Copthorne Orchid Hotel

I am sorry to say this staff and management, but my stay was far from nice. I didn't listen to the other reviews on trip advisor as I thought you had cleaned up the place like you said you did in the responses. I would have to say that nothing has been done at all. The rooms and carpet are old and not too good on the nose, no new deck chairs and what on earth is up with ash trays supplied in the hallways of no smoking areas. This was an invitation for smokers to gather outside my room and for smoke to come through or under the door. There were families with children there! No sun around the pool because of some monster complex nextdoor that blocks all sun. All in all, this was a nightmare, well over priced rooms and food. This is not a four star or a three star for that matter. I should think one-and-a-half at best.

Not a good one because smell and old and no sun anywhere in the complex because of big buildings next to it.

I had read the reviews (prior to May 2007) of the hotel and was frankly, quite dismayed by the bad reviews. I booked there only because I had a voucher entitling me to 2 free nights, so I was prepared to walk out and find another hotel if it was really as bad as it sounded. Happily, my fears were unfounded. True, the hotel is a little old, but the room I had was very clean, the sheets and bathroom spotless. The towels were clean but a little worn. The mini fridge was great - it was clean and very cold so we could keep our drinks and fruits nicely chilled. A bonus - the hotel also has a decent pool, where you can actually swim a lap or two, and a private beach area. The staff were mostly quite friendly and helpful, especially a front-desk officer named Raymond. In terms of location, it is a little far from the city center. You can catch a free hotel shuttle to the city, but it only comes once a day at 11.30am (which is a little late I feel) and there is a return pick-up from the city at 5.30pm (a little too early). Overall, I would consider it a good, no-frills but clean hotel to stay at.

Contrary to many of the reviews posted, I do think this hotel is not as bad as it sounded. Although age is fast catching with the establishment, the hotel has managed to stay in pretty decent shape. The room are generally large and spacious, and the view of the bay serves for a good morning start. The restaurant serves a decent buffet breakfast, but there is nothing fantastic about it. If you crave for some local dishes, there is a hawker centre just across the road about 5 minutes walk away where you could mingle with the locals and savour some authentic local dishes. The hotel is abit out of the way though from the major tourist and shopping areas, so you would have to travel a fair bit to get to any place decent.

This is our 8th visit to this hotel, and on each occassion we have been welcomed like old friends. The staff are exceptionally pleasent, helpful and nothing is too much trouble. The hotel has been refurbished recently to a high standard. We enjoy the 'private' beach which is tendered and cleaned every day, and all of the rooms have fantastic views. The quality of food the hotel offers is very good as is the room service. The free bus service into town is good, but maybe it could be more than once a day, saying that both public transport and taxis are very cheap to use. Look out for Jeffery (the Pool attendant) who is very helpful and Polly who is part of the Management team. We will be going back again in 2008 and know that the holiday will be great...............................

This hotel was smelly and dingy. Not even a 1 star. Pool chairs broken, all 4 of them. Breakfast was horrid and the staff looked at us like we were dog poo. Wanted a refund but to no avail. Buildings nextdoor are noisy and dusty. Rooms, I won't even go there. This would not be my first recomendation. Take care and be aware. All the other reviews are true and applied to our stay too.

I should have looked at these reviews before we booked. It's all true. The lobby smells musty, the staff are indifferent, The breakfast is very poor quality. We could not get a refund when we saw our room and wanted to leave, so we felt like prisoners. The hotel is a run down place that should not really be operating, as it has health and safety issues that need addressing ie. walls and ceilings have rather large cracks in them with the floor in our room covered in plaster. Bathroom was disscusting with mold and cockroaches about the place. The buildings nextdoor are very noisy and block all the sun around the pool area. My list of negitives is too long. You get the idea though I hope. My recommendation: Anywhere but here.

The Copthorne Orchid advertises itself as “all 318 guestrooms offer private balconies commanding breath-taking views of the sea”. I had breath- taking views of three ugly, half built, rust-orange tower blocks. Fortunately I could not easily see the fourth tower block. The hotel’s beach is a sad affair. The hotel is no better – this hotel desperately needs refurbishment or to be pulled down and re-built. It says it has a gym but this is now a prayer room (the hotel needs the prayers but I need the gym) and the swimming pool area is a bit desperate. They would not even give an extra 1 hour check out at 1.00pm instead of mid-day. There must be better hotels for a similar price on Penang. I hope so…. Penang, on its north and west coasts is a lovely island and Georgetown, with a little love and attention, could be beautiful.

From the first second I walked into the lobby, I could smell the damp musty smell. Things only got worse from here. The staff did not look happy, and they really didn't want to be there which made me feel the same although they did their best under the circumstances and with the very limited resources they had. My sheet were stained and towels had holes in them. The carpet looks and smells like1960's pub carpet and the ceiling was crumbling onto the floor. Cleaners do not vacume so I had white plaster on the floor the entire time I was there. The next morning I looked for the gym they advertise on their web site, and found it is a smelly prayer room in the basement with no evidence there was ever a gym there. Also, no tennis courts or squash courts as advertised. Beach is dirty and uninviting. The pool area gets no sun all day because of the very noisy 4 x 40 something story buildings being built nextdoor. Breakfast is a total shambles, with rice or noodles, you choose. All in all, this is a 1 star hotel that traps the unwary traveller like a venus flytrap. I would not reccomend this place to my worst enemy.

As mentioned in other reviews this hotel is in need of a MAJOR overhaul. It is lucky to be a 2 star. The musty smell hits you as you walk in the door and pass stairwells. Our standard room had a cracked plaster ceiling that would crumble at times, the carpet was worn and patchy, we had sheets and that was about all on our bed. The bathroom was very old and the door was starting to split and shed its wood, tiles cracked, toilet stained and rubbish left in the balcony garden after you fight to open the stiff ranch sliders to get out there. We tried to check out the day we checked in , but were told "NO" so we asked to be moved and were told that we had one of the best rooms already- seems to be a common answer when asking to change. The staff are lovely but the hotel is musty and the carpet needs replacing in the whole hotel, walls are cracked the lobby toilets are disgusting and even the restaurant chairs are worn and coming apart. The pool is lovely when the buildings being built next door are not making too much noise and when you can find a deck chair that is new enough that you don't fall through it. However due to the new buildings being built the pool now has no sun for much of the day. Most definitely NOT a 4 star! Breakfast has a variety of options but very poor quality food and we were very bored of eating the same things every morning for 2 weeks. We were unable to get refunded when we asked to leave as it was "peak season" so had to stay. It says there is a gym, tennis courts and squash courts which is not true. What was once a gym long ago is now a musty and smelly prayer room in what appears to be a dungeon. Stay well away from this hotel. You have been warned.