We liked this hotel so much in 2011 when it was new that we came back this year.
Before this was a rather seedy backpackers hostel, but now the building has been totally renovated in a very nice way befitting the Penang chinese heritage idea by the new owner; the lobby is fine with lots of room and seating; the staff is very helpful with all kind of tips about Penang, carrying your suitcases upstairs to your room if needed since there is no elevator, with online checkin for your flight out and printing the boarding passes should you request it.
The rooms are clean, shower does not overflow, good drainage, which is not always the case in other hotels I have stayed in.
As for the rooms I have been told if you want a larger room you should book the Garden Suite since it has the biggest bedroom, and it is just RM 55 more than the cheapest double room promotional rate. Alas this was occupied this time around.
There are a lot of books and magazines lying on the reading table on the first floor left by former guests.
The new restaurant has OK western dishes, the oriental ones tast good but limited choices, nothing spectacular or you should order in advance.
Just across the road the is a mosque, so you hear the muezin's call to prayer thru loudspeakers, last call around 8:15 pm, quite intrusive.

I stayed at the Yeng Keng Hotel in October 2011 in a Courtyard Twin Room.

Upon arrival, I was greeted by a bellboy at the entrance who brought my luggage to reception. At the reception check in, to my surprise the girl at the desk addressed me by my name, before I had even introduced myself or produced any papers! Throughout the stay all of the staff were extremely friendly and eager to help, and the personalised service was one of the best things about this hotel.

The room was small was decorated with traditional antique furniture. It was clean and overall I was satisfied. However a small problem was that the room was located on the ground floor with the window next to the pool area, so the curtains had to be closed if we wanted some privacy.

The upstairs common areas were absolutely beautifully decorated, and were a great place to sit down and relax. They also supplied some board games and magazines for the guests to use.

I enjoyed the free bottles of drinking water provided to the guests. Breakfast was very small and simple, with the selection consisting mainly of Malay food, so it would be better to eat elsewhere if you do not enjoy local food. The food available was not really that great either.

The hotel supplies free wi fi, however the wi fi reception is bad in the hotel rooms, so you would need to come out to the lobby or restaurant to get good reception. The hotel also has a computer with internet which guests can use for free.

The location could have been better, it is fairly central but not many restuarants or shops in the immediate vicinity.

I thought the price was expensive, with everything considered.

I enjoyed the stay at this hotel and would recommend it to anyone who wants to stay in a place with a bit of character, rather than the usual high rise hotel block.

My wife and I stayed here for 2 nights in February. We were delighted when we arrived at the hotel as the building was even more stunning than we gathered from the photos. The hotel has heritage features including the building the tiling, the painting and the look of the rooms. There is also a large patio area out the front which is a great setting for chillng out at the end of the day. On the negative side the food at the restaurant next door was only average in terms of freshness. Another isssue was that one of the front desk staff seemed indifferent to our needs although another one of the front desk staff was extremely helpful. Overall we enjoyed our experience very much but did feel the level of service could be improved to deserve the best rating,

I thought I had reviewed this property last year after my trip to Penang, but I guess I neglected to do so because I didn't (and still don't) have much, if anything, to add. Nonetheless, another positive review is certainly deserved for this establishment.

Its pretty much all good: nice folks, clean, modern rooms, beautiful property, nice patio good for breakfast and/or an afternoon beverage, and a central location.