Howie is a wonderful host, accommodating, friendly, gets everyone together and takes you out on trips - cannot fault his hospitality!! Also 3 cats in the hostel who are super friendly and cute. - Breakfast is complimentary and Howie went above and beyond to make sure we were catered for (we are both vegan) and this was so appreciated as we have struggled in some other places! thank you 🙏🏼 - location, slap bang in the centre of George Town so easy to get everywhere by foot. Bathrooms were super clean, no mozzies!! rooms were small but comfortable enough 😊

We had a nice stay here, the staff are very welcoming and they make a lot of effort to make the place nice. There’s often free local snacks in the mornings and an impressive range of snacks, bread and spreads there the whole time, as well as free tea and coffee. The cats are fun to play with and the location is very central. The only downside is that it can be pretty loud from the street outside but usually quietens down after 22:00.

Best stay in whole Malaysia! Howie is such a beautiful soul! :) It was a wonderful time there, we immediately felt like home. We stayed there for 2 Months during the beginning of the pandemic last year and finding this gem in these times was the best that could have happened ;) We loved the cooking lessons ^_^ We hope the Cocoa Mews family is doing well Thanks for everything and greetings to everyone!

Love this hostel Booked two nights here because we needed to get out of Kuala Lumpur for a couple days. We got our own private bedroom with a queen bed for $13 a night. The hostel itself is in a heritage building which are the old buildings that are being preserved. Hostel was always clean and the staff are amazing. It has its own unique charm with cute art and decorations all over. Howie was awesome and took us out on our first night and showed us where to eat and the cheap place to buy alcohol... He even walked with us and told us other cool spots to go to. They have coffee, tea and water and leave out snacks for everyone to eat. The hostel itself is a five min walk from the port and in the center of everything. They also have cute house cats that live there that are so sweet and adorable. Definitely would stay here again!

I had an enjoyable stay here in the single room. Howie the host is very kind and generous and the effort he put into making the place feel like a home was much appreciated. The breakfast is great, atmosphere is relaxed, and they have two beautiful cats.

The atmosphere created here by Howie and upheld by himself as well as Arthur and Amid is truly special, this is added to by the furry mascots, Bobby & Garfield. The house is somewhat noisy and the rooms, though cozy and clean, are not the reason one comes to this homestay. There is a kitchen with 2 tables to meet other travelers and enjoy the local snacks brought in for breakfast in the morning as well as some fruits and snacks for hungry hikers or sleepwalkers. There's a communal fridge to leave items in, 3 in 1 or local filter like coffee as well as tea and a water filter. The showers contain shower gel & shampoo. What really makes this place special is the friendliness with which the crew interacts with the guests. A jovial, honest and open atmosphere and a genuine urge to give the best tips and inside knowledge. You will be able to join a whatsapp group through which you will enjoy many, many, many messages filled with suggestions and useful tips. Definitely an unforgettable stay. Thank you, Howie, Arthur & Amid! We will be back!

Wonderful quirky guesthouse. This type of older building gave the stay a unique cultural charm. Very helpful and informative hosts. Super cute cats, good snacks, loved it! Super near bus lines, good food, and attractions. Of course this is not a high-end resort, but this is a place where you stay if you want traditional charm, love of cats, and wonderful, friendly hosts. Definitely good for solo travelers like me (I'm in my 30s) who value both quiet time with a private room but are also looking to socialize too with the shared eating area. Good aircon, 4 big pillows in my bed, I loved it. Only thing to note is that there's a set of stairs at the entryway so not wheelchair accessible.

If I could give more stars I would! The location was great, in the heart of Little India and close to everything. The room was very comfortable and clean. A shared kitchen with everything you might need (toast, fruit, cereal, jams, milk, coffee, tea, biscuits) and yummy local free breakfast that Howie brings every morning. There's also a group chat with so many good recommendations! This is probably the best place we've stayed in a city, I can't think of anything missing. Thank you Howie :)

Great vibe in the middle of little India. It's simple but has everything you need for seeing the city including a community whatsapp for good ideas. King Arthur is the friendliest guy you'll meet while travelling except for their lazy cat Garfield.

Couldn't recommend this place more. The host is so friendly and gave us so, so many places to go/food to try/places to get cheap drinks. The food in the morning is amazing, homemade. Rooms very comfortable. The whole place feels like home and has a real sense of community. We LOVED our stay here!

