Straits Collection Hotel in Penang

Another set of four residencies are located at Armenian Street which is a casual five minute walk away from here. What makes this place special is the way it was done up to keep most of the original architecture intact while carefully selected antique bits and pieces are blended into the eclectic design. 

Consisting of 6 residential suite units, a very popular cafe called Kopi Cine, a public reading and film space which also doubles as the main office, this overall marriage of creativity was set up, created and managed by the Bon Ton Group who also runs the Bon Ton Restaurant and Resort and Temple Tree in Langkawi Island.

I must stress that they really take care of your interest as I found the places to eat and explore map very handy. This was an added bonus as most hotels would expect you to contact the concierge if you wanted to see places. Also in the briefing, Anna assured me that if there was anywhere I wanted to visit around Penang, it could be arranged with or without a personal guide.

Decorations were minimalist with hints of yesteryear while the staff were highly trained to meet today’s demanding standards. A must try at Kopi Cine are the amazing cakes here which are absolutely out of this world.

A coffee table is also filled with books of interest ranging from Peranakan Designs to General information on Penang. A great place if you like books and note that the books here are only for reading and not sold.

Movies are also projected against one of the white walls nightly while an assortment of magazines on all topics are placed in an rustic metal-like table.

An outlet with a long metal chimney served as an escape for the excess smoke when roasting the coffee the traditional way.

The outside flooring was left with the original tiles while hinges and knobs or doors and windows were replaced with original working ones. A proper key and lock system was inserted into the old doors too.

As each unit consisted of two residences, the main hall area was a common area which divided the two. Intricately designed with items from the past, this place was something you would see in a historical museum.

Why? All because of how the Bon Ton manages to restore beautiful heritage buildings like these without changing the structure and maintaining most of the original fittings. An experience worth every penny in my honest opinion. 

If you want to experience the old charm of shop-house family style staying, then you should check out the Straits Collection Hotel in Penang.