1981 Guest House
26A Jalan Market, Ipoh 30000 Malaysia
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About
#9 of 23 hostels in Ipoh
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Property amenities
Paid public parking on-site
Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)
Restaurant
Bicycle rental
Board games / puzzles
Books, DVDs, music for children
Baggage storage
Non-smoking hotel
Street parking
Wifi
Snack bar
Shared lounge / TV area
First aid kit
24-hour check-in
Express check-in / check-out
Laundry service
Washing machine
Ironing service
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Room features
Air conditioning
Desk
Iron
Flatscreen TV
Complimentary toiletries
Hair dryer
Room types
Family rooms
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
Languages Spoken
English, Chinese, Malay
Location
98Great for walkers
Grade: 98 out of 100
73Restaurantswithin 0.5 km
34Attractionswithin 0.5 km
26A Jalan Market, Ipoh 30000 Malaysia
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We slept in a big and quite noisy dormitory, due to the aircon and ventilation. However, the room and toilets were very clean, there is access to a computer, and the staff was super friendly. If you come by bicycle, the boss will surely welcome you, as he is a cyclist, and he can store your bike safely. Thanks for the great shared meal!
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Date of stay: October 2017Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
I want to rate 3.5 stars but there is no this option. Good points : 1. Excellent location : near all the interesting spots. The hostel is located in old town but it is near to the new town too. 2. Though the dorm room is a 18 beds dorm, it is very spacious and u won't feel crowded. 3. The room and bathroom is clean. 4. Staff are generally helpful Bad points: 1. There is no separation of shower and toilet which means the toilet will all turn wet after shower. 2. Only two shower with toilet and sinks for 18 people. If the hostel is full, this would be definitely inadequate. 3. No vibe as many of the guests are actually the staff from the affiliated ramen shop. 4. The staff is not always available. 5. Better ventilation is needed for the toilet.
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Date of stay: October 2017Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
The location is near to railway station that took 8-10 minutes of walking & 5 minutes walking to Medan Kidd bus station. Since, it is very near, I can use the public transport to travel to the area I needed. Surrounding the guest house have lots of local delicacies. Very convenient Besides, below the guest house serving a huge Big Bowl Ramen & also tiny small bowl of noodles. Should try their laksa, beef, curry ramen etc.
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Date of stay: October 2016Trip type: Travelled solo
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
After our visit to Funtasy, we stumbled upon 1981 guest house's wheel noodle. We intended to try out the desserts but the noodles looked enticing. We tried the wheel noodle and the fish noodle. They were delicious and fun to eat, bowl after bowl. Desserts were ok too!
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Date of stay: July 2016Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
We stayed here twice, each time for one night on the way to the Cameron Highlands and back again. On our first visit, our check in experience was abysmal. The guy checking us in didn't explain anything, just held his hand out & stared; we had to ask what he wanted. Turned out he wanted to see our booking confirmation, rather than just take our names & passports as other places we've stayed in Malaysia do. When he'd looked at the confirmation he asked us to pay an amount that was 30 ringgits more than we'd expected to pay & we had to challenge him before he explained it was for a key deposit. Beds are 25RM each, by the way, so the key deposit is more than you pay for a bed - ridiculous. Once we'd paid he flicked his wrist at us in a dismissive gesture and muttered "wait a minute" before going back to playing on his phone, leaving us just standing around, unsure of what to do next. A different guy who showed us upstairs several minutes later showed us the common area (which seems to double up as a storage area for bedding, toilet roll, etc) & the showers - only 2 bathrooms for a dorm with 22 beds is NOT enough. There is a fridge full of drinks in the common area, but no indication of how to pay for them, & there is a kettle, but no mugs. Several of the people staying in the dorm work at the cafe downstairs, which strikes me as a really weird set up. I normally wouldn't complain about other guests, but since these people also are employees of the guesthouse/cafe, I think it's relevant to mention how inconsiderate they were. More than one person was watching videos or talking on their phone without headphones after 11pm, & one of the guys who works here turned the lights off while one of my friends was still searching in her bag. You cannot check out before 9am, meaning we had to delay our return to KL. There are signs giving phone numbers for contact out of hours but as foreign travellers, we don't have Malaysian phone numbers. Nor do most of the other foreign travellers we've met. Also worth mentioning, you need the key card to get into the dormitory & the communal area so if there is more than one of you, you'll need more than one card. No one bothered explaining this to us. Overall, this place gives the impression of staff who simply can't be bothered. Save yourself the hassle of this unpleasant guesthouse & pay a bit more to stay somewhere else if you visit Ipoh.…
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Date of stay: October 2016Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
This guest house has a lovely air-con café on the ground floor which we patronised. There is also a small non-aircon section in the front for smokers. Cafe opens Monday to Friday from 10am to 10pm and on weekends and public holidays 9am to 9pm. Strategically located in the heart of the heritage and eateries area, the tables and chairs are spaciously laid out in the café. Ambience is of modern design. We took their well-known Signature Nasi Lemak for breakfast and were not disappointed – it was delicious and one of the best of its kind. Drinks were limited and we took the coffee as tea was not available. It was also pointed out to us that the café is also famous for its Big Bowl Ramen [Japanese noodle]. Prices were moderate.
