8 Old Colonial Hotels You Can Still Stay In

Remnants of a bygone world, these colonial memorials are places of nostalgic luxury where century-old traditions are preserved with meticulous care. Their Victorian flavour is reminiscent of Agatha Christie stories (actually, the famous writer stayed in some of them herself).

Most of old colonial hotels are as unaffordable for the average traveller as they were a hundred years ago, but this apparent shortcoming is compensated for by their opulence, charm, rich history and a long list of famous guests. Get to know some of the most celebrated hotels in the world…

Galle Face Hotel, Colombo, Sri Lanka

Opened in 1864

Facing the Indian Ocean, this very personal and unique hotel has been hailed as a masterpiece of Victorian architecture. Some of its guests have said that staying at Galle Face is alone a sufficient reason for visiting Sri Lanka.

What is more, staying at Galle Face is affordable. You can enjoy the dramatic sunsets over the Indian Ocean from its black-and-white chequerboard terrace and know that famous guests, such as Richard Nixon, Indira Gandhi, Jawaharlal Neru, Emperor Hirohito, Roger Moore, Yuri Gagarin have probably done the same.

The hotel has its own ‘landmark’ – a world-famous doorman, eight-eight-year-old Kuttan, proudly bearing the title of the most faithful employee in hotel industry. He has served Galle Face for 66 years since the days of the British Raj.

Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok, Thailand

Opened in 1876

One of the oldest hotels in Asia, the famed Mandarin Oriental (formerly Oriental) is not cheap, but it certainly lives up to its reputation of superb service and opulent luxury. With a ratio of three staff per one guest, the hotel aims to make every visitor feel like royalty.

The famous guests include almost everyone who comes to mind – politicians, royalty, designers, celebrities such as Graham Greene, Sophia Loren, Alfred Hitchkock… Joseph Conrad did not stay at the hotel, but he was a frequent visitor to the bar.

In 1888, he arrived in Bangkok to take over the command of a ship whose previous captain died at sea, and spent many an evening swapping stories of far-off places in the bar of the Oriental. A few years later he would settle in England and take up writing full-time.

Raffles Hotel, Singapore

Opened in 1887

In 1886, the Armenian Sarkies brothers took over a harbour-facing building known as the Beach House. In December 1887, the new hotel opened and was named after the founder of the British colony in Singapore, Sir Stamford Raffles.

Rudyard Kipling, who arrived in the same year, noted that the food was excellent but the rooms were bad. It seems the hotel has improved a great deal since then and has a guest list that looks like an edition of Who’s Who. Charlie Chaplin, Ginger Rogers, William Golding, Elizabeth Taylor and David Bowie have all stayed there.

One of Raffles‘ legendary, even if not overtly famous guests, was a certain Dutch archaeologist, Professor Callenfels, who drank up to three bottles of gin for breakfast alone and once ate every dish on the hotel’s menu. He then proceeded to do it all over again, only backwards.

Rumoured to be the place of mass suicide of 300 Japanese soldiers in the end of the Japanese occupation of Singapore in 1945 – in fact, only one such suicide has been proven – this famed hotel withstood wars, crises and disasters gracefully and is now a celebrated national monument.

Eastern & Oriental Hotel, Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia

Opened in 1885

The Eastern Hotel in Penang – now a UNESCO world heritage site – was the first enterprise of the Sarkies brothers. Renamed Eastern & Oriental after a few years, it became commonly known as the E&O.

This hotel is one of the earliest major historic buildings still standing in Georgetown and is a charming legacy of Malaysia’s colonial past. Many of the historic features have been retained up to the present day, including the somewhat moody antique elevator and classic black-and-white tiled Victorian bathrooms.

E&O has welcomed celebrities such as Noel Coward, Herman Hesse, Rudyard Kipling and Somerset Maugham.

Pera Palace, Istanbul, Turkey

Opened in 1892, will reopen in April 2010

The grand and opulent Pera Palace was built for the use of passengers coming from Paris to Istanbul on the Orient Express. It is located in a cosmopolitan quarter of Istanbul on a hill overlooking the Golden Horn and Bosphorus, a place of symbolic significance, where the East meets the West.

Pera Palace been frequented by politicians, writers and artists. The guest list includes name such as Mata Hari, Greta Garbo, Ernest Hemingway and Valeri Giscard d’Estaing.

The hotel had a very special place in the life of Agatha Christie. She stayed there many times between 1926 and 1932, and also wrote one of her best-known stories, Orient Express, in the hotel.

Winter Palace, Luxor, Egypt

Opened in 1886

Winter Palace, built in a typical British colonial style, soon became famous for its New Year’s Eve celebrations with masked costume balls. Taking part in hotel celebrations became a symbol of status and recognition. It was said to be the ultimate privilege to have one’s yacht moored along the quayside opposite the Winter Palace.

Agatha Christie is once again on the list of famous visitors, and it might have been here she got inspiration for her many stories set in Egypt.

It was on the notice board at Winter Palace that Howard Carter first announced the discovery of the tomb of Tutankamon in 1922. The famous Egyptologist frequented the hotel until his death.

Oberoi Grand, Kolkata, India

Opened in 1890

One of the oldest hotels in India, this colonial mansion is a haven of privacy, peace and old world charm in the hectic and exhausting city of contrasts that Kolkata is.

Boasting celebrity guests such as Melinda Gates, Ricky Martin and the Queen of Bhutan, Oberoi Grand used to be the favourite destination of princely Indians and local and international celebrities alike.

