With its facilities and complimentary services, one can stay at Eastern & Oriental without having to venture out at all! That is, if you can resist the temptation of the local delights such as Penang Laksa, Chendol and Rojak etc. Staying at the Eastern & Oriental Hotel has its perks, for sure.
Planters Lounge
Located in the Victory Annexe is a private lounge called the The Planters Lounge, which is exclusively for guests staying in the Victory Annexe. There, complimentary continental breakfast is served if you choose to enjoy your breakfast here instead of at Sarkies. Coffee and tea are available throughout the day, while the highlight is definitely the evening cocktails from 5.00pm to 7.00pm.
Nice environment for chilling out in the lazy afternoon. No doubt, the free drinks are exceptionally popular with the guests here!
Fancy a cigar, if you’d like to have one? Come to think of it, this is probably the first time I’ve seen cigars for sale at a hotel/resort.
The pictures here are compiled from a few of our visits to the Planters Lounge for breakfast and evening cocktails. A pretty nice selection of food, even though variety is not extensive. Definitely a good break from the local cuisine if you find yourself having too much of those.
Delicious spreads – four different choices here. Yumm.
The food selection for the daily evening cocktails is changed daily so you will never know what you’re gonna find for the day!
Poolside Terrace
Just beside the Planters Lounge is the Poolside Terrace, which is basically an outdoor dining area with an infinity pool.
Sarkies
We had our breakfast at Sarkies on the second morning, which serves up local delights.
Such as the Char Kway Teow, which are stir-fried rice-cake strips.
You can custom-order your own Rota Canai (Roti Prata) here too!
Dim Sum and Nasi Lemak.
Victory Annexe Suite
Room 915. Two nights. Bliss.
Each floor has two corner suites, which were the premium units. As you can see from the floor-plan (I love emergency exit charts!), the entire stretch of suites along the top row would have fantastic sea-views. The three units on the sides, depending on where you’re facing, may or may not have good views so make your requests known to the hotel in advance!
A look at the passageway upon opening the door to our suite.
Finally, our room! Cozy and warm with a touch of nostalgia.
A simple work desk.
From the centre of our room, there’s the bed on one end of the suite, and the bathroom on the other end. Check out the black/white flooring!
Eastern & Oriental Hotel tries to maintain the theme of a colonial-style charm, even down to the clock you see on the side table.
A single lounge chair at the corner.
Every day, the housekeeping staff would leave little cards like these in our room. We received these for our two-nights stay. Lovely detail, isn’t it?
In the enormous bathroom, the vanity area is separated into two sides, for Him and for Her. No fighting over the basin the morning!
Oh-so-pretty bathtub. A pity we don’t have the space to install one in my own house!
On either sides of the bathtub, are the W.C. and and shower area.
The TV was pretty small in comparison. I guess it wouldn’t fit into the TV console if it got any bigger, eh?
Mini-bar and snacks.
Coffee machine!
When we made our reservation, we requested for a room with an excellent sea-view. Peeling away the balcony doors, we were rewarded with a breathtaking view.
Managed to squeeze in two chairs onto the small balcony area.
On the walls of the suite are decorations that give the suite the colonial charm. Black and white photographs. Hand-drawn maps.
Morning papers are, of course, complimentary as well. Throughout the Eastern & Oriental Hotel, the logo is proudly imprinted everywhere and you’ll practically see it everywhere you go.
Verdict
While pricey, the Eastern & Oriental Hotel is certainly worth paying for if you’re going to spend a fair bit of time in the hotel itself. It is going to be a waste not to do so!
Location wise, it is conveniently situated just beside Jalan Penang and is an excellent starting point to begin your exploration of George Town in Penang.
There was nothing to pick on with regards to the service of the hotel – fantastic from the start to the end. The reception helped tremendously with our request for a driver, as well as giving directions to the George Town attractions.
