Liu Men Hotel Melaka — Hotel in Malacca

We prefer to stay in boutique hotels with some character. Our mainstay Majestic hotel is getting a bit noisy so we looked for some other place to try. This one popped up and as we haven't stayed near Jonker St for quite a few years, it seemed like a good time to try and to explore the area a bit.

Driving there wasn't a problem. They have a couple of spots in front to stop and unload your luggage, and a private car park at the back of the hotel. Very convenient. We drove in and out multiple times and just parked and walked in through the back entrance.

Lobby is small and quaint. The inside is pretty nice with the three story atrium a good place to sit down for a chat. But the entire hotel is small. Their so called "library" is a shelf of books in this atrium area. There isn't a lounge or a bar or anything.

Three stories (G/1/2) and about 10 rooms per floor. One elevator which is enough as it's actually not crowded. G to 1st has a circular iron staircase but it's a little tight though I was okay going up and down just to try (and to take photos). The overall decor is well down and I think reflects the vibe they want to project; we like it. Sitting in the atrium area, we noticed that a few of the tables are actually converted from the old food pedal sewing machines; that was a nostalgic reminder of visiting my grandparents.

We were on the 2nd floor, normal room facing the back (the carpark actually). There's a garden deck at the back (via the emergency stairs down a bit then up) but it was really too hot to hang out there. Nobody else was ever there as far as we could see too.

Room is small but the bed is comfy. There's a fan (very drafty if needed) and strong airconditioning (very much needed). Usual kettle and a drawer of coffee bags and tea. The coffee is the local Melaka coffee (black and sweet) and very very nice. I regret not bringing the two packs left in the drawer back with me. Would have been a nice cup to drink while writing this review. There's a couple of chairs and a small table - not comfortable for lounging at all, so it's either the bed or sitting up prim and proper in the chair. I personally like having a place to relax and lounge to read while my wife watches TV so compared to many of the other hotels, this was somewhat lacking. The rooms are quiet (we didn't hear any neighbours but there is street noise and the usual call to prayers coming in through the windows). Single pane only but actually can be opened for some fresh air (would work well with the fan, I guess). But it was too hot the days we were there.

The bathroom was great! No bathtub but a great shower with a rain shower option. Lots of hot water and l'occitane soap and stuff. Thick fluffy towels and thin (silk like?) dressing gowns. White long one with a red sash for me, and a red-gold short one with a gold sash for my wife. Good for lounging on the bed.

Breakfast is served in the atrium, and was included in our stay. They have nasi lemak and. roti canai (prata) every day as well as a different noodle dish each day. Mee goreng, laksa and hokkien noodles the three days we were there. If nothing else, come and stay there for the breakfast. It's the best breakfast we've ever had in Melaka, and even beats the street food that we go after when we were there in earlier years. The nasi lemak is flavourful and comes in a traditional paper folded pack, with the chicken (a bit dry), cucumber, etc. separately. The sambal is not really spicy (I would prefer it a bit hotter) but was just right for my wife. The roti canai was amazing. My wife had it on our 2nd day while I had the curry laksa (also very good). The roti was so good that we had a 2nd round to share. 3rd day, my wife had the hokkien mee and I had the roti canai again. This time we also noticed the traditional bread (for toast + butter + homemade kaya) and had to try. Ended up with two slices, and asking them if they sold their kaya, which they do.

Room service could be better and a lobby bar or lounge is needed. But we'll likely come...

Decided to give this hotel a try after seeing some good reviews in Tripadvisor. Boy am I glad with my decision!

If you travel by car and use Waze, it should bring you straight to their private car park at the back of the premise. The private car park is adjacent to an open parking space which is privately owned. The one that belongs to the hotel is the one with 12 marked parking bays (10 parallel parking bays and 2 side parking bays). It is not exactly behind the premise, so after you parked your car, you then have to walk a bit towards behind the premise where you will notice a black back door that will give you access to the premise.

Check in was a breeze since I book and paid for my stay online. While checking in, they will provide you with a welcome drink which I find a little bit too sweet to my liking. It is a very nice gesture though as the drink will freshen you up after a long drive.

My room was at the 1st floor and there is a small lift that will bring you there. The room has a heritage look to it with wooden bedframe, wooden furniture, hanging lamp from the ceiling (dimmable). There is a Samsung smart TV but the channels are limited (no movie channel) but hey if you choose to stay here I bet you are more interested to explore the Jonker Street area rather than staying in room/bed all day long.

