Best boutique hotels in Penang / Noraziah Mohd Amin

According to Ahmad et al. (2017), boutique hotels encapsulate the essence of local history and cultural attributes, offering visitors an opportunity to immerse themselves in true local culture and partake in captivating historical encounters. Malaysia has a significant number of heritage features, including historical buildings, historic landmarks, and distinctive local culture which offer opportunities to both developers and boutique hotel operators (As et al., 2018). Penang, Malaysia offers many boutique hotels for a cultural and relaxing experience such as the Blue Mansion, Jawi Peranakan Mansion and Penaga Hotel. Cheong Fatt Tze mansion or also known as The Blue Mansion is a boutique hotel that can be found at Lebuh Leith, George Town, Penang, Malaysia. The narrative of this hotel started during the latter part of the 19th Century, when Cheong Fatt Tze harboured the ambition of providing his descendants with a residence that embodied the qualities of grandeur and refinement. Following the death of his last son, the Mansion underwent a transfer of ownership to a group of Penang conservationists who embarked upon the task of meticulously restoring it to its previous state of grandeur. The restoration of Cheong Fatt Tze’s Blue Mansion was successfully finished by the end of 1995, resulting in the total revitalization of its architectural structure. The Blue Mansion underwent extensive renovations and was eventually transformed into a boutique hotel, as well as made accessible for the public. The restoration project was honoured with the Malaysian Institute of Architects (PAM) Architecture Award for its outstanding design excellence in 1995. Additionally, it received UNESCO’s prestigious Most Excellent Project in the Asia Pacific Heritage Award in 2000 (Cheong Fatt Tze the Blue Mansion, n. d).