Cheong Fatt Tze, The Blue Mansion

We stayed at the Blue Mansion for a week and it was one of the best weeks in my life. I felt so privileged to stay here and continually found enjoyment in these surroundings. The rooms were spacious, clean and comfortable, with everything you could wish for. The service was exceptional and all staff friendly and respectful. The breakfasts catered for all tastes and the afternoon treats were a lovely touch. We went in 3 tours during our week - each with a different guide! The building was just so amazing and on two evenings we enjoyed cocktails listening to the Guzheng performance which was fantastic. We have fabulous memories of our stay, not to mention a stack of photos! Thanks so much

It was a lovely stay. Our room used to be a kitchen, and the hot stove is now used as a table. I like how they preserve and restore the place. Unlike going to a museum, you do not need to see things behind the glass but can live with the old things We are cat lovers. The hotel’s cat🐈, Ginger, came to us and lay down quietly next to our breakfast table in the restaurant area on the last day of our stay, and this added extra joy to our time there

The Blue Mansion in Georgetown is a beautifully maintained, historic property that offers a unique and memorable stay. The staff were incredibly helpful and attentive, making us feel very welcome. The breakfasts were a definite highlight, offering an excellent start to each day. We also appreciated the convenience of having a food court right next door to the property for easy dining options.||One minor point was that the jacuzzi needed to be operated by the front desk, which required a quick call each time we wanted to use it (or have it turned off). However, this was a small inconvenience in an otherwise fantastic experience. A special shout-out to Jalal, a truly lovely staff member at breakfast who made our mornings even more enjoyable. This mansion is a must-stay for anyone visiting Georgetown.

The building architecture is really beautiful and well preserved. Would love to see more artifacts from the family to add more to the building story. FYI to those who are planning to visit please reserve your ticket a week in advance to avoid any disappointment. UNESCO has placed a limit of 250 visitors in a day. In addition to that some tour guides purchased tickets in bulk.

I love this hotel, it really felt like I was staying as a guest in a mansion and not a hotel. The people that run the hotel are the best, they are so kind and friendly while being ever so attentive. I truly felt at home here and part of a family. And yes, the hotel itself is also a unique and beautiful grand historic mansion as you likely have read about.

I am SO glad we stayed here! They originally were fully booked, so we booked at E&O, and then last minute a room opened up here and we snagged it and I am so glad we did!!! It was truly a highlight of our trip! The hotel staff is so lovely, and so helpful! The breakfast was delicious!!!! The tour was one of our highlights, our tour guide was so funny, and it was so informative, a great way to learn about Penang and Malaysian history. I loved the little treats they would leave in our room, the pool (while we didn't use) looked very relaxing! The property is just stunning, could roam around it for ages! Would definitely stay here again!

This was an incredible experience. The staff - particularly Kenny Lim and Mohd Noor Fazli - were so wonderful and helped me tremendously as a solo traveller. On a raining evening Kenny drove me to a local hawker centre and helped me ordered food! Everyone is really friendly and Alexis, the tour guide was incredible too. I learned so much about Cheong Fatt Tze and the mansion's history. ||The room is extremely comfortable and I had no issues with any noise.||My only constructive feedback would be to do with breakfast: it opens from 7am, as an early riser I got there on the dot but not all the buffet food was ready. Also, I'd prefer if guests were able to order more than 1 item from the food menu. I'd also prefer more traditional Malaysian food at the buffet rather than Western (cereals etc).

Did the guided tour at the Blue Mansion! The guide was incredibly knowledgeable about the history of this beautiful establishment, and it was clear they had a deep passion for sharing its story. However, one downside was that not everyone in the group seemed interested in the tour itself, which became a bit distracting and took away from the experience for those of us who genuinely wanted to learn. Tip: If you’re planning to stay at the Blue Mansion, make sure to book well in advance—they’re often fully booked!

