Well kept ... Satri House, in Luang Prabang, Laos.
Historic buildings refashioned as guest houses reflect a region's myriad influences, writes Penny Watson.
A frangipani-scented sense of decadence and elegant hospitality have endured despite a century of upheaval in Asia. Such "colonial-style" stays - from refurbished guest houses to hotels housed in older, renovated buildings - can exude an old-world ambience and offer modern travellers a glimpse of bygone days. Here are some of the better ones.
Malaysia
A heady mix of Indonesian, Malay, Chinese and European architecture put Georgetown, Penang, on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2008, providing fertile grounds for Australian banker-turned-hotelier Chris Ong to open guest-house projects. Clove Hall, which he has since sold, is a private Anglo-Malay-style bungalow on a quiet street not far from the old town. Downstairs, the black and white floor tiles, painted wood ceiling and in-laid glass windows surround objets d'art including an antique Chinese porcelain cabinet, round Peranakan wooden boxes, framed sepia-tone photos and etched-glass light shades. The six suites evoke earlier times: wooden floors, four-poster beds, cane furniture and ceiling fans.
If Clove Hall is for couples, the Muntri Mews guest house is great for friends. The two-storey building - once the workers' quarters, carriage houses and stables of the street's upmarket terraces - has been transformed into five king-bed suites and four twin rooms. The old town is outside the front door.
Clove Hall, Clove Hall Road, Georgetown, Penang. Rooms from 300 ringgit ($96) a night. Phone +604 229 0818; see clovehall.com. Muntri Mews rooms start from 550 ringgit. Muntri Mews, Muntri Street, Georgetown, Penang. Phone +604 263 5125; see www.muntrimews.com.
Singapore
It took $S70 million ($55 million) to transform a 1920s-built administration building into the 86-room Hotel Fort Canning. Originally used by the British Far East Command and then as a Japanese military base during World War II, the hotel has a history to rival that of Raffles Hotel. The imposing structure is within a 10-minute walk of Orchard Road. Rooms and suites have private patios, deep bath-tubs and iPads. The lobby hosts archaeological finds dating to the 14th century.
Hotel Fort Canning, Canning Walk. Rooms from $S350. Phone +65 6559 6770; see hfcsingapore.com.
Tianjin, China
Tianjin is China's sixth-largest city and a 30-minute bullet-train ride from Beijing. A rich colonial treasure is Tianjin's 148-year-old landmark Astor Hotel, reopened last year in the former British Concession, now the city's revived historic district on the Hai River. The hotel's original carved wooden staircase, cage lift, parquetry floors and Murano glass chandeliers all help set the scene, as do rooms in the heritage Astor Wing: floor-length silk curtains, four-poster canopy beds and original doors. Mod cons are disguised discreetly. Guided heritage tours of the hotel are available.
The Astor Hotel, Taier Zhuang Road, Tianjin. Rooms from 870 yuan ($140). Phone +86 22 2331; see starwoodhotels.com.
Laos
Satri House, in Luang Prabang, near the old-town Wat Tat Luang temple, is a well-kept example of the French colonial architecture that helped put the town on the UNESCO World Heritage list. The two-storey house was built in 1895 and belonged to the family of Prince Souphanouvong, the figurehead president of Laos from 1975-91, before becoming a hotel in 2002. Its 25 rooms and suites share a soothing decor of dark-wood furniture, canopied beds and ceiling fans. There's a green-tiled pool set amid greenery, too. Legend has it that Buddha smiled when he rested in Luang Prabang - with accommodation such as this, it's little wonder.
Satri House, Ban That Luang, Luang Prabang. Rooms from $US180 ($185). Phone +856 71 253 491; see satrihouse.com.
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