Cathay Hotel

Don't let the nighttime trade put you off

Photo of Cathay Hotel, 15 Lebuh Leith, Georgetown. , Georgetown

What we say:

The entrance of Cathay Hotel, across from Red Garden Food Paradise on Lebuh Leith, is, to be honest, far grander than the interior. An old Chinese mansion, the Cathay has an air of colonial charm, with the floors laid in European tiles, the quite spacious rooms decked out with wooden shutters and an inner courtyard atrium letting fresh air freely flow through the house. Rooms face onto this inner courtyard, which has tables, chairs and the occasional reader. All rooms have attached bathrooms -- bathrooms we'd describe as grungy verging on dire -- and it is the bathrooms that drag down what is otherwise a good value hotel. The hotel was used as a set in the film Beyond Rangoon. Come the evening there is a bit of a short time trade, (see the comments for more colour in this regard) but we think it is still great value -- just get some new bathtubs already!

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Contact details:

15 Lebuh Leith, Georgetown. T: (04) 262 6271 F: (04) 263 9300

What we were quoted

Type of room	Low season	High season	Notes
Dbl fan private b'room	60 Ringgit	60 Ringgit
Dbl air-con private b'room	76 Ringgit	76 Ringgit

Added to Travelfish on: 24th June, 2009
Last visited or updated on: 16th August, 2012

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Read Cathay Hotel reviews

Rated 4 out of 5

Based on 3 ratings and 3 reviews

Seedy Clients

I've been staying here occasionally over the past few years. The Cathay is known about town as a brothel, but its activities were low-key - and confined to the 'sauna/reflexology' area out back - until the past year or so. Now the hotel's clients (or pimps) lounge about the sofas, chain-smoking, occasionally accompanied by a miserable-looking prostitute. One night I came back to several men wrapped only in bath-towels played cards at the table. If you can look past the seedy hirsute clients, the front rooms - and the staff - are still as charming as ever. But I have booked another hotel for my 11 remaining weeks here, and will not stay at the Cathay again.
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- Vibe
Cathay Hotel reviewed by waxybrushes (Total reviews: 17) on 6th October, 2011
Rated 4 out of 5. after a stay here in 10/2011
Request Room #2 or 4

Rooms 2 and 4 upstairs have high ceilings and original colonial-style windows on two sides. Request those two if you can. The other rooms can feel grungy and dark. NB: Prices have tax added, i.e. a 60 ringgit room is 69 with taxes.
- Cleanliness
- Facilities
- Location
- Romance
- Rooms
- Service
- Value
- Vibe
Cathay Hotel reviewed by waxybrushes (Total reviews: 17) on 1st October, 2010
Rated 4 out of 5. after a stay here in 9/2010
OK place

Place is allright, a bit austere like most chinese-run mid range hotels. Still, it has somewhat of a colonial atmosphere and the staff is friendly.
- Cleanliness
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- Vibe
Cathay Hotel reviewed by EricvanDrunen (Total reviews: 3) on 12th August, 2009
Rated 4 out of 5. after a stay here in 3/2009

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