Planning a visit to Malaysia? If you’re a history buff or hotel fanatic, you’ll want to take note. A long-forgotten 1904 annexe connected to Penang’s iconic, indigo-hued Cheong Fatt Tze (The Blue Mansion) has been lovingly reborn as The Qing Suites: a refined boutique stay fusing 130 years of history with contemporary Asian hospitality.
Once the servants’ quarters that kept daily life humming inside the grand mansion, the annexe has now been transformed into 13 elegant suites, reopening as part of the Cheong Fatt Tze Hotels & Residences precinct. The result is a thoughtful continuation rather than a reinvention – one that honours the UNESCO-awarded mansion’s legacy while introducing quieter spaces, cleaner lines and modern comforts tailored to today’s travellers.
The revival is the latest chapter in a remarkable conservation story. After Cheong Fatt Tze’s death in 1916, the mansion fell into disrepair before being rescued in 1989 by conservation architect Professor Ar. Laurence Loh, who restored it and reopened it as a heritage attraction and boutique hotel in 1995. In 2000, it was recognised with UNESCO’s “Most Excellent Project” at the Asia Pacific Heritage Awards.
Since 2015, Managing Director Shen Loh-Lim has expanded the brand with a vision of reconnecting the long-separated annexe to its historic heart – a plan delayed by the pandemic, but finally realised in 2025. Overseen once again by Laurence Loh and Arkitek LLA, the restoration carefully rekindles a physical and philosophical link more than a century in the making.
The suites, ranging from 44 to 67.3 square metres, are serene, spacious and deeply rooted in place. Custom furnishings, ceramics and artworks by local artisans sit alongside generous bathrooms and intuitive in-room luxuries. Guests can choose from Signature Suites with views of the mansion, Terrace Suites opening onto a rooftop garden, or Garden Suites with private, walled tropical courtyards – each designed as a cocoon of calm amid the buzz of George Town.
What truly sets The Qing Suites apart, though, is its wellness offering. Virtue TCM at The Qing Suites is the first heritage hotel spa in Southeast Asia dedicated to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), grounding the stay in centuries-old healing philosophies. Every journey will begin with a personalised consultation and pulse diagnosis, followed by restorative rituals combining Gua Sha, acupuncture, cupping and massage to realign body and mind.
Even the smallest details nod to TCM principles – from the welcome tea ritual at check-in to in-room bathing and sleep ceremonies – all designed to restore balance between jing, qi and shen.
Over a century after Cheong Fatt Tze first built his indigo dream, his story now unfolds again – quieter, calmer, and beautifully attuned to the rhythm of modern Asia. You can book over here.