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TRAVEL
224
June15
Stay: The Eastern & Oriental Hotel
Best described as Malaysia’s answer to Singapore’s
Raffles Hotel, but without the hefty price tag, this property
is simply known as “the E & O”. We stayed to experience
the colonial luxury evocative of a bygone era, and the
acclaimed service that guests throughout its 130-year
history have enjoyed.
The enterprising Sarkies brothers, who hailed from
Armenia, are often credited with creating Asia’s first hotel
chain. Their legacy includes The E & O in Penang, Raffles
Hotel in Singapore, The Strand Hotel in Yangon, Myanmar,
and two hotels in Indonesia.
Today, the E & OHotel offers graceful and elegant rooms
across two wings; 100 in the
HeritageWing
and 122 in the
new
Victory Annexe
. Both wings have their own distinct
charm, with separate entrance and foyer. We stayed in a
deluxe suite in the Heritage Wing, in a 58-square-metre
room with separate living area, walk-in dressing room,
enormous marble bathroom and bedroomwith two double
beds, more than large enough for two adults and two
children. In the Heritage Wing, a butler is on call at the
flick of a switch.
Rooms in the Annexe, opened in 2013, naturally lean
towards a more modern décor, but the style in both is
classic and elegant. Guests from both wings have access
to two pools, the first on ground level in front of
Farquhar’s
Bar
, the second in the new wing on the sixth floor. We spent
our late afternoons swimming and resting weary feet after
a lot of walking.
Though we didn’t have time to take advantage of it,
a shuttle service operates to sister property
Lone Pine
Hotel
at Batu Ferringhi; and a new water limousine, the
Lady Martina
, tootles across to the
Straits Quay
shopping
and dining complex regularly. Both are complimentary for
E & O guests.