Enjoyable stay in the Cintra Heritage House, excellent location close to everything, friendly staff and good rooms although I do not recommend the downstairs ones as they only have windows to the inside courtyard and feel a bit claustrophobic. I asked to be moved upstairs and it was much better - if you are not too worried by the street noise. Clean facilities, good breakfast, no TV but excellent wifi, good aircond, overall a very pleasant stay. Staff could be a bit more informed to provide guests with shortcuts

I enjoyed a three-night stay in one of Cintra's standard rooms at the back of the guesthouse. Although there was little natural light, the room was spacious and furnished with lovely solid wood furniture. The room, the bathroom, and all the public area were very comfortable and clean. In the airy upstairs sitting room, there's a computer with free internet access.

Cintra's kitchen turns out some delicious food. I would encourage the guesthouse to always offer the "local breakfast"--nasi lemak--as one of the options for guests who have breakfast included in the price of their stay.

The staff did not provide much "tourist" information, but everyone was very friendly and I learned a lot about local issues from my conversations with them.

This is a thoroughly delightful place to stay with the ferry, shops, restaurants, art galleries, and so on within easy walking distance.

I stayed at Cintra Heritage House for four nights during a visit to Penang in late December. I found out about this hotel from TripAdvisor, and though it is still pretty new, the reviews so far seemed to indicate that it's a good place to stay among many selections in Georgetown area.

We had six travelers. Initially I booked the room for only two travelers. When a third one was coming, we found out that the hotel did not have any more room available (given it's essentially a guest house/ B&B, they don't have that many rooms available in the first place). We were able to get an extra bed for the room, so three of us could stay there. The other three travelers who joined us very late before the trip ended up staying at a large hotel called Cititel nearby.

The location of the hotel is great as it is close to a major road called Lebuh Chulia w/ public buses passing through there. We used public buses and the CAT shuttle bus to travel around Georgetown and to some areas on the island, and KOMTAR bus station is within 10-15 minute walk from Cintra Heritage House. In the morning, there is a street market at nearby Lebuh Campbell that you can visit for authentic look on how the locals shop. At night, you can find many street food vendors within walking distance (at Lebuh Kimberley, Lebuh Chulia). Upper Penang Road where many of the western tourists go for nightlife (should you prefer that) is also within 15 minute walk.

Coming from Indonesia where we had experience with old Chinese 'Peranakan' style homes owned by our relatives, we could say that they had done great job restoring the building and converting it into a B&B. The architecture and decoration felt authentic, thought there were some quirky setups that may cause western visitors used to more modern lodging choices to be uncomfortable. The bathroom is quite small, and there is no clear separation between the shower area and the toilet area. We also stayed in a room that was facing the street, with wooden window and door that when opened literally would take you to the street. That might be a bit weird or uncomfortable for some people, though in our case it wasn't a problem since we only spent time in our room to rest and freshen up and spending most of our time out and about.

The room is equipped with air conditioner and also a ceiling fan. Much appreciated especially after long days out in the heat.

Breakfast was wonderful; you have a choice of either a traditional Chinese/Malaysian breakfast (we had rice porridge one day, and mee goreng on another) or western style breakfast (eggs cooked to order, toast, and fruits). The coffee was also great.

Staff was very courteous. One of my travel partners had some good chat w/ a staff member who was very friendly and helpful even though he didn't speak Malay and his English was so so.

Overall, I think it was great value for the money, and I would stay at Cintra Heritage House again if I were to visit Penang in the future. Just remember to book well in advance given the limited number of rooms available.

Cintra Heritage House is a reasonable walk from the ferry and bus station, making it an excellent location for exploring Georgetown. And, the essential buses to getting around Penang can be caught just around the corner on Lubah Chulia. Cintra has a very charming appearance making it very inviting. Someone has a good eye for design and has managed to display a terrific collection of antiques in the lobby and the adjoining cafe'. Imran, and the rest of the staff are very kind, helpful and attentive. WiFi is free of charge and works well throughout the entire hotel. The coffee served in the cafe' is deep, rich and excellent. It is worth pointing out that we were awakened in the wee hours of the morning by the call to prayer from the nearby mosque. Since a loudspeaker is used, we are guessing that it is heard for long distances making it unavoidable from most hotels in the area. The only real negative we found was a lack of attention to detail in the cleanliness of our room. A dirty glass from the previous guest was left in the bathroom from the day we arrived until we left. The chrome sink fixtures and walls around the sink were quite dirty and needed to be cleaned. Otherwise, the bedroom area was very clean, and the linens on the bed were lovely. Once you begin researching hotels in Georgetown, and then actually arrive in Penang, you will realize why this hotel and just a few of the others stand out as better than the rest. If you like Indian food, walk a few blocks up Lubah Chulia in the direction of the ferry to Restoran Kapitan for some of the best Indian food you will ever eat.