E&O Hotel
The Sarkies brothers' 1885 seafront grande dame of Straits Settlement luxury
About the Property
The Eastern & Oriental Hotel has graced Penang's waterfront since 1885, when the Sarkies brothers Martin and Tigran built two adjacent hotels — the Eastern Hotel and the Oriental Hotel — to secure the prized sea frontage. A beacon of Straits Settlement elegance that also hosted the annual St. George's Day Ball, it became the social centre of colonial Penang. Hermann Hesse, Rudyard Kipling, Noël Coward, and Somerset Maugham all passed through its doors.
Original Purpose
Colonial seafront hotel
Highlights
History Timeline
Eastern Hotel founded by Sarkies brothers Martin and Tigran
Founded by the Sarkies Brothers on Penang waterfront
Hermann Hesse stays during Southeast Asian travels
New wing added in Art Deco style
Commandeered as Japanese military headquarters
Listed within UNESCO George Town Heritage Zone
Heritage wing restored to original grandeur