Eastern & Oriental Hotel - Penang, Malaysia

E & O Hotel

We arrived in George Town Penang after two flights from San Francisco that took 18 hours in the air. We were able to sleep on our flights so we didn’t really have jet lag. We took a Taxi from Penang International Airport to the wonderful Eastern and Oriental Hotel on the Andaman Sea  in the Old Town area of George Town.

Corner Suite Living Room

At the E&O we had a fantastic stay in a huge Corner Suite (1200 sq ft) in the modern, colonial style Victory Annex. Views of Andaman sea and George Town were incredible . It's also in a charming part of old town Penang. It’s in a very walkable location. Original colonial hotel dates from 1885. This hotel is a very good value for the price.

Tub with a View of Andaman Sea

Bedroom

The Corner Suite was immaculate and had everything we needed for a luxurious stay. It had his and her Marble vanity counters and wonderful old time freestanding bath tub. The overall design had a heritage style borrowed from the original 1885 hotel building with contemporary comforts. We were on the top floor and had a wraparound balcony with incredible views of the ocean from one side and views of Bukit Bendera (Flagstaff Hill) on the other.

Old Shop Houses, Now Bars, Restaurants

George Town itself is the capital city of the Malaysian State of Penang. It’s located at the northeastern tip of Penang Island. Greater George Town is the second largest city in Malaysia and has an estimated population of 2.5 million. It’s also one of the oldest cities in Malaysia, George Town, along with Malacca, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008.

Francis Light Grave 1784

The City of George Town was established by Captain Francis Light of the British East India Company in 1786. George Town was one of the first British settlements in SE Asia. Together with Singapore and Malacca, George Town was governed under the Straights Settlements which later became a British Crown Colony in 1867.

Malaya attained independence from the British Empire in 1957. In 2015, the entire Penang Island was granted city status. Penang Island is an interesting location with many cultures including Malay, Chinese and Tamil and also a large population of others  from many countries.

Andaman Sea from Balcony

Penang Hill from the Balcony

The Eastern and Oriental delivered old-world charm and luxury for us in Penang and served as a central base for us to walk and explore old town and other parts on Penang Island.

Highly recommended!  

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