The Edison George Town

Rooms and decor

The Edison George Town opened in 2014 after a restoration of the Anglo-Colonial mansion that Chinese tycoon Yeo Wee Gark built in 1906 on Leith Street, in the heart of the Georgetown UNESCO core. It belongs to the Bon Ton Restoration group — the same hands behind Seven Terraces and the Cheong Fatt Tze Blue Mansion — and runs to just 35 rooms over three floors, from the Edison Standard at 32 sq m up to the Edison Master Suite at 65 sq m. The look is Anglo-Colonial British in cream, deep red and gold, with 4-metre ceilings and genuine antiques from the 1900s to 1930s — teak and mahogany, parquet floors, Chinese silk and floral cottons. Beds are plush kings, Wi-Fi is fast, there's a 43-inch smart TV, a coffee and tea maker, a minibar (free if you book direct), and rain showers with clawfoot bathtubs in the suites, stocked with Asprey. Real guest scores land at 9.1 on Trip.com, 9.2 on Agoda and 9.3 on Booking — the highest in Penang. Most reviews single out staff who remember your name and the free wine hour; the gripes are the old rooms' thin walls and the small pool.

Food and amenities

The highlight is the free wine and cheese hour, every evening from 6pm to 7:30pm in the lobby — four reds and whites, four cheeses, crackers and fruit, in a colonial setting built for couples to settle in. Breakfast is a la carte in the Garden room, leaning on local produce: Eggs Benedict, Roti Canai, Nasi Lemak, croissants and specialty coffee. There is no standalone restaurant — walk 5 minutes to Mews Cafe, the Edison's sister cafe, for brunch and cocktails, or 8 minutes to the Lebuh Chulia food street. The Library Lounge off the lobby holds 200 books, a piano and a (decorative) fireplace. The concierge sets up Penang Hill, Kek Lok Si, street-art and Khoo Kongsi tours. The pool is small, 8 by 4 metres in the courtyard, for cooling off rather than laps, and the spa has two treatment rooms — a 60-minute body massage runs MYR 350, about $83. Parking is free for 6 cars, and the concierge will hail a Grab for you. Overall score 9.2/10.

Location and getting there

The Edison sits at 15 Leith Street in the Georgetown UNESCO core, on an old street lined with Peranakan mansions. The Cheong Fatt Tze Blue Mansion is a 3-minute walk; Love Lane and the Khoo Kongsi clan house are 5 minutes; the Armenian Street murals and Lebuh Chulia are 5 to 8 minutes; Komtar mall is 10 minutes; Penang Road and its famous Cendol are 7 minutes; and the seafront Esplanade is 10 minutes on foot. Further out, Kek Lok Si temple and Penang Hill are each a 20-minute drive, and Batu Ferringhi is 30 minutes. Penang airport (PEN) is 18 km away — a taxi runs MYR 50 to 65, about $12 to $15, in 25 to 35 minutes, or the Rapid bus 401E costs MYR 4 (around $1) and takes 60 minutes.

Things to know before booking

First, the original colonial rooms aren't well soundproofed — the old walls have none, so ask for a 2nd-floor room on the courtyard side when you book; it's quieter than the Leith Street frontage. Second, the pool is small, just for a dip — 8 by 4 metres in the courtyard, so if the pool is your priority look at the E&O or Rasa Sayang. Third, there is no separate restaurant and breakfast is a la carte in the Garden room, with a limited menu that may not satisfy a family. Fourth, with only 35 rooms you should book 6 to 8 weeks ahead, particularly around Christmas, Chinese New Year and the George Town Festival in July.

Our take

The Edison George Town is the best fit in Penang for honeymooning couples, design-minded travelers and anyone who loves a heritage boutique with service that remembers your name. You get a 5-star, 35-room Anglo-Colonial mansion from 1906, restored in 2014, with a free wine and cheese hour every evening at 6pm, the highest guest scores on the island at 9.2 to 9.3, and a location in the heart of the UNESCO core — 3 minutes on foot from the Blue Mansion — from around $137 a night. If your trip is romantic, heritage-driven, or about butler-level service, this is the answer. If you want a beach resort with kids in mind, look at Rasa Sayang or Hard Rock instead. Overall we give it 9.2/10, best for honeymooners and boutique lovers.