travel
A haven in the heart of George Town
The imposing hardwood antique doors of Seven Terraces opens up to reveal a sanctuary in the heart of bustling George Town. – The Malaysian Insider pic, January 14, 2016.When people tell me a particular hotel is charming, I get a little suspicious as that’s usually a politically-correct way of saying it is lacking in modern amenities, comforts or services.
So when a friend told me that boutique hotel Seven Terraces in George Town, Penang, was “delightfully charming”, I admit to having some reservations.
But seeing as the hotel was voted the seventh best small hotel in Asia by TripAdvisor last year, and was very well rated on most travel sites, I gave it a go on a recent holiday to the Pearl of the Orient.
The reception area is filled with antiques and relics of the Peranakan Straits Chinese.Seven Terraces is actually a row of nine terrace houses which were built back in 1890. When owner Chris Ong, a Penang-born former investment banker, acquired them years back, they were dilapidated and used as vice dens, said the hotel’s general manager Ewan Taylor.
“It took years and quite a bit of money to restore them back to their former glory, but the result is the rejuvenation of this entire area.”
The hotel sits surrounded by numerous historical buildings within George Town’s Unesco heritage site, including the popular 1810 Goddess of Mercy Temple, which is literally a stone’s throw away.
It was officially opened in 2012, but has already gained a loyal following for its rustic, laidback ambiance and the scores of restored, authentic antique furniture and decorative items that fill each space of the hotel.
The suites at Seven Terraces are spacious and large, exuding an air of homely comfort with the use of dark wood flooring and furniture.
Our room was the double-storey family suite, which had a king-sized bed at the loft, and two single beds on the ground floor.
The airy bathroom was large and filled with natural light.In the place of what used to be a balcony now sits the large bathroom, which was bright and airy. The rain shower here was just one of the lovely modern touches in the otherwise rustic ambiance throughout the hotel.
The entire mood and feel of Seven Terraces perfectly captures the essence of the Straits Peranakan community back in the early years of Penang’s history, and it is hard not to get caught up in the nostalgia and romance of an era that has passed.
But while the hotel is visually captivating, the real attraction here is its customer service. From the front-desk receptionist to Taylor himself, there is an air of genuine warmth which made my family and I feel like we were returning to a familiar place each time we stepped in to its premises.
Tea is served by the lap pool every day at 4pm, which is also when Taylor makes it a point to meet and get to know his guests.
This personalised hospitality is hard to find in larger hotels, and is one of the reasons why Seven Terraces has enjoyed such great reviews from past guests.
Taylor said people who came to Seven Terraces did not want the anonymity that often comes with larger hotels, adding that while European guests used to make up the majority of customers in the first two years since the hotel opened, there were now more guests from Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia.
“It’s the nostalgia of coming in here and knowing that their grandparents, their ancestors, lived very much in a place just like this.”
The tea-for-two set was perfect on a hot, lazy day.The dining room of the Seven Terraces is award-winning Kebaya, a fine-dining Peranakan restaurant, which boasts the traditional and rich flavours of the Straits Chinese food using modern, French dining techniques.
The restaurant was fully-booked for dinner on the weekend that we were there, so I decided to try out their tea time special priced at RM50 for two. The set came with two pots of tea of your choice, and a variety of delicious, local nyonya kuih and pastries.
The otak-otak puff was a delightful take on the traditional nyonya version, and served with a delicious tamarind curry sauce, was the first on our plate to be finished!While the kuih were sourced from a local shop, the otak-otak puff and pulled pork mantou buns were made in-house and were delicious. If they were any indication of the quality of food at Kebaya, I’m definitely making reservations on my next trip to Penang.
Prices for the suites at Seven Terraces range from RM550++ for a single room to RM1,400++ for the largest family room, making it one of the more premium-priced boutique hotels in Penang.
But we found it worth every ringgit, especially if you are hesitant to drive around in George Town’s often maddening traffic but would still like to discover the secret gems in this heritage site.
The hotels location not only allows you to explore the city on foot, but provides that calming, welcoming haven that you can call home, at least for the duration of time that you are there. – January 14, 2016.
* Seven Terraces was recently awarded the Andrew Harper Grand Award for 2016, which lists top travel properties around the world.
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