Melaka is one of my favorite states in Malaysia… it is a historical city filled with amazing buildings, rich in culture and never fails to fascinate me…

For those of you who might not have heard of Melaka, like my friends from other countries…   Melaka was founded back in 1400 by Parameswara, a prince from Palembang who decided to establish a city there after witnessing a very brave mousedeer that held his  ground while being surrounded by hunting dogs and which even manage to kick one of them into the river. Since the prince was resting under a Melaka tree, he decided to name it thus…..

Melaka eventually became a well known port with Chinese, Javanese, Indian and Arab merchants arriving there to trade their wares consisting mainly of spices, porcelain, tea and silk…

Over the years… it was also colonised by the Portuguese, Dutch and British who left their marks in the architecture, heritage buildings and colonial structures you can still currently see in Melaka.Yours truly was fortunate to be selected as one of the group of travel buddies consisting of bloggers, influencers and celebrities – Jaslin Puasa, Fahmie Esmail, Kairulnizam and Fiqrie… yup… lucky me..hahah

We were able to stay at the lovely 4 star The Settlement Hotel Melaka where we were welcomed by the owner Billy, himself; his lovely niece, Di Wei; and the capable General Manager of the hotel, Laura…

Billy told us on how his vision and ambition to capture and preserve Melaka’s illustrious history, and share it with guests of the lovely boutique hotel with the theme based on culture and hospitality.

The Settlement Hotel has 45-rooms in its residence block and 4 lovely traditional kampong villas at the back of the residence building.

You can find a lavish traditional spa facility interestingly called the Library Spa offering numerous relaxing and rejuvenating spa experiences, and a lovely swimming pool next to the spa for guests who wish to have a refreshing dip.

Billy, the owner, confess to being a lover of fine arts and antiques and you can find many of his fascinating collection which he painstakingly accumulated around the world in his travels… such as the lovely eye catching fountain which was imported from Netherlands in the front English style garden,

…. the glorious 350-year-old prized Sultan Bed from Palembang at the front porch of the hotel,

….on a beautiful tiled floor with old handmade tiles imported from a Palembang mosque in Sumatra.

The small and intimate lobby is called The Cool Room, and you can find certified original prints of Picasso’s drawings..

We were brought to the Dining Room upon arrival. The Dining Room occupied the ground floor as well as a mezzanine floor.. where we had some very nice traditional kueh, some coffee / tea, and delicious Nyonya Curry Mee… since it was also Chinese New Year, we got spoilt with some red velvet Chinese New Year cupcakes and also mandarin oranges wrapped in red cloth and tied with ribbons…

Even the assortment of tables and chairs in the Dining Room had interesting history and stories… such as one of the tables being converted from the wheels of a bullock cart and so on… and well, you cannot fail to admire the Chinese Opium Bed there at the backdrop as well as the colourful Nyonya style cupboard..

Right opposite the Dining Room on the mezzanine floor is a little art gallery dedicated to an autistic prodigious savant artist Yeak Ping Lian showcasing his artwork painted from age 10 to 20… and they are just simply fascinating, and some pretty breaktaking.….

The Rooms

My room for the duration was definitely lovely and cosy.. with featherbeds, feather duvets and down pillows…facing the 32-inch LCD TV with cable/ satellite channels and my daughter had it tuned on to Disney Channel whenever we were in the room…. Huhuh

My room came with a little refrigerator, complimentary tea/ coffee making facilities with pretty cups and saucers…

And there is an iron and ironing board in the cupboard if you need it, as well as robes and bedroom slippers….. There is also an in room safe for storing your valuables…

Every room as free in-room high-speed Internet access or you could also access to their internet at the lobby or function rooms…

The bathroom is interesting.. I just love the door…  and there was a huge bathtub, plus points where my daughter is involved since she loves being able to soak in bubble baths… in the room you’re your choice of handheld shower or rainfall shower…. and yes, if you want to give your other half or your room mate in the room a free show or not… lol

Yup, there is the regular complimentary bathroom amenities but I have to say I love the soap, shampoo and conditioner… it is premium quality unlike some of the cheap stuff some other hotel provides… and there is also a hairdryer if you need to use it….

The Villas

There are four of these lovely Kampung Styled Villas with mengkuang rafters and wooden walls… and they are just so traditional, charming, rustic and yet so luxurious and comfortable – definitely a sight to behold…

… you will be opening the door to the villa to a gorgeous 4 poster king size bed and rustic furniture which are just so charming…

I got a peek inside the villa and I love it… the bathroom is pretty cool also with the ‘ bath’ that enables you to sit inside and soak in flowers…. And yes, you can actually get to bathe with flowers…

Food

Breakfast is a simply affair with nasi lemak and chicken rending which I recommend.. , with either noodles or fried rice, then there are hash browns, sausages, bread, cakes, cold cuts, cereal, fruits and omelette or scramble egg which you can request…

For lunch, I seriously recommend the Peranakan cuisine in the hotel… they are super tasty as I got to try it out…

I simply enjoyed Ikan Chili Garam with Sambal, Ayam Pongteh, Nyonya Chap Chai and Assam Pedas Fish… the other dishes like the Ayam Rendang and Tamarind Prawns are also good… and of course… do not forget to try the sambal belacan…which can be pretty evil since it will make you crave for more rice to enjoy it with….

They have some interesting BBQ offerings too if there are more than 4 people .. I really loved the seasoning and sauces.. super finger licking good… so do check it out…

Free Shuttle

There is a daily free shuttle service to Jonker Street and the Portuguese Settlement and the hotel arranges Sight-Seeing trip for tourists as well…

CNY

Since we were there for Chinese New Year, we got to take part in tossing the longest yee sang on a 27 feet single wooden table…

So if you are in Melaka, do schedule a stay at The Settlement Hotel here for an experience you will not forget… you will be pleasantly surprise at how spoilt you can be….and this is also one of the reasons why Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Dr. Ng Yen Yen who is the former Minister of Women, Family and Community Development and former Minister of Tourism chooses to stay here instead of other hotels in Melaka….

For more photos CLICK HERE

https://thesettlementhotel.com/

Address – Jalan Ujong Pasir, Taman Aman, 75050 Melaka

This trip is part of the SettlementStory in collaboration with The Settlement Hotel and Gaya Travel Magazine