on the doorstep.
luxury
Gurney Drive
G Hotel Gurney
Sleek contemporary luxury hotel on Gurney Drive with infinity pool and direct mall access.
RM400-RM900 per night
mid range
Gurney Drive
Gurney Bay Hotel
A 368-room upscale hotel on Gurney Drive — rebranded as a PARKROYAL in 2024 from the former Evergreen Laurel — with sea or Penang Hill views, a pool, jacuzzi, steam and sauna, and an outdoor tennis court.
Hard Rock Hotel Penang
Iconic music-themed beachfront resort with lagoon pool, water slides, and rock memorabilia.
RM400-RM900 per night
budget
George Town
Hotel 19
Peranakan-themed budget hotel on Weld Quay in George Town, directly opposite the Penang ferry terminal and the main bus terminal.
mid range
George Town
Hotel Continental Penang
Long-running mid-range hotel at 5 Jalan Penang in central George Town, with an outdoor pool, restaurant and walkable heritage sights.
mid range
Tanjung Bungah
Hotel Sentral Seaview Penang
Beachfront hotel in Tanjung Tokong with an outdoor pool, sea views towards Pulau Tikus islet and a hawker centre across the road.
mid range
Bayan Lepas
Hotel Seri Malaysia
Malaysian chain hotel in Bandar Bayan Baru, with an outdoor pool, free parking and a local-cuisine restaurant, close to Setia SPICE and the airport.
mid range
George Town
Kimberley Hotel Georgetown
A 116-room mid-range hotel in a pre-war building in the heart of George Town, a short walk from KOMTAR and the UNESCO heritage core.
budget
George Town
Le Embassy Hotel
A 33-room hotel in a restored 1957 building at the Burmah Road and Transfer Road junction, walkable to Chowrasta Market and KOMTAR.
mid range
George Town
Loop On Leith
A colour-themed boutique hotel at 29 Leith Street in the heart of George Town's heritage core, three minutes' walk from the Blue Mansion, with an indoor courtyard and the Monkey Kitchen restaurant.
apartment
George Town
lyf Georgetown Penang by The Ascott Limited
Ascott's co-living 'lyf' brand on Jalan Penang in the heart of George Town, with studio-to-three-bedroom serviced apartments, social kitchen, gym, pool and laundrette — a MICHELIN Guide 2025 selection.
apartment
George Town
Magazine Vista Hotel
Suite-only boutique stay on Jalan Magazine in central George Town, managed by The Ascott Limited. Two- and three-bedroom units with kitchenettes.
mid range
Butterworth
Masson Hotel
A 47-room hotel at Perai on Penang's mainland, a few minutes' walk from Sunway Carnival Mall and about 23 km by road from George Town.
mid range
Batu Ferringhi
Mercure Penang Beach
A 4-star Accor beach hotel at 505 Jalan Tanjung Bungah, with direct beach access and a sea-facing pool, midway between George Town and Batu Ferringhi.
budget
George Town
Nio Hotel
No-frills hotel at 100 Jalan Burma in George Town, rebranded from Tune Hotel Georgetown Penang to Nio Hotel in 2026. 24-hour front desk, free Wi-Fi.
resort
Batu Ferringhi
PARKROYAL Penang Resort
Beachfront family resort on 30 acres of tropical gardens with massive pool and direct beach access.
RM350-RM800 per night
luxury
Gurney Drive
Penang Marriott Hotel
Gurney Drive's newest upscale hotel (opened 2024), part of a landmark 55-storey complex, with an infinity pool over the Gurney seafront and a grand ballroom.
resort
Tanjung Bungah
Rainbow Paradise Beach Resort
All-suite beachfront resort on Tanjung Bungah beach, on the coast road between George Town and Batu Ferringhi. Sea-view balconies, pool and gym.
mid range
George Town
Red Rock Hotel
A long-running mid-range hotel on Jalan Macalister in central George Town — close to the hospital corridor — with a swimming pool, a grand ballroom and a convenience store, pharmacy and hair salon on site.
mid range
George Town
Royale Chulan Penang
Four-star waterfront hotel on Pengkalan Weld in George Town, partly housed in a restored 1892 heritage building, with a saltwater pool and 24-hour gym.
Shangri-La Golden Sands Resort
Family-friendly Shangri-La beach resort on Batu Ferringhi, with 387 rooms, a kids' waterpark and beachfront dining.
mid range
Butterworth
Sunway Hotel Seberang Jaya
A 202-room business hotel in Seberang Jaya on Penang's mainland, 500 m from Sunway Carnival Mall and about 40 minutes by car from the airport.
mid range
George Town
Super 8
A simple, central value hotel on Lebuh Tye Sin in the heart of George Town, with compact Standard, Superior and Deluxe rooms a short walk from Komtar and Prangin Mall.
mid range
George Town
The Granite Luxury Hotel
A modern tower hotel on Magazine Road in central George Town with 52 rooms and 100 suites, a record-breaking acrylic-bottom rooftop pool, a SkyBar and views over the old town, Komtar and the sea.
mid range
George Town
The Leith (Formerly Waldorf Hotel)
A mid-range hotel in George Town with five room categories from Standard King to Family Room, modern in-room comforts and a central heritage-core location.
The Light Hotel
Business and family hotel in Seberang Jaya on mainland Penang: 303 rooms, an outdoor pool, halal-certified dining and a ballroom seating up to 1,800.
mid range
George Town
Travelodge Georgetown
Mid-range hotel on Macalister Road in George Town, with 131 rooms, an outdoor pool and Penang street food immediately outside the door.
More ways to choose a hotel
Frequently Asked Questions
Where should families stay in Penang?
Families wanting pool-and-beach days do best at a Batu Ferringhi resort. Families wanting modern convenience, malls and seafood hawkers with easy access to George Town suit Gurney Drive. Families settling in for a longer stay often prefer Pulau Tikus or the Tanjung Tokong and Tanjung Bungah condo belt.
How were these hotels chosen?
Each one has a full listing on Visit Penang, and that listing either names families among the guests the hotel suits or lists a children’s facility such as a kids’ club or a children’s pool. We have not inspected the hotels ourselves, so treat this as a shortlist rather than a guarantee.
Do all of these hotels have family rooms?
Not necessarily. Some listings mention family rooms, connecting rooms or suites; others only say the hotel suits families. If you need a particular room set-up, such as four beds in one room, confirm it with the hotel before you book.
Which areas do these family hotels cover?
The largest groups are in George Town (22), Batu Ferringhi (10), Gurney Drive (6), Butterworth (5). Use the area finder on our where-to-stay page if you are unsure which suits your trip.