Penang's little Tze-cret

Perhaps the renovation craze was begun by the total restoration of the grand old lady of Penang, the Eastern and Oriental Hotel. It's sometimes regarded as "Baby Raffles" and it has a similar sort of ambience - indeed, since Raffles became little more than a shopping mall and food court under its new owners, arguably it has the ambience that Raffles has lost.

Certainly, all around the Georgetown Waterfront district, and up into the old town centre, districts seem to be subject to "hit squads" that are improving the surroundings to the point where they would not disgrace Singapore. Now there's an interesting idea: a largely Chinese community on an island with commercial aspirations. What will they think of next?

In fact, what they are thinking of is the development of the island's waterfront for several kilometres with high-risk apartments and high-capacity roads along the water's edge past the remaining fishing villages between Georgetown and the Bridge, and another newly developed area just to the airport side of the bridge.

This means that there is less pressure to demolish the older properties in Georgetown. So the shop selling "furniture and chicks" next to the suspicious-looking shed housing a massage parlour is less likely to fall prey to the bulldozer. And the districts that have been spruced up already look inviting and cosmopolitan with art galeries and restaurants. But equally importantly, the old fashioned Chinese Coffee Shops also remain in their traditional setting - no American brown water chains here.

In the middle of all of this Penang State Government sponsored restoration, owners of buildings are also putting their money where their mouths have been for years: what's the point in doing up our buildings, they have said, if the general amenities are so poor that people don't want to be here? In the past five years, huge changes have happened. Indeed, on a recent return visit for the first time in four years, this traveller got so lost he had to call for help: the reason? The sprucing up of buildings has been so well done, that some buildings looked so different that he drove past one favourite landmark three times and still didn't recognise it.

The E&O's restoration is simply overwhelming. But it's 200 metres away, at the Waterfront end of Leith Street, that we headed for perhaps the most interesting restoration project in Penang: known to those who can't say it's proper name as "The Blue Mansion," the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion is a very special place to stay.

It's not a hotel: it's a very upmarket bed and breakfast - indeed, aside from coffee and, if you are in luck, a beer, that's all that's served in the Courtyard dining area. And it's a restoration project in progress so work is being undertaken at various points in the house. This is not a bad thing: a bit of painting and decorating is basically the remaining work.

The Mansion sits in walled grounds that somehow create the impression that wherever the city is, it isn't a few metres away. Inside the Mansion, the courtyard is surrounded by public rooms and out the back is a full commercial kitchen. Enclosed corridors to each side of the main building provide the accomodation for residents - and it is glorious accommodation. The rooms are huge and comfortably furnished with just enough furniture. It's mostly old (but not necessarily antique) and some of it is frankly a bit shabby. But - for the noveau riche (but not very) who think that no furniture should ever look like it left Ikea more than ten days ago here's a revalation - shabby can be chic. Style does not depend on having the latest brand. The rooms have no TV, no radio, no centralised "environment control" by the bed. In fact, half the time, you will need to play hunt the lightswitch to find out how to make it go dark. And you'll have to remember to close the shutters because people walk along the corridor right outside your room and there are no curtains. There are no modern prints of works of Impressionist masters: but you might find the room decorated with record sleeves and carrier bags from ancient music shops or other curios depending on the rooms you choose.

For you might think you are staying in a house and, in some respects you are. But in fact you are staying in a museum, one which twice a day has tour parties led by an enthusiastic and knowledgable guide who is clearly devoted to the Mansion. There is a museum room full of artefacts but then the whole house is full of artefacts: the residents' only section has even more interesting things.

There is a dining room - which kind of brings us back to that kitchen. Perhaps the dining room is seen as a seminar room - it certainly could be such - but what a waste! The owners do not promote it for private dinner parties. They should. However, parts of the Mansion are available for product launches, receptions, seminars, etc. One wonders why anyone uses a faceless hotel when such a magnificent alternative exists right in the middle of the commercial district.

Perhaps the most impressive thing about the Mansion is that it is in the heart of the city, with heavy traffic, and just metres away from the garden walls. Yet it is quiet and calm, a place where one can truly relax and until the moment you have to go out - that will usually be to eat - when the heat, smells and noise of Georgetown assail the senses.

There is no public coffee shop - in part, one suspects, because that would mean that there would have to be a dramatic increase in security. And the very effective but very low profile security adds to the feeling of being at home.

The building has cast iron spiral staircases, deep set reliefs of e.g. Chinese opera, carved staircases and balustrades and so much of architecural interest that going out can be a struggle with oneself.

By Malaysian standards, CFTM is expensive: a night here will cost about the same as a four star hotel in KL. But cost isn' the thing - it's value that matters. Malaysia has many fine hotels and resorts but the world has only one Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion. The Guest Book is testament to just how much visitors fall in love with this place, as is the fact that many of its bookings are repeats - some year after year after year. And then there's the author who came for a few days and now spends periods of several months each year, the growing popularity with KL's diplomatic community, the gravitational pull on artists and writers and the fact that Europeans are referring their friends that makes what just five years ago seemed to be a crazy, romantic notion is gaining the traction it needs to raise the funds to complete the restoration.

Is anyone less than impressed? Only Americans, it seems: they just don't get why anyone would want to stay in a (mostly) renovated ancient monument. Well, what do you expect: much of the furniture is older than their country. For the rest of us, growing up amongst buildings a thousand years or more old, and culture over thousands of years, regardless of what the culture is, CFTM is remarkably like coming home. And just as hard to leave as the management team (there don't seem to be any staff in the usual sense) stand on the steps to wave you off. When they say "see you soon," it has none of the resonance of the corporate line shot off by cashiers and doormen in big hotels.

www.cheongfatttzemansion.com for the full history and more information.