Stepping back in time

The era of its birth was long past, having been swallowed by the passage of time, and its original quarters long gone, having been razed by burning flames, but still the Bodhi tree stays rooted to its position. The tenacity of the old large fig tree that has clung on to a wall in the middle of a pre-war townhouse at Lorong Lumut or Lumut Lane, in George Town, Penang, was what drew architect Michael Ong and town planner Cheng Hui Lin to become its new owners.

It was a bold step, because the townhouse was burnt to the ground several years before. In fact, it was thereafter almost considered more conducive for swiftlets’ nest farming.

The husband and wife team, however, was as undaunted as the resilient tree, and through their joint efforts, the worn-out building and the adjoining unit were remarkably transformed into one charming bohemian-style boutique hotel with a total built-up area of 3,600 sq ft.

Located a stone’s throw from Lebuh Armenian and Lebuh Acheh, Spices Hotel offers four double bedrooms, two superior double bedrooms, two duplex bedrooms and one family room. Named after Asian spices such as Star Anise, Cumin and Cardamom, each room has been individually designed to capitalise on its own unique view, its varied ceiling height and roof profile.

According to Ong and Cheng, their inspiration was derived from the rich culture and history of the hotel’s locality, which was one of the earliest Muslim enclaves in George Town. In the olden days, Penang was a regional maritime route to Mecca for the Haj pilgrimage for Muslims in Southeast Asia and the Armenian enclave in particular. Ticketing services were complemented by accommodation for these pilgrims.

“The community along Acheh Street and Lumut Lane, including the former townhouses that now make up Spices Hotel, comprised not only of traders and pilgrim brokers but also homestay operators,” the duo shares.

To recreate the experience of the pilgrims as house guests at that time, the interiors of the Spices Hotel reflect a mix of Arab and Malay influences as displayed in its ornate light fixtures and furniture pieces.

The hotel also features a central courtyard that was carved from the rear end of the unit that was burnt down. With the old Bodhi tree proudly in place, it offers a private sanctuary away from the hustle and bustle of the streets outside.

Tough but rewarding

Undertaking the heritage conservation of the dilapidated houses was tricky, to say the least. There were technical uncertainties and difficulties gauging the extent of damage to the existing structure.

“It also took us some time to source for building elements such as doors and windows, timber beams and rafters that match the original ones, as these had to be identified through meticulous research on the shophouse typology of that era,” says its owners.

They decided to retain the building’s original elements as much as possible. For instance, the masonry of the load-bearing walls was repaired with minimal connective openings between the internal spaces.

The inconsistencies of ceiling heights, roof profiles and floor heights between the two units as well as their unique architectural characteristics were retained and articulated into nodes and spaces of different functions that are seamlessly fused as a single property.

Spices Hotel is part of the Spices Collection, which also includes two other boutique hotels in Penang — Spices by the Park at Acheen Street and Sweet Cili Hotel at Gat Lebuh Melayu.

Ultimately, both husband and wife share a common goal — to create homes instead of just hotels for travellers to this corner of the globe, offering warm Malaysian hospitality and the comforts of home within well-conceived, intimate spaces.

“The Spices Collection aspires to have travellers taking home their experience in a meaningful and personal way. The aim is to have guests feeling at home while away from home,” stress Ong and Cheng.

Spices Hotel:
5, Lorong Lumut, George Town, Penang
Contact: (04) 261 9986

This story first appeared in EdgeProp.my live! magazine. Download a FREE copy of live! magazine here.