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Date of stay: May 2016Trip type: Travelled with friends
Service
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+1
If there is a sub category for "star rating" dormitories, then this guest house should be awarded a five star. LOCATION In terms of location, few places can match it. It is located in the heart of the old town where most of the historic places are to be found and where you can begin your "Heritage Walk". The Railway Station, a heritage building itself, and the Medan Kidd Bus Station are within walking distance, 12 minutes to the former and 20 minutes to the latter. FOOD AND BEVERAGE There are local restaurants everywhere within a one to five minutes' walk, depending on where you go, where you can enjoy the local food and the famous Ipoh White Coffee, cheaply. A twenty minutes' walk brings you to the Dim Sum Street (Leong Sin Nam Road) where Ming Court and Foh San are located or to the other side (Yau Tet Shin Road) where the restaurants Lou Wong and Ong Kee selling the famous Ipoh Chicken Rice with bean sprouts are competing neck to neck with each other. The guest house also has its own air-coned restaurant "1981 Wheel Noodle" selling local Ipoh food like dong dong fun, laksa, and century egg and peanut porridge for an incredible RM 1.90 each where similar food sold elsewhere would cost between RM 4.50 and RM 5.50 each. Although the portions were small, it was perfect for tasting a variety of local dishes. It felt like eating a buffet where you could taste a bit of everything. THE BEDROOM The dorm was very clean. There was a staff mopping the floor and washing the bathrooms daily. The beds were clean (no bed bugs), and the bedsheets were changed each time a guest checked out. I know because I saw this with my own eyes during my 6 day stay at this guest house. There is a dining table near the entrance to the door so that the guests would not need to eat on the bed. It kept the beds clean at the same time. However, I did not see anybody eating inside the dorm during my stay. There used to be a choice of dorms with air con and without, but I was told that all dorms now come with air con after feedback (or complaints) from some guests that it was too hot without air con. THE BATHROOM The shower had hot water but it was really not necessary as Ipoh was super hot, and water coming out was hot enough. Maybe it might be necessary in the cooler months, but it was May when I was there, which is one of the months when Ipoh experiences it highest temperatures. Shower pressure was excellent. LAUNDRY You can actually do your own laundry here if you are a long staying guest. However, most of the travellors I met only stayed for a night or two. I handwashed my clothes twice. There is a washing machine there but I did not use it as it would not be right to waste electricity and water just to wash one or two pieces of clothes considering that the room rate was only RM 25 per night. REST AREA This is located on the second floor where there are a sofa and a gigantic flat screen TV. There is another dining table there for guests to eat their food which they bought from outside. A hot water boiler is available for use. What it lacks in terms of a big lobby found in big hotels, it makes up with this rest area which can be called "lobby". What it lacks in terms of a TV inside a room, it also makes up with the gigantic TV here, although you cannot choose which program to watch unless there is no other guest around. WIFI There is a free wifi for all guests to use. But I liked the two computers on the second floor most of all, as it is always easier to read and type with a desktop computer. BICYCLE RENTAL This service is great. They charge RM 10 for 3 hours' use, RM 15 for 6 hours, and RM 20 for a whole day. SERVICE The owners, a husband and wife team, work in the restaurant and guest house, so you know it. Service cannot be any better. It is their company, and they will do everything possible to make your stay as comfortable as possible. And being locals, they gave me good advice on places to go, and how to go there. Do not worry about maps, they will give it to you when you check in. Talking about checking in, both check in and check out were fast. I arrived at 10 am but the lady boss Peck San let me go up to the dorm even though the official check-in time was 2 pm. That's a nice gesture and I appreciated it very much. All in all, this guest house is hard to beat on all fronts. I will come back here.…
