Georgetown, Penang's vibrant hub, is not just a foodie adventure; it's also where you can immerse yourself in the town's rich history when you put your head on a pillow at night.
Established by the British East India Company in 1786 as a trading destination, it morphed into an international peddler domain and a focal point of worldwide trade, creating a tapestry in its streets of diverse traditions and cultures—Malay, Indian, Chinese, and British. Georgetown was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008. It's an open-air museum of temples, mosques, and colonial commercial and residential architecture. Each building gives an insight into the town's lofty history, showcasing the tangible and intangible influences left behind from more than 500 years of bustling trade between East and West.
Georgetown's unique multicultural heritage can be seen on every street corner. Even today, you can find the enduring traditions and trades of its mixed bag of pioneers.
The wealthy traders left behind their richly decorated mansions to be re-invented in today's world as luxurious boutique hotels that will take your breath away.
88 Armenian
A bed in this stunning hotel will take you to new heights you have never experienced, as you will have your very own bespoke 'Bath Butler' to indulge your every whim in the incredible marble bathroom—think customized bath salts of natural plant-based ingredients to throw in the tub that will have you sighing in delight. I wonder if a back scrub is out of the question?
Sitting in the heart of Georgetown's UNESCO World Heritage Site, 88 Armenian is an opulent hideaway created from a mid-19th-century lodging house. It was the hangout for well-off Armenian traders who came to the area for its closeness to the Penang Port.
Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion (The Blue Mansion)
Cheong Fatt Tze is an iconic landmark in Georgetown that's a historical attraction and a boutique hotel of only 18 suites. Yes, while staying here, you are invaded each day during certain hours by the gawkers, but this is so controlled that guests are not inconvenienced at all. It's rather fun staying within the walls of somewhere that everyone wants to take a photo of. A striking-looking building, one glance at the mind-boggling façade of brilliant indigo-blue graced with intricate adornments leaves no doubt why it's known as 'The Blue Mansion.' Constructed in 1904 as the private residence of the famous businessman Cheong Fatt Tze, he may be shuddering in his grave, knowing that it was used as the film set for the Hollywood film 'Crazy Rich Asians.'
A bed here is to steep yourself in Georgetown's glorious past. Folklore has it that the ghosts of past inhabitants still stalk the corridors, but after staying here, I guarantee that I was not visited by any nightly apparitions. The hotel is a fairyland of architectural wonders, from its stained-glass windows to the elegant and sophisticated courtyard with the added touch of guest room keys big enough to open the giant doors to your suite. Air-conditioned and spacious rooms are the perfect retreat from the sun, beds are super comfy, and ensuites have boutique bath amenities. Before exploring the town, a swimming pool sits in a manicured garden for an early morning dip.
Macalister Mansion
More than a passing nod to the affluence found in Penang, Macalister Mansion is an elegant statement enticing guests to relax and take pleasure within its brilliant white façade. A member of Design Hotels Malaysia, its history began in 1880 when it was built by an Indian moneylender. Forward the clock to the late 1890s, and Choong Lye Hock, a Chinese-born Hokkien property tycoon, took over the property to live in as his family home, complete with cooks, gardeners, and servants. In 1900, he enhanced the entrance gates with four gold-plated eagle statues; Penang has only 10 eagles like this. Restoration of the building was undertaken in 2010 by Datuk Sean H’ng and his wife, Datin Karen H’ng, city locals. Macalister Mansion opened its gates in April 2012, with its name dedicated to one of Penang’s first British Governors (1808 to 1810), Sir Norman Macalister.
Stepping into this boutique hotel is entering a world of lavish elegance that only a privileged few get to do. Only eight guest rooms quietly fill any guest with a sense of wonder. Sumptuous and delightfully airy, without any 'in your face' characteristics, it's opulent without being brash. From the swimming pool to The Den, the Living Room, Dining Room, and Bagan Bar are all understated sophistication for a discerning traveler wishing to slink back in time.
Campbell House
Once a budget hotel built to accommodate pilgrims heading to Mecca, Hainanese sailors, and the scarlet women of the upmarket variety who worked at night, Campbell House has a chequered history since being built in 1903. Totally renovated and refurbished in 2008 with an eye to detail and its past life using traditional artisans, Campbell House was originally in the working neighborhood of New Chinatown, where the locals worked as tailors, ironmongers, coolies, and goldsmiths. Due to the exploits of the ladies of the night, this area boomed as a red-light district and became known as 'Fai Kai', which translates to 'Flower Street.' Now a distinguished and traditional reminder of yesteryear perched on a corner, Campbell House has only eleven gorgeous guest rooms imbued with the decadent but subtle luxury of yesteryear in a contemporary fashion.
On the ground floor of this splendid colonial building is an authentic and modern Italian restaurant, Michelin-accredited Il Bacaro, where your taste buds will be doing a happy dance at breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
If you could give these buildings feminine charms: 88 Armenian has 2 faces (the old façade hiding ultimate contemporary nuances), The Blue Mansion would be the tart of the town, Macalister Mansion is the grand sophisticated dame, and Campbell House is the classy charmer of Georgetown’s streets.
Where would you like to sleep to soak up the atmosphere of Penang?
Gail Palethorpe, a self proclaimed Australian gypsy, is a freelance writer, photographer and eternal traveller. Check out her website Gail Palethorpe Photography and her Shutterstock profile.