Great experience overall. Howie was an absolutely amazing host, and really seemed to want to make sure everyone could experience the culture in George Town. He brought various breakfast items, complete with descriptions, and had brought a variety of fruit for everyone to try while it was in season. The rooms were nice, with AC that worked well. Shared showers/toilets were mildly inconvenient but we're always clean and even had soap and shampoo available. Drinking water was always available and it was easy to fill up water bottles. The resident cats were very sweet, and sometimes a little feisty (as cats do). They often try to make themselves at home in the room but aren't too difficult to remove if you want to. Very short walk to great street food, sights, and a couple motorbike rentals. Highly recommend taking a scooter out around the island when you explore. Overall great experience and I would definitely stay there again if I travel that was again.

Thank you very much for such a warm welcome. This is where you get so much more than a place to sleep. You are treated like an old friend who came to visit. It is clean, friendly, they serve delicious breakfasts and they always tell you where to go to find what you need. The best place!

I recently stayed at the Cocoa Mews Homestay and it was an amazing experience! One of the best I've stayed in. From the moment I checked in, the staff/owner was incredibly friendly and helpful. The room was clean and comfortable for a stay. Location is very strategic. Everything is walking distance, street food, restaurants and all the tourist attraction. Overall, I really recommend Cocoa Mews to anyone looking for a comfortable and enjoyable stay in the Penang. I would definitely stay here again in the future.

Very nice hostel in Chulia area and lebur king, Georgetown Penang, Good owner, Good reception, Good location and Good cat lol. The room is old but I'm not problem. In the kitchen they have free drinks and snacks for you and can walk around the town or go by bus so easy.

Beautiful, caring airbnb owners. Cheap affordable price in the heart of Little India. Howie and Amit are super friendly and you can ask them for up-to-date recommendations on laundry, sight-seeing, food, bike rentals and more! The whatsapp group and overall friendly culture makes it so easy for travellers to enjoy their stay here :) Everyone would share their opinions on food and stuff and ask their questions in there. I especially love the cats. Garfield is an old chubby ginger that loves to climb on our bed and sleep. Bobby is the erratic dramatic black cat that loves to play! Puteh outside with his son are also a common sight to appreciate. If you travel alone I'm sure you won't feel so lonely with them :) If you are not fond of them, just ignore them and they will also not pester you or go into your room. Howie and Amit get us morning breakfast everyday that is authentic Malaysian food like roti canai and goreng pisang, for FREE! Other food options available like cereal and toast for the Westeners. Coffee, milo, tea too. They cater to everyon from everywhere :) Facilities are also up to date and simple. Toaster, microwave, fridge, freezer. Shower had weak water pressure before but they fixed it and it's now perfect. They have a medicinal cabinet with mopiko, muscle ache ointment, masks, nail clippers, a discipline cane, everything! The room is simple. Air conditioner, a nice bed, a small lamp, some cupboards, a clothes hangar, working TV. Simple and sweet. Only downsides: air conditioner is a little noisy. It's easy to hear people's footsteps upstairs, and the road outside too. You might question the hygiene but the place is kept as clean as can be with cats in a shophouse setting lah you can build your immunity. It's perfectly fine!

A perfect stay at Cocoa Mews, we'll come back for sure ! The location, the nice and comfortable bedroom, the clean facilities, the two adorable cats to keep you company, and especially the amazing kindness of the hosts who gladely give you great advices to discover the city and the food (also offering a good breakfast).

We stayed at Cocoa Mews for 4 nights while renewing our visa for Thailand and we loved it. We stayed in the family room with our 2 kids, our boys said it's the best place they stayed in! Howie is an amazing host with a big personality, always helpful and friendly . There is a kitchen that guests can use which was great for us traveling with children, rooms are clean and tidy. It's a great place to meet other travelers too and it made us feel like it's still possible to travel with children on a budget and still enjoying the backpacking feeling :) Would definitely recommend and book again.

What a wonderful place! This has been our favorite place to stay in all of Southeast Asia. Not luxurious, but if you would like an experience and not just a place to stay this is for you. The owner is an amazing person who goes above and beyond to make sure guests get to truly experience all that Penang has to offer.

