Tony's Guesthouse- Melaka, Malaysia

Address: 24 Lorong Banda Kaba, off Lorong Bukit Cina, Melaka

Website: none

Tony's Guesthouse is about a 5-10 minute walk from the Dutch Square, where all the famous Dutch architectural buildings are, and also where the bus no. 17 from the Melaka bus Sentral will drop you off (for RM 1), making it a convenient place to stay. It's situated near the opening of a residential street, where a brightly painted yellow wall welcomes you to this guesthouse. Tony is a quiet and pleasant man, with many comments online about also being a helpful and friendly guy. He is also happy enough to leave you to your own devices if that is your wish. We were shown into a room on the second floor out of three, the ground floor being his residence and his little cafe.
The room with shared bathroom (a nightly rate of Rm 12/A$4 per person) was also brightly painted in red, yellow and blue which along with slightly old and rustic surroundings, created a sort of atmosphere that a typical backpacker might like. The room was decently medium sized, with a writing table and chair, as well as a clean clothes horse for hanging up your washing which was quite useful. After an initial scare of seeing a few bed bugs crawling on the wall near the bed head, we were able to relax as the bed itself didn't house any of the bugs itself. The bed was lined with clean, matching pillow cases and bedsheets, and was quite comfortable. With a very effective fan (at full power, it dried out our washing in a few hours, despite the humidity), the room was nice and clean, with the small exception of the floor which still had hair from previous occupants.
The shared bathroom was just around the corner, with one on each level. With only three or four rooms, the facilities were quite enough. The Western style toilet and hot shower worked well enough, though the water pressure of the shower often lacked. It was relatively clean although a bit old, with both doors needing a replacement. There were also some bowls and plates for guests should they choose to eat at the simple sitting area outside their rooms.
It is quite apparent that Tony enjoys having a guesthouse and takes pride in what he does. The plethora of little laminated signs containing tips such as how to prevent a snatch thief from attacking, to ways to keep the guesthouse clean are little ways in which it shows. There's also a board on the level with pinned up maps of the city and where the tourist attractions are, as well as a place where previous travellers have left behind used and loved brochures which are there for future travellers to pick up at their disposal. All this gives Tony's Guesthouse a nice, communal and casual atmosphere which any simple traveller will appreciate.

Overall, a safe and clean guesthouse very conveniently located to the city's attractions. Tony's effort in providing the simple necessities of a budget accommodation choice makes it the best value place to stay in town.

Rating: 8.5/10