GEORGE TOWN – Situated opposite the illustrious and very much talked about Blue Mansion on Leith Street, the Waldorf Hotel seemed to have dulled with age. With Covid-19 and disagreements among its shareholders, the once lively hotel from the 1950s is now up for sale – to those willing to part with RM23 million.
Before it was a hotel, it was owned by Cheah Cheang Lim, a Straits Chinese tin mine owner, rubber planter and philanthropist. He was also a politician in the first half of the 20th century, who invested in the anti-opium movement and even campaigned for Chinese status in Malaya.
Though he was born in Taiping, Perak, he had always regarded Penang as his true home. Around the 1900s, he moved into Leith Street, also known as the Hakka Millionaire's Row, with other tycoons of the day. His address was 13 Leith Street, Penang. It was an elegant mansion inspired by a fusion of European and Chinese architectural designs.
After his passing on November 16, 1948, in his home at the age of 77, his home was soon up for rent. Loke Peng Cheng’s father started renting the mansion, changing the home into a hotel in 1953. Later on, he bought over the mansion, stripped the front of the building and constructed a five-storey building connected to the original building.
As the hotel’s current managing director, Loke told The Vibes that Waldorf Hotel used to be one of the top hotels in northern Malaysia during the 1960s.
“We had a long bar, television, pipe music and air-conditioning.
“Now, I don’t know what to say,” he said.
Due to management issues, Loke said that it was difficult for the hotel to live up to its legacy. It is now a humble budget hotel with simple amenities.
“We are looking to sell it because the shareholders cannot agree to the direction of the hotel, furthermore, now we have the Covid-19 pandemic.
“My family only owns 40% of the share, and we don’t have the power to put our foot down on what we want to do, so the best option is to sell it.
“We are also open to leasing it to those interested,” he said.
Before Covid-19, they were looking at RM50,000 to RM60,000, but Loke said that they might even release it for lease at RM30,000.
“Just before Covid-19 hit, there were people who were interested to lease it. However, the decision to lease it off was delayed by several partners, Covid-19 hit. It all did not materialise.
“If we owned more than 51%, maybe my children might take over, but we don’t – and they are all professionals now, I don’t think they are interested to look into this industry,” he said.
Penang Heritage Trust (PHT) vice-president, Khoo Salma Nasution, told The Vibes that the hotel had acquired a sleazy reputation.
A famous courtesan who was based there was 'Abdullah Sam Chat Chat', named after a cigarette brand.
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Khoo co-authored a book entitled 'Redoubtable Reformer: The Life and Times of Cheah Cheang Lim', detailing the story of its original owner. It is in addition to material written by Francis Cooray, author and journalist of The Malay Mail, who was hired to write a biography 17 years before his death in 1963.
However, Loke sees Waldorf Hotel’s history as “kacang putih” when compared to the histories of other buildings along the street. He hopes that the next person who owns it will bring life to it again. – The Vibes, August 5, 2021.
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