The Eastern & Oriental Hotel along Farquhar Street, George Town, is one of the most elegant hotels in the Orient. Often called the E & O, it was the first of a chain of hotels founded by the four Armenian brothers, Martin, Tigran, Aviet and Arshak Sarkies, collectively known as the Sarkies brothers. Some of the best known hotels in the Far East were started by them, including the Raffles Hotel in Singapore and the Strand, in Rangoon, Myanmar. By 1892, the brothers were spread across Southeast Asia. The youngest, Arshak Sarkies, took up the management of the E & O while Tigran Sarkies manages the Raffles Hotel and Aviet was stationed in Rangoon. The eldest, Martin Sarkies, has by then retired.
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History of the E & O Hotel
The idea to set up the hotel business came about in 1885 when the Sarkies brothers met the Khaw family in Bangkok, and was encouraged by them to set up a hotel in Penang. The Khaws built two separate hotels which the Sarkies managed. These were the Eastern Hotel, completed in 1884, and the Oriental Hotel, in 1885. It became immediately apparent that these two hotels should be combined, and hence the Eastern & Oriental Hotel was formed. In addition, the Sarkies also managed the Crag Hotel on Penang Hill.
The merger of these two hotels created one of the finest hotel establishments in the region. It boasted of having the world's longest sea-front lawn, which is 842 feet in length. Famous personalities who arrived at the E&O (many of whom also turned up at the Raffles Hotel) included Noel Coward, Douglas Fairbanks, Hermann Hesse, Rudyard Kipling and Somerset Maugham.
If you love George Town's heritage, you are in the thick of it at E & O. The hotel itself is a heritage building, and it is also surrounded by numerous heritage sites, such as the Protestant Cemetery, the Penang Museum, Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, to mention a few.
Slippery Senorita, a pub, is a short walk across the street, if you wish to go for a drink.
What I don't like about this hotel
Well, it is the most expensive hotel in the city. It feels like living in a museum. Also, there aren't any shopping malls nearby. Having said that, if you come to relax luxuriously, the E & O is the place to do it in style.
It is often more practical to book your tours online. You have the luxury of time to go through what are the tours you intend to take, rather than having to make a decision on your feet. Check out the local tours in Penang that you can book online. The tours are provided by Viator, a reputable international tour company.
If you are coming to Penang, you can arrange airport transfer from airport to city in advance. A van will be waiting for you to pick you at the airport. This service is very useful and cost effective if you are arriving as a group.
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Penang Travel Tips is researched and written by Timothy Tye, universally known as Tim. The text is the copyright of Timothy Tye, and may not be copied for commercial use or re-published in another website without the author's permission. Information provided is in goodwill and is believed to be correct and up-to-date at time of writing. Photographs on this website are the copyright of the author and may not be reused without prior permission. For commercial licensing of photographs, read the licensing terms. Tim is a Christian. Click here to know more about his beliefs.
