Eastern and Oriental Hotel: From a Pub in Surrey to Penang

The first time I heard about E&O was, funnily enough, at a countryside pub in Surrey. It was near Christmas time. My friends and I were in a jolly mood — jingling, and ready for a properly legless night. I toddled into the pub on the promise of a merry, merry English Christmas, and was told I would be meeting Terry.

Terry is also a Malaysian living in the UK. He used to run the E&O Hotel which, at the time (and rather shamefully), I knew nothing about. The night unfolded fabulously. Throw in a few rounds of bubbles with a Chambong (which, according to Business Insider, is intended for “the rapid and enhanced experience of champagne consumption” — ROFL), and perhaps a few Strawpedoes… and we all got predictably sloshed. I woke up the next day and forgot all about E&O and, well, most of the night too.

Two years on, I found myself on my way to Penang, checking into E&O — and suddenly, those memories came flooding back.

The Eastern & Oriental Hotel is a dapper, colonial Gatsby who slipped into an accidental coma at what seemed like the prime of his life, only to awaken under new ownership, with a handsome renovation and realise, quite remarkably, that he hadn’t missed his moment at all.

The building itself is a UNESCO heritage site, grand and beautiful, exuding all the rich, old colonial charm one might imagine. The doormen wear khaki short-sleeved shirts and pith helmets. The lobby gleams with polished floors, and the entire place is steeped in history. Steamer trunks, ceiling fans, echoes of exotic travels, cocktail bars, linen and cotton, flora and fauna — the coloniser came, and perhaps never truly left.

E&O stands proudly at the intersection of Farquhar Street and Penang Road, precisely where East meets West.

It all makes sense now, doesn’t it? A Penangite living in the English countryside, yet holding fast to his roots. Terry and his team couldn’t have done a better job.

A short one today to get you (and myself) through the week… Next time, we go to the Peranakan Mansion. You ought to come along.

With love x