East Indies Mansion — Hotel in George Town

Beautiful stay at East Indies Mansion, with Ai Tee and the young indian lady who were both lovely in attending to guests' needs. The only issue which hinders the 5 stars is the lack of soundproofing, but that is really just nitpicking. The place is excellent as was the service. It is difficult to write something that does it justice.

The building itself is rich in history. Recent documentation has confirmed that in 1787, the first owner of 25 Lebuh China was Koh Lay Huan, who was the first Kapitan Cina of Penang.

'Kapitan Cina' which seems to mean 'chinese Captain' is the title given to the leaders of the overseas Chinese community (i.e. outside of china).

Koh Lay Huan was just as important to the founding of Penang as Francis Light. Together these two men worked to build Penang as a centre for trade and commerce, to plant pepper and to make Penang island an attractive place for all to establish business and settle. One could not have done without the other and today. Koh's importance alongside Light is very much acknowledged. The British and Dutch worked very closely with the Kapitan Cina of Penang to help administer the colony.

Around 1846, 25 Lebuh China passed into the hands of Chung Keng Quee, the Kapitan Cina of Perak. Both Koh and Chung were hugely influential and important men who contributed to the development and settlement of Malaysia (Malaya at the time). In 1872, Song Boon Keng acquired the property from Chung.

Since then, the house has had several owners and has seen some difficult times. The owners at the time, the Great Eastern life Insurance Company (which Singaporeans and Malaysians alike would be familiar with) attempted to demolish the entire house but were prevented from doing so by the Penang Heritage Trust (filthy insurance companies!).

The trust managed to obtain an immediate stop-work order on the basis that the house was of historical importance and had unique architecture.

Members of Penang Heritage Trust (or PHT in short) saved this lovely residence from demolition demonstrating in front of the house as it was being stripped of its wooden windows, shutters & screens, physically blocking the demolition. By sheer dogged determination, they lobbied for the Council to establish a "No Demolition Order" on the building.

In 2006, the house was purchased by the Wilkinson family. In 2008, soon after George Town was granted UNESCO world heritage status, the Wilkinsons spent 2 years painstakingly restoring the house to its former glory, restoring original features like the fresco mural painting that, can be seen above the doorways in some of the sections of the house, and the original water well in the garden. The Wilkinsons made it their family home, often inviting people in for tours of the mansion.

25 Lebuh China is now owned by ambitious new owners, committed to preserving and sharing the legacy of this historic residence. This fine residence is now East Indies Mansion - a boutique hôtel accessible to all who stay as guests.

Behind the bamboo trees, within the walls, they also serve as a venue for media events, weddings and photography/film shoots, and they also host cultural talks with local craftsmen and rickshaw drivers.

Complemented by the 100 square meter open-kitchen, they also host private cooking classes, wedding functions and...

This is a really really phenomenal boutique hotel, in an incredible location. First, the hotel itself is just stunning, it’s a beautiful heritage home and the two rooms I stayed in during my stay were both excellent. Some other reviews said it could be noisy but I never heard anyone, and even staying in the room next to the road I never heard the street other than in the bathroom (which is closest to the road) The location is also unbeatable, it’s surrounded by incredible restaurants of all kinds, hawker markets, beautiful site seeing, and tons of cafes (Jingsi books is a couple minute walk and is a very very nice place to sit and have a cup of tea!) It’s also very easy and affordable to get a Grab to wherever else you may want to go. Finally, the service is absolutely world class. I’m not sure how they’ve managed to build a staff that’s so good at what they in do, but every single person on staff is phenomenal. Everyone is so friendly, and helpful, and welcoming, and the service could not have possibly been better. I ended up extending my stay 4 times as I was dealing with some health issues and was playing things by ear, and they were very understanding and helpful in sorting those extensions. What could have been a very unpleasant and frustrating few days of doctor visits ended up being a fantastic stay in Georgetown because I chose to stay here. This is an incredible city, and this is 1000% the place to stay to...

My family recently stayed at East Indies Mansion and were blown away by the property! Right after you walk through the front door, the hustle of Georgetown melts away as you enter a historic Chinese residence with very intentional feng shui. The staff are some of the nicest and most service oriented people I have come across in all my travels. For instance, they were essential in helping us find both cultural and destination experiences that parents, young adults and teenagers all enjoyed. We stayed in the cinnamon suite and it was fantastic. It is 2 stories with a bathroom that has beautiful hand made tiles and plenty of natural lighting. There was plenty of room for the 5 of us and the king sized bed upstairs was extremely comfortable and well appointed! When we needed to spread out - there was a bonus 'shared' oversized living room connected to our suite that we never saw any other guests utilizing.

The morning breakfast at the mansion was something everyone looked forward to each day! One of the most significant assets is the mansion’s location. It was extremely easy to walk to a multitude of dining options (even for a family with gluten and dairy sensitivities) and the staff also had many excellent suggestions. I would highly recommend the East Indies Mansion to anyone staying in...