Malacca: Where We Stayed

View from our room (the historic center is that low green hill)

Even though Malacca is a much older city than both George Town and Singapore (founded in around 1400; the Portuguese conquered it in 1511), it has no equivalent historic hotel to the Raffles or the E&O. This is probably because it's been a sleepy backwater left behind in time since the rise of Singapore changed trade routes in the area. (There is a old hotel, but only the reception is in the original building: the rooms are in a modern high-rise in back.)

If you are really interested in history, you can stay in one of the converted historic mansions, which are mostly in the B&B style. B hates this style (because it requires you to talk to the guests and owners too much): he likes to have really good air conditioning and a gym/pool, plus anonymity, when traveling. So we stayed at the Holiday Inn instead.

Forgot to take a better picture of the room, but this gives an idea

Good points:
--Clean, modern
--Spacious rooms (we actually had a lot of space, which was nice as B had some work to get done)
--Nice views

Bad points:
--While not at all far from the central historic district, it was separated from it by a very busy highway with no crossing, meaning it wasn't really walkable.
--Breakfast buffet was mediocre.
--Kind of soulless (after all, it's a Holiday Inn)

It was fine for a short stay, but we wouldn't stay there again.