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External Reviews
The New York Times (On Penang Food) "THE clams arrived at our table hot, fat and juicy, stir-fried in a caramel-colored paste that was by turns sweet and salty, and flecked with laksa, a spicy-bitter green herb. I knew immediately why I'd come to Penang, an island off Malaysia's west coast near the Thai border. This was a gastronomical Eden, where popular pastimes include questing for the best fried noodles and where one of the free tourist magazines is named simply Food Paradise." Matt Gross, The New York Times
A hotel so gorgeously and impeccably restored that it served as the set for two period films set in Colonial Asia
Features
- Architectural tours
- Historic Town
- Festivals
- Culinary Tours
- Antique Shopping
| Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion - Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia | |
Sustainability Scorecard
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From US$72 p/double
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good for you
A hotel so gorgeously and impeccably restored that it served as the set for two period films set in colonial Asia – ‘Indochine' and ‘Anna and the King', Cheong Fatt-Tze is a heritage icon in Penang and a stay there will take you back to the island's rich history.
Chinese tycoon-cum-diplomat, Cheong Fatt Tze, dubbed the ‘Rockefeller of the East', built his 19th century mansion, a perfect exemplar of the traditional Chinese courtyard house, when the fashion in Penang was for buildings in the Anglo-Indian style. The original artisans were shipped in from South China with their tools, and while the building is built in the 3000-year-old Haka-Teochew architectural tradition, it also reflects the eclecticism of 19th century colonial architecture as well as the multi-cultural history of Penang itself - the Scottish cast-iron balusters and English art nouveau stained glass windows contrasting with Cantonese timber lattices, and Chinese calligraphy against trompe l'oeil timber beams. Combining all this old world grandeur with 21st century comfort and very reasonable prices makes Cheong Fatt Tze mansion a must-stay destination in Malaysia.
good for penang
The painstaking UNESCO award-winning restoration took six years, employed traditional methods and avoided all but the most necessary modern intervention, such as waterproofing. Local Penang artisans and materials were used whenever possible, while experts were brought in from China to sensitively restore some of the details, and as much timber and tiling was recycled as possible. Elderly and experienced local Cantonese carpenters took three years to repair the timberworks alone, using traditional tools and original tropical hardwoods.
Highs
- Beautiful rooms and extravagant suites, filled with antique Asian furniture and art – all individually styled by local artists.
- For those who take their energy flow seriously, the mansion boasts excellent feng-shui: it is situated "off the dragon's back" – that is, facing the sea with carefully balanced elements of timber, metal fire, water and earth throughout the building, the energy flowing through a central courtyard, decorated with propitious proverbs inscribed calligraphically over doorways and motifs filled with gods and scenes from nature.
Lows
- It's hard to fault Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion but if it's modern 5-star luxury you are looking for you may not find it here. As one might expect from a carefully restored 19th century private residence, some mod-cons common to contemporary hotels are lacking the rooms don't have televisions / hairdryers and the air-con can be unreliable. This place is all about antiques, atmosphere and old world charm.
Rooms
The Mansions 38 brightly coloured rooms are all grouped around a central courtyard. Each room is designed by a local artist according to specific themes.
Rooms are individually named, featuring unique batik print motifs and antique Asian furniture.
All rooms come with air conditioning or a ceiling fan, coffee and tea making facilities and a private bathroom.
The Studio Suite is a larger room that includes a sitting area.
The Duplex suite occupies two floors; a kitchenette and living room on the ground floor. A private stairs leads to the first floor, which includes a master bedroom with an en suite bathroom and study-cum second bedroom. The Duplex Suite also includes the services of a personal butler.
Food
The hotel offers breakfast (price included in room rates) in the central courtyard, but there is no hotel restaurant for lunch and dinner. However, Georgetown is a cultural melting pot and the excellent Chinese, Malay and Indian restaurants reflect this. Ask your butler or concierge for recommendations. Here are some recommended eateries:
Northam Beach Cafe, 674 Gurney Drive; 20 ringgit.
Joo Hooi Cafe, Jalan Penang an Lebuh Keng Kwee; 6 ringgit.
Ocean Green Restaurant and Seafood, 48F Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah; 60-4-226-2681; 50 ringgit (with beer).
