As another boutique hotel arrives in George Town, Frances Wilks catches up with Chris Ong, the man behind Seven Terraces, to find out how his passion for old Asia, travel, and preserving Penang’s heritage led him to create a unique new property in the heart of the heritage zone.
Behind the gilded facade of a row of shophouses in Muntri Street, right in the heart of the George Town Heritage Zone, there’s a delightful new hotel. In fact, “hotel” is almost the wrong term; the experience of staying at Seven Terraces is more like having a weekend with the owner of the place, but with the privacy and comfort of your own space.This new property is the brainchild of Chris Ong, a man born and bred in Penang but with twenty years as an investment banker in Australia under his belt. At forty, he had made enough money to retire and wanted to travel, so he went to South Africa and Sri Lanka, before returning to his roots in George Town.
Seven terrace houses have been knocked into one for this property – hence the name – and have created an exquisite central courtyard which is quintessentially Chinese. Although it’s not original, the place feels totally authentic as the spirit of the area has been respected and the elegant proportions maintained. A wonderful curving staircase now connects the two floors and much of the downstairs is left open so that the breeze can waft into the building, cooling it without need for air conditioning. At the back of the property, a simple turquoise pool invites the traveller, weary from a day of sightseeing, to take a refreshing dip.You don’t have to stay at Seven Terraces to get the feel of the place: the restaurant, which serves Peranakan cuisine, and the Baba Bar, with swivelling bar stools, are both open to the public.
“My family lived in Muntri Street in past generations so I know the area very well,” says Chris as he relaxes into a rattan sofa which wouldn’t look out of place on one of Sri Lanka’s languorous verandas. “One of my favourite restaurants, Sin Kheng An, just around the corner in Chulia Lane, is still here and still serving delicious food,” he continues, “and a stone’s throw away, the Kuan Yin Temple on Jalan Kapitan Keling is just the same as it always was – a focal point for weddings and family celebrations and New Moon Festivals.”
Chris, along with his partner Karl Steinberg, is quite a veteran of restoring old properties. After creating a boutique hotel in Galle Fort, Sri Lanka, the duo returned to Penang and bought Clove Hall, which they subsequently sold.They then developed Muntri Mews and Noordin Mews before buying the almost derelict row of shop houses which now comprises Seven Terraces. “Actually there are now nine shophouses; I was able to buy two extra ones,” explained Chris, “but seven is such a magical number that I decided to keep it in the name of the hotel.”
He is passionate about heritage and was delighted when George Town received World Heritage status in 2008. In all his projects in George Town he has tried to use the space as creatively as possible but keep the essential character of the buildings. He tries to preserve what he can, or make replicas if that’s not possible.The tiles on the floor, for example – a geometric design of blue, yellow, red, and brown on a background of white – are artisan copies of the tiles in his family house nearby.
He also collects the furniture and porcelain of old Asia, displaying some of them in a museum room on the ground fl oor of Seven Terraces.There are gorgeous mother-of-pearl-inlaid chairs and tables, which you can almost see the babas and nyonyas of the olden days sitting in, drinking tea, and playing mah jong.There is also an opium bed, gorgeously decked out in scarlet silk; a reminder of one of the darker sides of Penang’s history. Chris is fond of old embroideries and he preserves the collection from his old family home in the traditional way, with cinnamon, cloves, and white peppercorns used to keep away bugs. He also restores things of the past. An elegant golden phoenix hangs on the wall: “When I bought it, it was in pieces, just a collection of sticks really,” Chris recounts, “but with patience, we were able to put it back together. A phoenix rising from its own remains.”
On the top floor of Seven Terraces, the bedrooms are decorated with more antiques. A mezzanine floor has been fitted under the roof, giving many of the rooms separate living and sleeping spaces. Every room is different and each has its own collection of antiques, paintings, and wall hangings.The rooms at the back of the building have picturesque views of St. George’s Church – the oldest Anglican Church in Southeast Asia – with its spire pointing fi rmly towards Heaven. It’s a view altogether appropriate for its newest neighbour.
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Chris Ong’s Creations
Seven Terraces, Stewart Lane, George Town
Web: www.7terraces.com
Tel: 04.264 2333
Clove Hall, Jalan Clove Hall, George Town
Web: www.clovehall.com
Tel: 04.229 0818
Muntri Mews, Muntri Street, George Town
Web: www.mutrimews.com
Tel: 04.263 5125
Noordin Mews, Noordin Street, George Town
Web: www.noordinmews.com
Tel: 04.263 7125
Galle Fort Hotel, Church Street, Fort, Galle, Sri Lanka
Web: www.galleforthotel.com
Tel: +94 91.223 2870
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Source: Penang International February 2013 -March 2013
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