Kuala Lumpur
This blue-painted guesthouse is well run, offering 14 tidy bedrooms with tiny en-suite bathrooms and a feature wall plastered in vivid patterned wallpaper…
Must-see hotels in Malaysia, Singapore & Brunei
Melaka City
Spanish speakers will understand the reason for the name. This B&B was once a laundry, though the washers and dryers have made way for one minimalist dorm…
George Town
With views through trees across to the Padang, this 11-room hotel and restaurant offers pleasant, reasonably spacious rooms with wooden floors and some…
Sabah
Hotel Juta has business-like, international-style rooms with clean bathrooms, fresh linen and mismatched furniture. There's a decent breakfast, but you'll…
Cherating
Occupying a large lot, this friendly spot has a shared kitchen, free coffee and an array of accommodation, running from budget shared-bathroom bungalows…
Penang
You can't miss this brightly coloured, three-storey block, located along Teluk Bahang's main drag. The 18 rooms are clean and spacious, and have a dash of…
Pahang & Tioman Island
Despite the odd name, this friendly enough hotel has rather cell-like rooms, but they are relatively clean, although the spongy, humid mattresses may be a…
Brunei Darussalam
This simple, renovated hostel is in a bright-orange building just north of the ferry terminal. The sex-segregated dorms, each with six beds (bunks), are…
Johor
Rooms are big and clean enough, with dark-wood interiors. The service is stellar and the jungle pool, surrounded by a stylish wooden deck, is a shady…
Johor
A decent choice compared with other cheapies in town, this is a reasonable place to clean up and return to reality after bumming it on island beaches. All…
Sarawak
This family home is a peaceful spot to relax after a hike. After dinner, host Mado (a guide) likes to sit at the kitchen fire and tell stories of tourists…
Lake Gardens, Brickfields & Bangsar
This simple, clean and conveniently located budget hotel might just be a lifesaver if you arrive at KL Sentral without a place to stay. For a room with a…
Pulau Tioman
This not-very-welcoming place has two decent value four-bed dorms up the hillside; the chalets are pretty much the same as other cheap options on the…
Cameron Highlands
Stepping into Century Pines' lobby gives the impression of an upmarket hotel from the '80s (statement pillars, marble floors) but thankfully rooms have…
Johor
Muar doesn't have a great selection of hotels, but this is reasonable value, offering comfortable rooms with flat-screen TV; staff are pleasant. Find it…
Taiping
With a beige colour scheme and trapped-in-the-'80s ambience, the Panorama isn't a stylish address – and rooms (particularly bathrooms) aren't ageing…
Kuala Lumpur
The Federal opened shortly after Malaysia gained independence in 1957 and there's something of a nostalgic feel to this old-school hotel, which has…
Perak
This tidy hotel near Lumut jetty has unadorned rooms maintained to a high standard. It's a comfortable stop if you miss the last bus or ferry out of Lumut.
George Town
There's just a hint of style here, with faux-wood floors, splashes of paint and arty Penang photos on the walls, but other than that it’s really just a…
Kudat
Ria is central, has pleasant rooms with desk, comfy beds, fresh linen, TV and bathroom. The real boon though is the funky cafe downstairs, which…
Kedah
A simple, good-value, Chinese-style budget hotel, located in a renovated wooden house beside Masjid Zahir. The rooms are chintzy (with 1980s-style two…
Sarawak
Ensconced in Limbang’s tallest building (12 storeys), this uninspiring hotel – ornamented with rainbow-hued balconies – has 218 spacious but aesthetically…
Tawau
Once upon a time this was Tawau's superior option, but now this towering monolith of a hotel is crying out for refurbishment and the wi-fi doesn't quite…
Sarawak
'Type 5' accommodation is in either two-room wooden lodges (three single beds in each) with a shared bathroom, or a newer concrete terraced block (four…
Singapore
One of the few inexpensive options available around Orchard Road, you can usually grab a room for S$110 here. Decor is basic and old-fashioned – lots of…
Chinatown, Merdeka Square & Bukit Nanas
If all you need is an inexpensive room to yourself, this place works. The cheapest rooms have no windows but are away from the noisy main street. The…
Chinatown, Merdeka Square & Bukit Nanas
It’s worth paying extra at this small, appealingly designed hotel to get a room with a window. Each floor is named after a curry ingredient, but the decor…
Kuala Lumpur
Fairly typical of the many lower priced midrange options in the area, with comfortable, clean rooms (but not all with windows and all pretty compact)…
Sarawak
Not much to look at from the outside, the Hiap Chiong has 15 passably clean rooms with outdated furniture and tiny flat-screen TVs. Cash only. A sign on…
Kuching
A welcoming hotel popular with domestic travellers that exudes an old-school feel. The rooms are a little old-fashioned, with ageing furniture, but the…
Sabah
While considerably less grand than its name suggests it might be, Expo is clean, central, good value for money and will do in a pinch as an overnighter…
Kuala Lumpur
This chic property offers spacious rooms with parquet floors and lots of seductive amenities including a spa and infinity pool. The newer and more pricey…
Pulau Tioman
Similar to Nazri’s Place, but on the north end of ABC and set in a particularly well-tended garden that spreads up the hillside. The high-up restaurant is…
Johor
Just over the bridge, this long-established business-style hotel is a step up from the rest of the town's accommodation, but it's fraying a bit at the…
Pahang & Tioman Island
Rooms are comfortable if a bit plain at this 15-room hotel, but come with large flat-screens. Staff speak English and are all smiles. Find it opposite the…
George Town
It's definitely not the sexiest hotel in town, but the spacious and recently renovated rooms boasting crisp sheets, professional service and views to the…
Kuching
This nonsmoking hotel offers 80 rooms that are stylish but not luxurious; the cheaper ones look out onto an air well. The name – like that of the street…
Peninsular Malaysia's Northeast
Kembara Resort is an inexpensive and friendly place, with simple bungalows that are popular with the student crowd. There are organised activities and a…
Johor
Serviceable for a night or two, this modest hotel has simple but very affordable rooms, with parking out front and a 24-hour restaurant pretty much right…
Miri
The city centre’s poshest multistorey hotel has business and fitness centres, restaurants, a sauna and a swimming pool. Try to book a more modern room in…
