The Krystal Suites Service Apartment

I stayed here in 2011 and because I was going to be conducting training across the street I booked here again with Agoda. When I arrived there was dust on the unmanned reception desk and the security guards told me that the hotel had been closed for two years! I was unable to contact Agoda and so I asked one of the security guards to call a taxi for me. Luckily for me because I had stayed there before, I was familiar with the area and knew that there was a hotel not too far away at the shopping mall. If I had been a tourist from Europe who had never been to Penang and did not speak much English, I would have been in dire straits! When I got back home I called Agoda and spoke to Brandon. Agoda charged me one night for cancellation. I did not cancel, the hotel was not open which means Agoda stole my money. Jenny at Agoda wrote "We are pleased to inform you that we already process your refund..." on 05 July but there has not been a refund so far; only a penalty for not being able to stay in a hotel that is closed. I will never use Agoda again nor will I use Booking.com because they are actually the same company.

Krystal suites is conveniently located and practical for both tourists and business purposes. Near to Queens bay mall and bukit jambul. Also the Bayan Lepas industrial zone is in its vicinity. The Penang international airport is about 20 minutes away. Checking in was smooth, into a 2 bedroom apartment. Everything in good working condition in the room. I do agree with earlier reviews that bathroom need a thorough cleaning as the flooring and walls are showing unwanted spots. Swimming pool on the 8th floor is very nice and my family had a good time there. The apartment itself is very spacious and comfortable. Car park card given for guests convenient. Wi-Fi though was a bit slow. I will definitely return and hopefully the management can improve based on reviews for a better stay.

My favourite homestay in Penang was occupied last weekend. As this hotel is near to USM, I booked a one bedroom suite and prayed hard that it is not as bad as some of the reviews I read about this place. Amazingly, it turned out to be the best room you can ask for RM158 per night. Actually, the one bedroom suite is very spacious, with a big bedroom that can easily fit two queen beds with built in wooden cabinet, a living hall with a 24in flat tv on the wall and a comfortable sofa, a kitchen with a 4-seater dining table, a microwave, a kettle and a fridge, a corner with a writing desk and a newly renovated washroom. Each area of the suite is equipped with different aircondition unit. We only switched on one in the living hall as it is more than enough to make you feel comfortable. There are also a lot of sockets everywhere in the house, making it very easy to charge our handphones. The best part is, the suite is very clean although the furniture looks quite old. Nothing can beat the cleanliness of this place. The free wifi also has very good connection. The receptionist is very kind and helpful. We requested for an early check in at 12.00pm but was told that our room was not ready. She kindly offered us another room which was ready but was quite far from the lift. We refused and when we returned at 1.45pm, the room was already ready. The service is also fast as when we called to request for an iron at around 10.00pm, the staff sent the iron to our room in less than 10 minutes and we could use it as long as want it. There is also no problem of where to park your car. There is a lot of parking spaces near the lifts. However, there is still room for improvement. The windows need to be changed as the laminating material is broken. Though the view from the window is totally not amazing, it does not matter at all because what i really look for is a safe, clean and comfortable place to put up for a night.