I'm going to Penang for the first time next January. A friend of mine lives in Kuala Lumpur and recently stayed at the Courtyard in Penang. It looked really nice, very new looking with a great breakfast spread. I myself am booked at The Blue Mansion. It's not a Marriott property but it's a well known historic building in Penang and looks absolutely gorgeous. The grand dame hotel of the city is the Eastern & Oriental (E&O for short) which has that British colonial luxury vibe cranked up to the max.