A good place if your a lone traveller really keen to meet other people. The owners here are friendly. Location is good. 10 minutes from the port and in the old town. I would advise asking for a room away from the kitchen as this is where people congregate and make noise well into the night. There are signs stating to keep noise down after 22:00 but this isn’t considered by other guests. To Howies credit we were changed into a quieter room the next day when we explained the issue. The kitchen is stocked with all the essentials although the hot water machine doesn’t produce boiling water and needs servicing. Hot drinks are luke warm at best. Beds in the room are not very comfortable and only a thin blanket is provided. Air con works well. The owners are keen to get all guests into a WhatsApp group where there will be notifications posted throughout the day and night. Howie will invite only some of his favourite guests to various places that he takes guests too, but not all guests. For me it felt like a very cliquey and childish approach between owner and guests.

Check in and check out is very simple. Rooms are clean and cozy, but the lack of a window does feel suffocating sometimes. shared bathrooms are clean. Breakfast is complimentary and there are several snacks available in the kitchen for the guests. Common areas are clean as well. There are beautiful friendly cats at the stay, so please bear in mind about cat hair and allergies if you do stay there. Howie and Amit were wonderful hosts, spent time talking to us, telling us what we can do around georgetown and penang. Howie sends updates in the Whatsapp group about places we can visit and rent scooters from, which was very helpful. All in all, a wonderful experience. We loved Howie's energy! Thank you so much again. Would definitely stay again.

The room was cozy, clean and comfortable, very near center & street art. The hosts - Howie & Amit are very very friendly, kind, helpful & welcoming. We had a lack of money but he gave us ringgit for transiting to airport. Miss him with his cats, we felt like home at Cocoa Mews

The host is very kind and friendly 😁 this place feels like home... strategic location also! Very near to all tourist attractions. Definitely would come again!

I can only Say, book this hostel! Everything Is Amazing. Super clean and great location. The host Howie and his colleague, i can't Remember his name, are truly Amazing. You Will feel at home here, there Is Always food and drinks at any time. Thank you for this Amazing stay, if i come back to George Town i Will Always stay here. And advise It to my Friends

Great shared facilities and lots of lovely personal touches like tea, coffee, drinking water, which we really appreciated!! The cats are also wonderful and so playful, we loved getting to meet them! The hostel is located in Little India so a really good location to explore everything Georgetown has to offer, we felt right in the middle of everything! We had a room facing the back so it was quite quiet too and meant we weren’t kept awake by the city sounds. Wifi is good too and we were able to work online here. The hostel is basic but a good location to spend a few nights. The rooms are quite small and a little dark so we’d definitely recommend only a few nights - spending a week there as a couple got to us a little bit but we’d definitely recommend it for the price/location for a few nights! The thing that makes this hostel however, is Howie, the host! We were greeted with a huge smile and lots of recommendations for our time in Penangwhen we arrived. Howie also gave us one of our favourite travel experiences so far, taking us on a spontaneous local food tour around the city! It truly meant the world to us that he dedicated so much time to show us the food he loves, and to spend an evening sharing his wonderful views with us! We cannot thank him enough and feel so lucky to have met him! It’s worth staying here just to meet the incredible Howie in our opinion 🙏🙌

Very nice place with an very nice owner. It felt very familiar, he invited me for breakfast with him and his friend and to dinner with everyone of the hotel. Perfect place for people with small pocket. I think was extending 2 or 3 times 😂👍🏻.

Loved my stay here when in Georgetown. Arthur goes out of his way to make you feel welcomed. The location is excellent, as it is close to the jetty and to most attractions of the city. The only downside were the lumpy beds, but maybe we're just getting old. Avoid the windowed rooms if you are a light sleeper. If I'm ever in Georgetown again, I know where I'm gonna stay!

I really enjoyed my stay the beds are really comfortable. The bathrooms were quite clean and great air conditioning in all rooms. Great location short walk to all street art and ferry terminal, close to street markets.

The hosts are lovely people and you immediatly feel at home. There are friendly cats walking around the place, in case you need some cat love and the location is perfect; you are in the middle of Little India, a wonderful and alive area. The room we stayed in was comfortable, it was nice to have a place to cool down a bit. We would definitely love to come back!

