Eastern & Oriental Hotel

Rooms and decor

The Eastern & Oriental Hotel opened in 1885, built by the Armenian Sarkies brothers (Arshak, Martin and Aviet) — the same family behind Raffles Hotel Singapore (1887) and the Strand Hotel in Yangon (1901). It once hosted Somerset Maugham, Rudyard Kipling and Hermann Hesse. A major restoration landed in 2001, and the new Victory Annexe wing opened in 2013, bringing the total to 222 suites — from the Heritage Deluxe Suite at 60 sqm up to the Sarkies Suite at 165 sqm. The look is British colonial in cream, white and soft gold: real wood furniture, parquet floors, floral cotton, premium King beds, fast Wi-Fi, a 50-inch Smart TV, Nespresso, a minibar and Penhaligon's products. The Victory Annexe is all suites, each with an opening balcony and a Strait of Malacca view. Guest reviews back it up — 9.1 on Trip.com, 8.9 on Agoda, 9.0 on Booking — with most singling out the old-Raffles service and the legendary Sarkies buffet. The only knock is the Heritage Wing's dated rooms and the high rates.

Food and amenities

The heart of E&O is Sarkies, the most famous breakfast buffet on the island — 06:30 to 10:30, Malay, Chinese, Indian and Western, with Char Kway Teow cooked to order, around $30 per person. 1885 is the French fine-dining room, with set menus from about $80 to $135 plus wine. Sarkies Corner, the legendary 1885 cafe, runs 10:00 to 22:00 with afternoon tea around $22. Farquhar's Bar handles colonial cocktails and a cigar lounge. There are two outdoor pools — the sea-view pool by the Heritage Wing and an infinity pool at the Victory Annexe — plus the E&O Spa with four treatment rooms using Pevonia Botanica, a 24-hour fitness center, and a concierge that sets up Penang Hill, Kek Lok Si and street-art walking tours. A free shuttle runs to Gurney Plaza every 2 hours, and parking is free. The hotel scores 9.0/10 overall.

Location and getting there

E&O sits at 10 Lebuh Farquhar, dead center in Georgetown's UNESCO core and right on the Strait of Malacca. The Khoo Kongsi clan house is a 5-minute walk, the Armenian Street art 7 minutes, the Cheong Fatt Tze Blue Mansion 8 minutes, the Love Lane backpacker zone 5 minutes, and the Lebuh Chulia food street — home to famous Char Kway Teow — about 10 minutes. The Kek Lok Si temple and the Penang Hill cable car are each a 20-minute drive, and Batu Ferringhi beach is 30 minutes. Penang International Airport (PEN) is 18 km away: a taxi runs about $11-15 and takes 25-35 minutes, or the Rapid bus 401E costs roughly $1 and takes 60 minutes.

Things to know before booking

First, the Heritage Wing rooms are dated — classic atmosphere, but not modern, with smaller bathrooms. Ask for a Victory Annexe suite when you book: all suites, balconies, sea views, from about $185, and worth the jump. Second, it's pricey for Malaysia — the Heritage Wing starts near $120 and the Victory Annexe near $185, but over Chinese New Year (Jan-Feb), Christmas and the George Town Festival in July rates hit $230-510, so book 6-8 weeks ahead. Third, the Heritage Wing bathrooms are small, while the Victory Annexe's are larger and more modern. Fourth, the breakfast buffet queues up around 08:30 with kids and families — go at 07:00 or 09:30 to skip the crush.

Our take

The Eastern & Oriental Hotel is the best-fitting choice for honeymooners, heritage-hotel lovers and anyone who wants to feel the Sarkies legend in Penang. You get a 140-year-old seafront hotel in the heart of the UNESCO core across two wings — the 1885 Heritage Wing and the 2013 Victory Annexe — the legendary Sarkies buffet, French fine dining at 1885, two pools over the Strait of Malacca, and a 5-minute walk to Khoo Kongsi and the street art, from around $120. If your trip is a romantic getaway or a love of Sarkies-brothers history, this is the most complete answer on the island. If you'd rather have a beach resort, look at Shangri-La Rasa Sayang instead. Overall we give it 9.0/10, best for honeymooners, couples and lovers of colonial legend.