The Prestige Hotel occupies a former derelict warehouse in George Town in Malaysia that has been reinterpreted as a modern take on the Victorian era.
Boasting a unique mix of colonial and Peranakan architecture, George Town, the capital city of the Malaysian state of Penang, is also the home of the historic and newly minted Prestige Hotel. With architecture by local firm KL Wong and interior design by Singapore-based Ministry of Design (MOD), the hotel references the significance of the site while looking to the future—sprinkling in a little magic along the way.
“We wanted to transpose heritage by innovating spaces while remaining rooted in culture and location,” says Colin Seah, MOD’s founder and design director about the property, which was formerly a derelict warehouse that was used for maritime trading in the 19th century. “The hotel is a modern interpretation of Victorian-era design layered with the local botany. We added visual surprises through illusion as design devices to animate each space.”
Situated in the center of the building and flanked on either side by shopping arcades, the lobby is dominated by a maze fashioned from white and black marble flooring trimmed with brass. Mirrored glass wraps the reception desk, appearing to balance on chrome spheres. In contrast, “a cloud wainscot adorns the curved wall behind the desk, showing a modern, whimsical take on Victorian interiors,” he says.
Adjacent to the reception area is the all-day dining restaurant the Glasshouse. Informed by English conservatories, sunlight pours into the open space, bouncing off white walls and trellis-inspired screens. “A mix of real plants and tropical prints were used for the sofa cushions to add to the allure of being in a tropical Eden,” says Seah. In another nod to the magical realism that pervades the interiors, the mirror that clads the end walls deliberately creates the effect of multiple rooms.
The top floor is home to the gym (decked out with chandeliers and mirrored ceiling panels) and two function rooms that lead to outdoor gazebos and an infinity edge rooftop pool that faces the waterfront and is the perfect place to watch the sunset, says Seah.
Meanwhile, in the 162 guestrooms, visual tricks abound, including hidden doors that reveal toilet cubicles and pantries. A favorite of Seah’s is the custom shower and wardrobe enclosure in the deluxe suite, which takes cues from elaborate props used in performances, such as Houdini’s escape box. “Whether you’re using it to shower and become its center of attention or admiring its details, its sheer spectacle,” he says.
Lined with black and white flooring, the top floor is home to a rooftop gazebo that offers coveted views of the city.
Botany plays a significant role in the lobby and throughout, employing real plants to create a tropical Eden.
A custom shower and wardrobe enclosure in the deluxe suite takes cues from elaborate performances like Houdini’s escape box.
The Glasshouse restaurant is informed by traditional English conservatories with an abundance of sunlight, white walls, and trellis-inspired screens.