If you like attention to details...you will love the bathroom! Everything from the bathroom fixtures (shower head and towel hanger), toiletries (they provide Loccitane products) and the tiles they use for the flooring and walls are of the highest quality and finishing. Instagram worthy if you are into that kind of thing. They provide towels, hand towels as well as face towels which are clean, stain free and changed daily. Water pressure are good and hot water is available all day long.

Breakfast is semi buffet style where you choose the main dishes (which changes everyday except the nasi lemak and roti canai) plus you can help yourself to the homemade bread, butter and kaya, sliced fruits and fruit juices. I love the toasted bread and their homemade kaya. Coffee lovers fret not as you can choose from espresso, cappucino, latte and mocha which are made to order by the in house barrista. I am a coffee lover so I forgot how many times I order the coffee and the staff are very polite and always smiling.

In terms of facilities, you need to be aware that they do not have private pool or gymnasium. So if these are super important for you...definitely need to look away and stay at the chain hotels like Hilton or Holiday Inn. This hotel is best for couple or honeymooners that wants to have a quiet, romantic time and explore the Jonker Street area by foot.

The thing that I appreciate the most about this hotel is the cleanliness of the room. The room comes with a wooden flooring and not the carpet setting used by most of other hotels, Thus it is easier to clean and very nice to anyone with nose that is sensitive to dusts like me. Even though initially there is a minor issue but En Izhar Ibrahim the hotel manager together with the housekeeping team took care of it promptly and efficiently. In fact he met me personally to offer his apologies on behalf of the hotel. Very professional of him. In fact all their staff provide service with a smile. Keep it up guys! I will definitely will be...

Opened in 2019, Liu Men is a boutique hotel which was previously comprised of six individual houses occupied by a single family. “Liu” is the Mandarin word for six, and “men” means doors. Six is also an auspicious number symbolising smooth journeys and safe travels.||This property dating back to the 1930’s is owned by a Malaysian company, Mamee-Double Decker, which manufactures the popular Malaysian snack, MAMEE. They had done a great job refurbishing the building which now features design elements fusing Colonial Art Deco with Peranakan Chinese design.||Liu Men offers the following room categories:||1. Jebat Room - First floor|2. Hang Tuah Room - Second floor|3. Kapitan Room - Ground floor|4. Cheng Ho Suite - First floor|5. Parameswara Suite - Second floor||If you wish to pamper yourself in a room with a bathtub, book the Kapitan Room, Cheng Ho Suite or Parameswara Suite. ||I had booked the Jebat Room and was accommodated in Room No. 126. Although my room faces the main road, there is minimal traffic noise. Earplugs are provided for the comfort of the guests. The hotel uses the USA brand, Serta mattress which provided me with a comfortable and restful sleep. The drinks, snacks and fruits inside the room are complimentary. I am impressed the hotel provided a turn down service, which included complimentary pineapple tarts.||Although there is no SMART TV in all rooms at this property, cable TV channels are available such as Asian Food Network, AXN, BBC News, Cinemax, Discovery, HBO, There are two USB charging ports beside the TV for the guest’s charging needs.||The bathroom shower area is rather spacious. The shower pressure is good and the water is constantly hot. I am delighted the hotel provides L'OCCITANE toiletries inside the bathroom. The hotel is also thoughtful to provide a night light, a feature which not many hotels offer.||During the stay, guests enjoy complimentary coffee or tea (two cups daily) at the Courtyard between 12pm and 6pm. Breakfast is served at the Courtyard Bar from 7am to 10.30am. The fee is RM60 for adult and RM30 for child between 6 and 11 years old. Additionally, in-house guests enjoy a 10% discount for dining at the Courtyard Restaurant & PN°6 Bar.||Do note that the hotel imposes RM50 for the loss of the room key card, which regretfully, I lost mine during the stay. This was indicated in their WhatsApp message to me prior to my arrival. Fortunately, the staff was kind to obtain a token payment of RM20 from me. He even gave me a complimentary fan. So, please ensure your room key cards are kept properly for return upon check out.||Liu Men is situated within walking distance to the following places of interest:||* Cheng Hoon Teng Temple (Malaysia’s oldest Chinese temple) - 50m|* Jonker Walk - 260m|* Dutch Square - 550m|* Baba & Nonya Heritage Museum - 600m|* Stadthuys | Christ Church Melaka - 600m|* A Famosa - 1.1km|* Taming Sari Tower - 1.1km||This is my sixth visit to Melaka and I must say Liu Men Hotel is the best property I had stayed so far. I highly recommend a stay here if you are visiting this...