Today Peter and I are flying to Penang for an island holiday. Penang holds a special place in our hearts, as when Peter lived in London and I live in Hamilton we would meet there (halfway) once a year with a group of friends for a winter vacation.
We usually stayed at the Parkroyal in Batu Ferrenghi, but would travel in to Georgetown once or twice during the holiday to have lunch at the luxurious Eastern and Oriental Hotel. This time, however, we are treating ourselves and spending the whole week at the E&O in their newly refurbished suites.
The E&O is full of old world charm, and it is easy to see how ex-patriates lived a Mad Dogs and Englishmen lifestyle. Indeed, Noel Coward was a frequent guest at the hotel.
Above: The foyer
Below: The bar
It was the first hotel built by the Sarkies, four Armenian brothers who were also to build The Raffles in Singapore, and The Strand in Rangoon. Finished in 1885, the E&O was billed as the greatest hotel east of the Suez, and boasted the longest sea frontage of any hotel in the world.
Other prominent guests included Rudyard Kipling, Hermann Hesse, Somerset Maugham
Above: The restaurant
Below: The terrace and pool directly on the ocean front
Below: The terrace and pool directly on the ocean front
Below: One of the newly refurbished suites
Yes, have stayed there too - before the recent refurbishment. My mother used to live there when she first went out East in the early 50s, and we lived in Penang as a family in the mid sixties. The enormous colonial house now long gone, although there are still some similar standing on Scott Road.
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