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Date of stay: May 2016Trip type: Travelled solo
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
The location is excellent, right in the centre of the old town and walking-distance to the railway station. The guest house has strict rules on footwear (or lack of) and everything is kept clean. You can use the washing-machine free of charge, washing powder is available for RM2. I stayed in the male dorm, which is a little more expensive than the mixed dorm, but has single beds rather than bunks and has a good feel. It's a bit noisy during the day and the music from the café downstairs gets a bit repetitive. You're also close to a mosque, useful if you need a 5:45 wake-up. Nearby there are lots of good cheap Chinese eateries, atmospheric old-style coffee shops, and one or two more modern places. Little India is a short stroll away, with authentic Indian cuisine, or you can venture across the river for more extensive food options and other shopping opportunities. Ipoh has some impressive civic buildings, not least the railway station and the town hall. The central core has well-preserved traditional shophouses interspersed with examples of 20th-century design ranging from sublime to horrific.…
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Date of stay: April 2016Trip type: Travelled solo
Location
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
+1
Was kinda worried about this place since they shut down at 12am. Totally overlooked this aspect when booking this hostel! But it turns out you just need to tap your card (each hostel guest is given an access card) at the side behind a grill to get in after 12am. Air conditioned rooms, cozy beds, freshly cleaned sheets make for a nice bed to sleep on. Totally going here again if i have the chance.
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Date of stay: March 2016Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Went here for a leisure with friend. 4 pax and last minute booking. Bunk bed with bery confortable environment for just RM30 per head. We were so satisfied with the service. Very friendly and polite even we ask for early checkin & checkout, they dont have any problems to accommodate us. Toilet was so nice. They got 2 unit PC, wifi & internet. Iron and hair dryer as well! So nice!
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Date of stay: February 2016Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Response from Andrew C, Public Relations Manager at 1981 Guest House
Responded 19 Feb 2016
Thanks for the compliment. We're glad that your had a pleasant stay over here. Looking towards your next visit. See you!
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
LOCATION
MalaysiaPerakKinta DistrictIpoh
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Frequently Asked Questions about 1981 Guest House
Which popular attractions are close to 1981 Guest House?
Nearby attractions include Ipoh World at Han Chin Pet Soo (0.2 km), Ho Yan Hor Museum (0.2 km), and Funtasy House Trick Art (0.03 km).
What are some of the property amenities at 1981 Guest House?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free wifi, an on-site restaurant, and laundry service.
Which room amenities are available at 1981 Guest House?
Top room amenities include air conditioning, a flat screen TV, and a desk.
What food & drink options are available at 1981 Guest House?
Guests can enjoy an on-site restaurant and a snack bar during their stay.
Is parking available at 1981 Guest House?
Yes, paid public parking on-site and street parking are available to guests.
What are some restaurants close to 1981 Guest House?
Conveniently located restaurants include Above Gastrobar, Thean Chun, and Durbar at FMS.
Are any cleaning services offered at 1981 Guest House?
Yes, laundry service and a washing machine are offered to guests.
Which languages are spoken by the staff at 1981 Guest House?
The staff speaks multiple languages, including English, Chinese, and Malay.
Are there any historical sites close to 1981 Guest House?
Many travellers enjoy visiting Gua Tambun Rock Art (7.7 km) and Tin Alley (0.2 km).