The gate was closed right behind me. So how lucky I was to get the last tour ticket. I suggest pre buy on line. This mansion, now historical hotel was built in the late 19th century by Cheong Fatt Tze. He wanted to convey the essence of majesty and elegance. And he did !! The mansion seems to have it all. He consulted with the era's leading Feng Shui master and sophisticated beauty of traditional Chinese houses. He was trying to preserve his heritage and share his love of culture and tradition through architecture. He had an incredible eye for details, so allow yourself time to wander on the self guided tour. He brought artisans in from Southern China and imported building materials from as far as Scotland, like the wrought iron spiral staircases. The mansion is one of two such buildings of this size, it has 5 courtyards. In its heyday The Blue Mansion was the pivotal heart of the city. The mansion served both as a home and an office. It was the base for Cheong Fatt Tze's commercial enterprises, housed the Chinese Vice-Consulate and was home to his favoured 7th wife. The back of the mansion were kept away Cheong Fatt Tze's business and administrative work. These quarters were for favored family members. Today the back rooms are hotel rooms and suites. After the passing of Cheong Fatt Tze in 1916, the Mansion fell into disrepair and left the Mansion to erode with the passing of time. The Mansion was sold to a small group of Penang conservationists who took to restore it to its former glory around the 1990's. They took six years for the conservationists to repair the Blue Mansion trough a detailed process to preserve and restore as much of its original fabric and structure. They used Penang artisans, local materials, and the principle to retain the with the application of traditional methods. So today you set onto the property and it's a portal back in time over a hundred years ago. Tours are limited and go fast. The tour is restricted to the front main portion of the mansion since a large portion is now a restaurant, bar and hotel rooms. This is definitely on my list to stay at when I return to the area. Also on the tour were fabulous pieces of housewares, clothing and notes from popular movies shot here. Definitely a must see.

Pretty low end experience. Not sure what is being paid for. Entry gets you into a hotel / restaurant lobby. Interesting building and history but not that interesting that is it worth visiting. I would pass on this place.

If you venture to Penang, you should stop at the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion Museum. Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion Museum is a historic sight on the island of Penang. It is also known as the Blue Mansion as the color of the mansion is blue. This was the former residence of Cehong Fatt Tze who was a well respected businessman, politician and instrumental to Penang's growth. The mansion conducts tours during the day at 3 showings. It also is a hotel and houses a restaurant. During the tour, you will learn about Cheong Fatt Tze and how the creation of the mansion. You will be able to go to the two floors and view the various belongings of the past inhabitors. The tour is about 1.5 hours. Tours are conducted in English and in Chinese. The famous mahjong scene from the movie Crazy Rich Asians was filmed here on the first floor. Note - they are diligent in time management. They will allow visitors to gather in the lobby 15 minutes prior to the start of the tour time.

This museum is also a hotel accomodation. I booked my tour online and they only do two tours in english on certain days. I booked mines a day ahead and there were still a lot of spots that were not filled when I looked. Although it seemed like it gets sold out because it can only accomodate up to certain amount of people. If you're too early for the tour, there's a cafe where I bought coffee but also served breakfast and pastries thats attached to the mansionand its really cute and after the tour you can opt out to dine at the fine dining restaurant if you want to splurge. I reserved mines before the tour started. They have a really good 3 course menu.

Note that they only offer tours of the mansion at 11am, 2pm, and 3:30pm. The mansion is also a hotel and restaurant, so you may be able to check out the lobby, but I don't think you can just walk in to browse otherwise. If you're not planning on going for the hotel or restaurant, take the tour. You just show up at the tour time, buy a ticket (no tour participant limit), and walk in. The tour guide was really engaging, and although he didn't show many rooms, he talked a lot about the history and architecture of the home and the life of Cheong Fatt Tze. Highlights of the tour: - Hearing about how the mosaics outside the building were made (not using flat mosaic tile, but chips from bowls) - How the mansion survived WWII and became a slum - The painstaking restoration process to bring the mansion back to its former glory - Learning about feng shui and the impact on the mansion - Hearing how Cheong Fatt Tze got rich - Hearing why the mansion was painted blue - Seeing the main courtyard area, a wife's bedroom, and where Cheong entertained guests - Checking out the architecture influences from Europe (tiles from England, columns from Scotland) and China ("East meets West") This mansion was designated as an UNESCO site, and the upkeep of the property and the tour were both fantastic. About a 45 minute tour. 17 RM per person. Well worth it!

This place is one of those places you must visit if you travel to Penang. You must know Cheong Fatt Tze. If not, you need to learn about this man. There are many historical reasons to come and learn about his life and what he did for Malayasian culture, but there are important lessons to learn about the rise and fall of wealth that go beyond the rags to riches story. It's a short walk through, but our tour guide gave such a colorful picture of this world. He was excellent she painted a picture of the height of its empire worthy of a Disney award she had the voice and the soulful dance to pull you into the Fengshui. I recommend stopping by and planing maybe 2 hours here. Expect to chill and request the English version and if you can seek the lady with the British accent. She is excellent!

It's not bad. I wish the curator Pat would go upstairs and talk about the fashion of the people then. Her talk is good but she needs to show the exhibit as well. She talks at the entrance and inside the pond area . I got nice pictures though.

We arrived early to the tour (10:15 when the tour starts at 11) and we called the front desk to ask if we could wait in the hotel lobby while we wait for the tour to begin. They said that they couldn't since the hotel guests were still eating breakfast. We originally thought that the hotel was open to outside guests for breakfast but they said that they were not. Very disappointing since it was over 30C outside. We had to find shade across the street.