Hameediyah Tandoori House, 156 Campbell Street; 60-4-261-1095; 5 ringgit.
East Xiamen Delicacies, 53 Love Lane; 60-4-263-3818; 15 ringgit.
Features & Facilities
The central courtyard of the mansion offers high-speed wireless internet.
Drinks of all kinds are served in the hotel lounge, which has a cable television (unavailable in the rooms) as well as a collection of books, magazines and local historical literature.
The computer and games room contains a shared computer as well as a ping-pong table and various board games such as chess, draughts, Risk, Boggle, Scrabble and pick-up sticks.
The gift shop sells an 80-page book on Cheong Fatt Tze, t-shirts, framed sketches of the house, greeting cards and various old-fashioned Chinese articles including waxed paper umbrellas, bamboo back scratchers, Chinese tea cups, scented soaps, and painted paper fans.
The twice-daily tours of the mansion are complimentary for in-house guests.
The hotel caters for large functions and conferences for up to 250 people.
Local Info & Activities
Penang's Georgetown is rich in cultural and architectural history. Start by heading to the Penang Heritage Trust (26A Stewart Lane, Georgetown; 60-4-262-8421, http://pht.org.my/), which leads walking tours around the town, taking in all the most important sites.
The Taoist Han Jiang Ancestral Temple is particularly worth a visit, with its lavish painted detail and elaborate decoration. It was the 2006 winner of a UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Culture Heritage Conservation.
There are plenty of festivals to enjoy, with Chinese New Year (Jan/Feb) being especially big, culminating in a romance festival that sees young men in boats scoop up tangerines thrown in by the young women – the boat with the most tangerines wins. The island's ethnic diversity ensures that the festivals of several religions are celebrated on the island, including the Hindu Festival of Light, Deepavali, which takes place in October.
Sustainability
The restoration credentials of this hotel are impeccable, with a UNESCO award to prove it. Using local labour and recycling materials reduced the environmental footprint of the restoration, which has delivered for Penang an important and uplifting part of its rich cultural and architectural history.
awards
- 2004 ASEANTA award winner for the best ASEAN Cultural Preservation effort.
- 2000 winner of the Most Excellent Project prize in UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards
- 1995 winner of the Malaysian National Architectural Award for Conservation
Getting There
Penang is reachable by train (6 hours) and bus (5+1/2 hours) from Kuala Lumpar.
Penang International Airport is serviced by domestic airlines from Kuala Lumpar (Malaysian Air systems, Air Asia, Garuda Indonesia & Lion Air). Many international airlines also fly into Penang (American Airlines, Cathay Pacific, China Airlines, China Eastern, China Southern, Korean Air, Xiamen. It's a half hour taxi ride from the airport to the hotel and it costs roughly RM30 (US$8).
Visit our Transport section for flights, hybrid car rentals and train bookings.
Rates & Bookings
Deluxe room (double or twin) – RM250 p/night (US$72)
(includes double/twin with ensuite bathroom)
Studio Suite (double) – RM350 p/night (US$100)
(includes double with ensuite bathroom and a sitting area.
Duplex Suite (2 x double rooms) – RM700 p/night (US$200)
(2 floors; kitchen and living room on ground floor, bathroom, master bedroom and office/2ndbedroom on second floor)
- Extra Bed RM60 p/night (US$18)
*please note the US$ rate will vary slightly, prices are for exchange rate in June ‘07
included
- All rates include breakfast for two in the courtyard.
- Rates are inclusive of a complimentary house tour.
- No charge for children under 12 sharing existing bedding.
other conditions
- Discounts apply for longer-term stays of two weeks or more.
- All reservations made between the 17th of December 2007 and the 7th January 2008 will incur a surcharge of RM100 (US$30) net per room per night.
booking and cancellation policies
- A booking is secured by the payment of a 10% deposit. This is 10% of the total reservation cost.
- Cancellations made any time up until 3 days prior to the arrival date will result in the loss of the deposit.
- Cancellations made between 3 and 1 days prior to the arrival date will result in the loss of the deposit plus a cancellation fee amounting to 1 night's stay.
- In the event of a 'no show' on the arrival day, a cancellation fee amounting to the full cost of the booking will be incurred.
Want to avoid cancellation fees? Visit our Insurance section for information on travel insurance.