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Architects: KL Wong architect Sdn Bhd
- Area: 8570 m²
- Year: 2019
- Photographs: Edward Hendricks, CI&A Photography
Text description provided by the architects. The Prestige Hotel is an independent bespoke luxury hotel that best portrays the natural urban beauty of Penang’s historic core. A modern-day interpretation of Victorian design, it welcomes the urbane traveler to a contemporized and magical quasi-colonial universe, carefully created and curated by Ministry of Design. The first of its kind in Penang, The Prestige Hotel is a destination in itself offering an authentic travel experience and is part of the prestigious Design HotelsTM portfolio.
The Prestige Hotel is located in Georgetown, set amongst the beautiful and intricate 19th century English colonial buildings found in this UNESCO World Heritage site. The hotel features 162 rooms, an all-day dining restaurant, a rooftop infinity pool, events pavilion and terrace, and a vibrant Victorian dining and retail arcade.
Uniquely one of a kind, the Prestige Hotel draws upon the cultural relevance of its colonial past whilst showcasing the brilliant art of illusion etched in sophisticated architectural and design philosophies to deliver a distinctive hotel stay experience. Located 25 minutes from Penang’s international airport and within walking distance to Penang’s famous cultural landmarks and popular gourmet hotspots, the hotel brings local inspiration to life and is the perfect launching point for intrepid business and leisure travelers seeking to experience local charm at its best.
Tropical Victorian sounds like a misnomer when you think of England and her weather, but this is what the locals are blessed with in Penang. Located along Church Street Penang, within the core zone of the George Town UNESCO World Heritage site, The Prestige Hotel is a new-build, joining many beautiful and intricate Victorian buildings, which still house banking and commercial facilities, in a tropical climate where lush vegetation abounds.
While the colonial Victorian heritage and tropics are key elements of the design concept, the studio considered a particularly difficult condition of the site, i.e. its long narrow proportions which potentially made navigating the hotel’s retail arcade or its long guestroom corridors a monotonous experience.
To overcome this, the studio introduced elements of visual trickery and surprise, notions of magic and illusions, with the end goal of creating delightful spaces and memorable guest experiences. This element of visual trickery (e.g. appearing & disappearing, or levitation) is subtly introduced throughout the 162-room hotel; ranging from transformation of familiar heritage floor patterns, furniture design such as the custom reception desk that seems to magically balance on balls, and hidden doors in guestrooms that open to reveal toilets and pantries.
