Aug 12, 2017

The Legendary Macalister Mansion In Georgetown Penang.

Few weekends ago, I made a short trip to Penang and had a pleasurable stay at Macalister Mansion. Here's a nutshell view of my experience at this legendary boutique hotel.


Macalister Mansion is located along Macalister Road, just a short stroll away from some of Penang's most popular local eats. The place was not only charming on the outside, but also had a gorgeous interior.

Named after Sir Norman Macalister (the first British governer of Penang), this award-winning colonial English mansion was designed around the philosophy of sophistication and elegance. It is also part of Starwood Preferred Guest and Design Hotels.

Within Macalister Mansion, there are different spaces and rooms - Dining Room, The Den, Living Room, The Cellar, The Lawn and Eight Rooms.

In this write-up, I will be highlighting my stay and dining experiences at Eight Rooms, Living Room and The Cellar.

Address: 228 Macalister Road, 10400 Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: +604 228 3888 / +604 228 3883
Email: contactus@macalistermansion.com


There's a reason they call it Eight Rooms. There are 8 rooms in Macalister Mansion, all with it's own unique character and design. I stayed at 1 of the 8 rooms for one night.

While this boutique hotel may not exactly be the most affordable in the area (room rate starts from RM720/night), it would definitely be worthwhile for those who have a penny to spare.

Here are some of the photographs that I took of the room - before the untidy mass ensued of course.

Eight Rooms Prices
Eight Rooms Prices
Eight Rooms Prices
Eight Rooms Prices
Each individual room comes with a comprehensive range of exclusive toiletries (from H20) and cosmetic items.
There is also a Nespresso machine and electric kettle for leisure usage, together with a selection of Nespresso capsules and TWG teas. There's also an in-room mini bar, stocked with a range of complimentary imported soft drinks and local snacks.
Eight Rooms Prices

The most memorable aspect of my stay would probably be the immaculate service, where the concierge staff remembered me by name and room requests were quick to be served. Plus, the bathroom was huge, on the verge of lavish. Not forgetting the bed - possibly one of the coziest I've ever slept on! The Simmons Beautyrest bed and customized pillows made me felt as though I was sleeping on a cloud. I didn't want to get up the next morning!

I wished I had spend more time in the room - enjoyed the bed a little bit more and soaked in some bathtub joy. Unfortunately, being there only for two short days, I was really short in time.

After a quick change of clothes, I rushed over to The Living Room for a pre-planned high tea session.


When it comes to afternoon tea, it's really more of the company and ambiance, rather than the food alone as a whole. I really enjoyed the casual yet simple atmosphere at Living Room, not forgetting the dainty pastries that complimented the overall experience.

High Tea at Living Room, Macalister Mansion was a simple yet casual affair.

At RM88.00, the tea time goodies consisted of 6 varieties of savory and 4 types of sweet pastries, scones to share, alongside coffee or tea.

Opening Hours: Daily, from 8am.


After what seemed like an eternity of chitty-chatters, I returned to the room for a quick change of clothes, before I settled in for dinner. It really felt as though I never stopped eating.


The Cellar, Macalister Mansion exuded sophistication and elegance, styled in vibrant red and striking black; wood and steel.

Dinner that evening reminded me of my Izakaya experience in Japan. Except here, the dining menu featured a handful of specially curated small dishes, mostly done Western-styled.

Dine either at the dining room (seated on plush-sofas as such) or at the bar. I chose the bar, where I gleefully watched my dinner being prepared, right before my eyes.

For starters, I had the Cepellini with Smoked Truffle Emulsion and Avruga Caviar (RM35) - having caviar for dinner was the icing on my cake. This was followed by a delicate serving of nicely Flamed Tuna in Soya Citrus Dressing and bits of Egg (RM45). For main course, I had a scrumptious serving of Grilled Lamb Cutlet in Lemongrass Pesto and Herbs Salad (RM90). This was also the priciest dish in the menu. Dessert was a serving of Vanilla Panna Cotta with Guava Sorbet (RM35) in White Chocolate Mousse soil and sourplum sprinkles.

Throughout dinner, I sipped on glasses of Lychee & Lime (RM33), Gin Martini (RM36) and two other customised cocktails. For the wine drinkers, there are an assortment of fine wines and champagne available also. 

Towards the end of the evening, I think I drank more than I ate, I wished I had more to eat.

Opening Hours: Daily, from 5.00pm.

Lychee & Lime (RM33). Gin Martini (RM36).
Grilled Lamb Cutlet in Lemongrass Pesto and Herbs Salad (RM90).
Flamed Tuna in Soya Citrus Dressing and bits of Egg (RM45).
Smoked Truffle Emulsion and Avruga Caviar (RM35).
Vanilla Panna Cotta and Guava Sorbet (RM35). 
I had more cocktails after dinner. Cocktails order can be customized based on preference. Ask the bartender!
Chocolate Cocktail with Kahlua as liqueur base.

Shortly after my meal, I ventured out and had supper and drinks too of course. I dropped by hawker center called Old Green House, where I had one of the most interesting-comforting-satisfying bowl of Penang-styled Hokkien Mee (not to be mistaken with the KL version however, will probably write about what I had in another posting).

After that, I had drinks at a quiet joint called Patio. It was about 3am when I got back before I called it a night.


The next morning, I returned to Living Room, Macalister Mansion for breakfast.

Breakfast is complimentary for all hotel guests, which included one dish from their one-page Western-styled breakfast menu, coffee or tea, and one juice of choice. Walk-ins are welcomed also.

I had the MM Grand Breakfast (RM40) and Sunshine Egg Bagel (RM26) (toast with smoked pepper sauce, smoked salmon, mashed avocado and onion). It was a simple and casual affair. The breakfast was lovely but nothing to shout about really.

Opening Hours: Daily, from 8am.

My partner in crime for this trip.
Long Black (RM10.50). Cappuccino (RM12.60).
Hangover Cure (RM13.80). Cleansing Juice (RM13.80).
Sunshine Egg Bagel (RM26).
MM Grand Breakfast (RM40).

After breakfast, I checked-out (checkout time was 12pm), then wandered out and explored the nostalgic streets of Penang for the remaining part of my trip.

All in all, I had a wonderful and splendid stay at Macalister Mansion. There's just something about these boutique hotels that never ceased to amazed me. Thank you once again for having me over for the weekend.
 
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