This is my second time staying at Vouk Hotel in Penang. I am unlikely to stay here again as the maintenance issues seem to be getting worse rather than better, unfortunately. It's not a bad place to stay; the hotel just needs a lot of work.
Pros:
*Central location to easily access most of Penang's popular areas; walk to Northam night market (5 minute walk), Gurney Drive/Plaza (10-20 minutes walk), and even historic Georgetown (20-30 minutes walk).
*Very comfortable bed and linens.
*Very spacious room and bathroom.
*Great pharmacy and a Starbucks next door.
*In-room, secured safe deposit box with customizable digital code.
*Large workstation/desk and plenty of cabinet space.
Cons:
*Found several bugs/roaches in the bathroom, some adults and many babies, and one adult in the main area.
*No hot water in the shower or sink the second day.
*Needs minor maintenance (damaged wood flooring, inoperable wall light to the left of bed, electrical switch on left of bed sticks out from wall, wallpaper needs to be replaced, etc.)
*Wifi is annoying to access, especially with a laptop. Each time you return to the room you need to re-login to the network.
*Cash deposit of RM100 required to check in.
*Hotel hallways are very dated and need a renovation/upgrade.
*Not very quiet; you can easily hear people in the hallway and the adjacent rooms. I suggest getting a room at the far end of the hallway, furthest from the elevator, to minimize noise.