Stayed here in October 2012 and work was only part way done but looks like they are powering ahead with it. We had a quite a nice room which was obviously had had it's reno done Yes there were noises to be heard but if you wanted a relaxing place to stay wait till the renos are done. Good spot if you use it as base...but a little walk to most of the major shopping areas. Great street food available at night just down on the corner from Sunway.
Staff were good and very friendly and the breakfasts had all the variety to appeal to all tastes.
Can recommend this one

This hotel is quite good, the staff were really good, the rooms are comfortable and the breakfast reasonable. Bad points are the room fridge is a camping style fridge that just doesn't get cold enough, we lost power in the room and the international power point, which is areally good idea, didn't work. They did loan me plug after maintenance didn"t fix it. Overall we would stay here again.

The hotel is undergoing a massive renovation which is scheduled to complete in March 2013 or so. The bad news is that there will be sounds of construction throughout the day if you stay in your room, breakfast is done in a function room in the lower ground floor whilst the coffee house is being refurbished and other signs of refurbishment in the common areas.

The good news is that the newly refurbished rooms are nice and tastefully done. Flat screen TV, large room safe, refrigerator, hot water kettle, hair dryer its all there. Wi-Fi is available in the room with good speed. The beds are comfortable. The higher room floors have a good view of the city. Breakfast buffet is okay, with a good selection of food, which was however the same both days we were there. Service during breakfast was good, the waiters will bring you coffee or tea and ask you whether you would like eggs for breakfast.

Location-wise, the hotel is a short walk away from the Penang Times Square mall, as well as KOMTAR, Prangin Mall and First Avenue. If you are into chinese hawker food, there are lots of street hawkers practically outside the hotel, 2 minuted down the road.

If you drive, you can park for free in the multi-storey car park. However, to get free parking, you will have to go to the reception counter in the ground floor lobby first to get your ticket endorsed. A bit cumbersome, a better system should be thought of.

All in all, once the renovation works has been completed, the Sunway Hotel should be a good 4-star hotel to stay in as long as prices remain affordable. Recommended for its newly refurbished rooms.

I am glad that I stayed in Sunway Hotel for my recent first visit to Penang.

The staff , from the manager to the receptionists, housekeeping maid, telephone operators and service staff at the breakfast hall were very friendly and helpful. They were cheerful and consistently courteous and thus they really gave me a good impression of Penang's charm and warmth. They are great ambassadors for the hotel and Penang. Kudos to them.

The executive deluxe room was clean and comfortable since it is newly refurbished. The colour scheme was soothing, not loud at all. Pillows were soft and comfortable yet sufficiently firmed for neck support. Bathroom was spacious and it has good shower pressure, so shower time is a joy. It will be even better if the hotel could provide an anti-slip mat in the shower room since the new flooring can be a little slippery after the shower. This is important especially if there are older folks using the shower room. There's good lighting at the full length mirror just outside the toilet, this is very useful for older folks and women.

Breakfast has sufficient variety - salad, cereals, Chinese, soup/fried noodles, Indian curry, nasi lemak, assortment of bread, waffles, fresh milk, coffee, tea, warm water and fruits.

Hotel location is excellent, hawker stalls and coffee shops just a few metres outside the hotel, and major shopping centres (Komtar, 1st Ave Mall and Prangin) are only about 7 to 15 minutes walk (depending on your walking speed). There's a convenient store just next to the hawkers and coffeeshop, so the hotel is a good choice for those travelling with older folks or children.

Overall, the hotel location is excellent and its service staff are efficient and helpful.