I had a good experience with Cocoa Mews. If you don't mind an old accommodation, weird smell in the room, bad bed. This is the hostel for you. And also the facilities aren't that clean and it's very noisy. The staff however is very friendly and love to talk to you. Also they can help you with anything. The breakfast is good! Is all self service and every morning they have a local treat. I would definitely stay here again. Just because it's a very good price, breakfast is good organized, staff is very helpful and friendly and it is a great location!

Really cool and homely family run hostel. Howie is super friendly, our best host in 12 months travelling, there's always really tasty food around (for free!), very clean rooms and Howie even took us on a road trip in his car!! We originally booked 2 nights and stayed for a week. Some people we met here had stayed for up to 2 months! That says it all...

The owners, Howie and Arthur, are great guys, and the other guests have all been friendly too. There's a spirit of global community and spreading the love here. It's like a boarding house in an old heritage home. Rooms are simple. Located right in Little India, so you gotta love the culture. Very happy to have chosen a stay here.

I can not recommend this place enough! If you want to meet some awesome people and the best host we have ever met so far, Howie, please don’t hesitate to book a room here. Cocoa Mews has a perfect location to explore the city and Howie has some awesome tips of what to do and what to see. We would have not been able to see so many amazing places without Howie’s help. The room was comfy and you’ll get the chance to experience the vibe of a heritage house. Don’t think twice if you wanna book this place. You won’t regret it. You get way more than what you pay for.

Really enjoyed the concept of this place. You are welcomed and encouraged to use facilities around the house. There are complimentary snacks, howie brings in breakfast every day and also bakery items for the guests. There is free tea, coffee & hot chocolate. There is a water machine and also hot water for drinks (although you have to refill your cup a few times if it’s not been used for a while as it is not the hottest). The bathrooms are cleaned daily and the shower is powerful. There is a fridge and also cutlery, plates & cups. The house is old so walking around you can hear everything, walls are thin. The room nearest to the communal area can get very loud when people are in the kitchen but the rooms at the back face the main road where you can hear the mosque calling 5 times a day which woke us up multiple times. Overall I found this stay to be pleasant. If you are looking for a social vibe & to be out doing activities with other people then this is for you. But if you are looking for comfort & a good sleep then this is not one to stay in as people can be up past midnight in communal spaces.

Very friendly owner and environment, good amenities, amazing location in little India and close to some of the attractions and amazing food.

Howie is the best host we've had so far in our travel story. He puts all his heart in what he does and you'll feel his great hospitality from the first moment. He showed us this generous, spiritual side of Penang that was one of the highlights of our stay there. The configuration of the house will allow you to easily connect with other travellers, if that's what you're looking for. It was a wonderful experience overall!

Howie, the owner, is an absolute legend. Gave us lots of info and made sure the kitchen was stocked with goodies:) Great location in Little India with lots of great food choices close by but still remains a quiet spot to sleep. Recommend👍

I stayed in room 4, window. Look no further. Finally a comfortable bed, best sleep in months. Surprisingly quiet for how close it is to everything. Howie is the best host I’ve had the pleasure of meeting across 50 or so countries and at least ten times that number in hotels, hostels, and home stays.

A fantastic guesthouse, clean and comfortable. Howie, the host, puts all his heart and effort into making your stay in Penang as memorable as possible. Fantastic stay and we hope to return again some day

It's a very good place to stay if you wanna experience the Penang life. The host is very good person. Helped me with luggage storage so I dont have to carry them everywhere as I walk around Georgetown. Love the cats here.

Good budget stay here. The host is so friendly. He allowed me to put my luggage there although wasn't my check-in time yet. He also prepared breakfast for us. Not to mention he introduced many places to be visited in Penang. Long story short, I feel I am at home when I stay at this homestay. And, not to mention if you are cat lover, you will like here a lot! There are 3 cats here so you can get to spend some time with the cats here :) The location of this homestay is very strategic - you may visit any tourists spot in Georgetown within walking distance. Perfect for those just want to explore Georgetown in detail. The environment is clean. However, the facilities are slightly old, but it's within expectation. Much recommended if you are looking for a budget and clean place to be stayed in Penang Island :)

Excellent location. Very good prices. Room was clean and comfortable. Free drinking water and food.The guy at reception was extra kind and helpful.