Our contributor David Bowden checks into The Millen Penang to admire how it successfully combines colonial details with contemporary flair. (Image courtesy of The Millen Penang.)
There is something special about a newly-opened hotel—its freshness, the latest features, young, enthusiastic staff, and most things in full working order. First impressions are important, and upon arrival at The Millen Penang, I was pleasantly surprised to have a security guard help me with my luggage from the car to the reception desk.
An Autograph Collection hotel
The 300 Marriott Autograph Collection Hotels around the globe champion design individuality rather than cookie-cutter layouts typical of most international chain hotels. The Millen Penang is an Autograph Collection property that enables its designer to create a hotel with personalised creativity befitting its location.
The property is located close to the George Town waterfront just beyond the UNESCO World Heritage Site core zone. Storytelling is another characteristic of Autograph Collection Hotels, with The Millen’s focus being its location and nearby grand heritage properties lining the coast.
The 146-room Millen is located along what is known by most locals as Millionaire’s Row (the ‘mill’ in Millen is derived from ‘millionaire’), fronting the Strait of Malacca. This heritage enclave on Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah (formerly Northam Road), was originally a property known as the Northam All Suite Hotel.
Guests entering The Millen lobby get a sense of the golden era of travel when a steamer journey around the globe was the norm. Grandeur and elegance continue through the meticulously designed elements of this hotel to create spaces that are both relaxing and rewarding.
Restive rooms
For most travellers, guest rooms are the most important part of any hotel stay, and The Millen ticks all the boxes. Firstly, they are very spacious with the smallest room being a whopping 59m2.
The amazingly quiet rooms have wooden floors and timber furniture with caramel-coloured leather detailing. Impressive detailing includes heritage bedside lamps, botanical artwork, rattan, and a beverages cabinet crafted like an old luggage trunk. Old World charm is important in reimaging a bygone era but with the inclusion of the latest technology.
I especially liked the labelled light fittings that removed the guesswork in turning things on or off. Other details in the room that stood out included two books on local culture, a Nespresso machine, nutmeg cookies, The Tapping Tapir sodas, and a pillow menu.
Bathrooms are spacious, airy, and light with twin sinks in front of a large mirror. The unique design of the fluffy bathrobes is just another indication of how the hotel has set out to distinguish itself from its competition.
The shower and luxurious free-standing bathtub set The Millen apart, especially with a floor-to-ceiling window that in the case of my seafront room, made me feel like I was bathing amongst the clouds. Locally sourced toiletries dispensed from large wall-mounted containers were most luxurious.
Dining in
Speak to anyone about visiting Penang, and food is noted as a favourite pastime. That conversation usually revolves around hawker food and food courts, and rarely about hotel outlets. The management at Millen is conscious of this and I was impressed with the food and beverage options and the competitive pricing. Guests should not expect rock-bottom prices but considering the hotel’s five-star status and impressive ambience, the prices are reasonable.
Good Society, in the lobby, opens in the morning as a coffee outlet and morphs into a bar in the afternoon. In between, Devonshire sets of scones, cream, strawberry jam, and Whittard of Chelsea teas are served.
More importantly, stronger beverages take centre stage in the late afternoon as Good Society transforms into a gin bar with its Tipple Time. A complimentary beverage is offered for every two house pour drinks ordered, being the best way to appreciate the changing of the guard. Good Society offers 20 gins, various garnishes, and five different premium Fever-Tree tonics to create a standout beverage list.
Both Good Society and Blacklinen have eclectic wine lists, from easy drinking to premium, including wines by the glass, and premium wines from the owner’s cellar. Those who know their wines will be impressed with Selbach Bernkasteler Kurfurstlay Kabinett Riesling (Mosel), Ministry of Clouds Grenache and Carignan (McLaren Vale), and Moscato (Asti), served by the glass.
These complement the dishes served such as Malaysian-inspired lunches and dinners in Lili, and grilled meats and seafood in Blacklinen. Chefs in the latter prepare premium cuts on an in-restaurant charcoal grill.
I started dinner with delicious entrées of a Niçoise salad and grilled Spanish octopus with a rocket salad.
Wet- and dry-aged steaks are the main reason for dining in Blacklinen, and staff bring out a display of meats all sold by weight. Various sauces and sides accompanied my tenderloin cut of Australian beef.
Although I was full, I decided to have dessert. None of the options particularly excited me, but I chose the tiramisu and was quite unprepared for what ensued. This most tempting dessert of Mascarpone, espresso, and Kahlua was masterfully prepared at the table by one of the waiters.
Fabulous facilities
The hotel offers various facilities such as a glassed-in infinity saltwater pool, meeting spaces, and the Nut&Meg Spa which houses four private rooms and uses locally sourced spa ingredients. Another feature of the hotel is that the elevator does not list the various levels—guests simply tap their keycard to be dispatched to their respective floors.
The Millen heralds a new era of sophisticated travel that is both in touch with the island’s heritage and the needs of global contemporary travellers.
The Millen Penang
Address: 55, Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, 10050 George Town, Penang
Phone: +604 565 8888
