One issue I faced when trying to find an accommodation in the vicinity of Ipoh Old Town, Malaysia, is the lack of a suitable budget hotel — until my last trip to Ipoh (in 2017).
Most hotels are located some walking distances away from the old town and not in the budget range. Accommodations that can be found inside the old town are mostly guest houses or dormitories. There are not many of them and they suffer from poor sound-proofing from vehicles on the roads surrounding the old houses, which is a common problem associated with old towns in Malaysia.
Fortunately, a new setup meets all my considerations for staying in Ipoh Old Town. It is a budget hotel named Brick Box, which is only about 6 months old (opened towards end of 2016 or in January 2017).
The Plus Points
1. Good location. Located right in the old town and only 400m from Ipoh Railway Station, the hotel is also close to most eating places, street arts and the Concubine Lanes. The proximity is the most ideal for travellers.
2. No breakfast provided. With so many eating places for local food in the vicinity, there is no need to have same breakfast provided every morning. Rasheed Nasi Kandar Restaurant is just next door and opens at 7am, serving all kinds of Indian food, such as roti canai, nasi kandar, etc. Don't know what they are? Walk in and try!
3. Have single rooms. This is great for solo budget travellers. Most hotels are unfriendly to lone travellers, always making them pay more for the smallest rooms.
4. Brick walls. Better sound-proofing than wooden walls, which are very commonly used in old houses to partition rooms.
5. New and clean. Needless to say. All things are newer than others.
6. No frills. This always help to keep costs and, ultimately, the room rates low.
The Location
Arriving or departing Ipoh by inter-city buses is at Amanjaya Bus Terminal, which is about 10Km to the north of the old town. Connecting bus frequencies between the inter-city bus terminal and domestic bus terminal, near the old town, can be about one hour's interval. It is really inconvenient to use inter-city buses to get to Ipoh and will usually end up hailing taxis — but their meters are forever spoilt.
Getting into and out of Ipoh is much easier and convenient by trains from Penang or Kuala Lumpur. Brick Box Hotel's proximity to Ipoh Railway Station is very favourable for travellers.
From the railway station, follow the route on the map above and you will get to Brick Box Hotel. It's just one straight road from the station premise to the hotel, real easy. You can arrange with the hotel for a pick-up from the railway station if you have a heavy luggage. Otherwise, 400 metres is not that far for travellers.
And you will find Brick Box Hotel a couple of units away from Standard Charter bank. See the restaurant next door?
The Interior
Brick Box Hotel's lobby is very spacious and with simple decorations.
On the wall behind the check-in counter is this decor with wheels, hooks and exhaust pipes — rather unique. As the name of the hotel implies, the walls are mostly brick-laden and exposed. Brick-laden walls also mean that sound-proofing is better.
Out of the lift on the first floor, there are two wheels on the wall facing the lift. This means you are on level 2. Level 3 will have 3 wheels, etc.
The corridors are lit by spotlights, like a stage where models do their catwalks. The design makes the corridor rather photogenic.
Spiral staircases are common behind most Chinatown houses for escape uses in the old days. Most old houses in Ipoh are still using it today. Newer developments will usually demolish the staircases and built new ones but Brick Box Hotel preserved it.
The spiral staircase is too narrow and steep for emergency uses, so Brick Box Hotel has another staircase towards the front of the hotel. Just look for the bulb-lit arrow on the wall down the corridor.
Let's check out the rooms.
The Rooms
The walls of the rooms are left exposed and unpainted — a modern minimalist design trend. With brick-laden walls on all sides, the rooms really look like "brick boxes". Despite being a new and modern hotel, the walls created a rustic ambience.
For solo travellers, the Single Standard rooms come with attached bathrooms. There is no window, so the room can be very quiet even in the day.
Both the Standard Double rooms and Deluxe rooms are similar in size and amenities, except that the Standard Doubles are windowless.
The double rooms come in two designs. One with a dedicated pantry corner, so the space around the bed is smaller but more cozy.
The pantry is located in one corner with a high stool.
The other design of the double room provides the pantry set on a tea table besides the bed. This makes the room more spacey, especially if you have a big luggage.
Brick Box Hotel also has family rooms for 3 persons and family deluxe rooms for 4. I have no chance to get photos of those rooms, but do refer to their Facebook Page.
And next, a look into the bathroom, which is similar for all the rooms. Can't see the shower head? It is mounted on the ceiling. Shower gels are provided.
Disposable brushing set and sanitary pad are also provided in each room. Personally, I wish these items are optional and can be purchased from the counter when needed. Doing so can further lower the room rates.
Television and WiFi are available in the rooms too.
Travelling to Ipoh soon? Try Brick Box Hotel.
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