It is still one of the best hotels in India and perhaps the best hotel in Kolkata, a city is rich in top of the range hotels. The grand dining room offers different international buffet every night of the week as well as an exquisite Sunday lunch buffet, popular with locals and tourists alike

Mount Nelson Hotel, Cape Town, South Africa

Opened in 1899

Mount Nelson Hotel was the fruit of the imagination and determination of shipping magnate Sir Donald Currie. The first visitors were the European high society travellers and the nouveau riche who partied and celebrated at the wake of Anglo-Boer war that broke out in the end of 1899. A young Winston Churchill was then a regular guest as a newspaper correspondent reporting on the war.

Since these troubled days, the walls of Nellie, as it is affectionately known, have survived three wars and many changes of government. They have welcomed the rich, the famous and the royal. Agatha Christie, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr., and more recently Charlize Theron, Robbie Williams, Bono and Oprah have all stayed at Mount Nelson.

This white mansion boasts breathtaking views of the Table Mountain, and is striking in its colonial grandeur that South Africa is so famous for. Mount Nelson still serves high tea in the afternoon and champagne before dinner.

Additional photo credit: Pera Palace Hotel by Inga Kastrone

Cheap Southeast Asia: How to Pretend You’re Rich in Bangkok

Bangkok is ‘fake it’ central. It’s a city where pretending you’re something you’re not has become a way of life. Everywhere you go, you’ll see fake designer purses, watches, shoes, suits; you name it, and Bangkok has it in all the colors.

So what better way to spend a day in Bangkok than to pretend you’re rich? If you do it right, it’s totally affordable, and fun.

Tip: Don’t forget to bring a change of outfit – rich people never wear the same clothes all day.

There are so many ways to do it, but we’ve put together a sample ‘Fake it Til You Make it’ day in Bangkok:

Start on Khao San Road

This is the place to buy your designer dress or jacket, your essential overly large sunglasses, and your chunky jewelry, chic hats, and ritzy belts. You can get top-notch designer knock-offs here for cheap, cheap, cheap.

Tip: always start bargaining at 50 percent or less of the quoted price. Just because you’re pretending to be rich doesn’t mean you have to pay more!

Taxi downtown: No rich person would ever be seen on a bus or in a tuktuk. Taxis are cheap (just remember to insist on a meter!), and the air-conditioning is essential to keep you looking fresh and at your best.

Tip: Don’t bother taking the highway – you’ll have to pay a toll and it’s far more scenic to take the long route. Besides, you’re not in any hurry.

Get designer shopping bags at Central World

You will be shocked by what a difference it makes to carry designer shopping bags around. Everyone treats you with more respect if they see D&G or some other posh name on your bag. Just pop in to the fanciest-looking shops and ask for a bag.

The stiff ones are best because it’s easy to disguise their lack of content. If the shop attendant asks what it’s for, them him or her that you’re doing a photo shoot, or something equally glamorous.

Tip: Now that you’ve got these bags, you’re far more likely to be accosted by beggars and street vendors who will see dollar signs in your eyes. If you can swing it, 10 baht (about 30 US cents) can be a huge help for that woman and her small children looking up at you with those big, sad eyes.

Make your way to the Siam Center’s Gourmet Market via the Skywalk

Here you will be able to dine on gourmet foods for not much more than you’d pay on the street. The place is full of rich-looking cakes and pastries, as well as healthier fare, including salads and gigantic sandwiches.

You’ll definitely find something to suit your taste, and you’ll feel so much more posh in the ritzy air-conditioned indoor market than you would getting pad thai from a street-side stand for about the same price.

Suggestion: spring rolls for 50 baht (about US$1.50) and tapioca pudding for 40 baht (about US$1.20).

Tip: Snack on an appetizer of free samples, which are everywhere here.

Rolexes and Guess bags at MBK

MBK is a massive shopping complex that is the place to get your fake designer handbags and watches. It’s 8 stories filled with over 2,500 different shops, many of them specializing in electronics, but there are also plenty that specialize in fashion knock-offs.

The rip-offs are among the most realistic this writer has seen in this side of the world (Hong Kong included). It’s like Khao San Road on steroids.

Cruise through the stores and take note of your favorite things before you make your purchase, because you may find a better and cheaper version in the store next door.

Tip: Take note of where you enter. It’s easy to get lost in MBK.

Stroll through Vimanek Mansion

It’s far cheaper than a visit to the Grande Palace (100 baht (about US$3) compared to 350 baht), and just as nice. See how the rich kings lived as you tour through their palace rooms.

A guided English tour is included in the price. Check out the gorgeous gold and mother-of-pearl meditation chair used by very posh monks (unfortunately, you won’t be able to sit in it).

Tip: Remember to bring something to cover your shoulders and wear knee-length slacks or skirts.

Get a street-side massage

You must be tired: Why not relax how the rich do? Get a street-side massage for 200 baht (about US$6). Let the Thai masseuses work their magic on your aching muscles. After your long and strenuous outing, it will feel particularly divine.

Tip: Avoid the ritzy-looking tourist-trap places, and head for an outdoor massage station. The massage will be just as nice (if not better), and everyone who walks by will see you getting pampered, thereby adding to your upper-class credibility.

Enjoy some wine

Some vino? Now you really get to experience rich life. Looking your finest, stroll through the gates of the ritzy boutique hotel Ma Du Zi around 5:30 for their after-work wine promotion.

Pay 650 baht (about US$20) and get as many wine refills as you like until 8:30pm. Ladies get a free canapé. The place is tricky to find, but if you head to Asoke Sky Train station, and ask around, you’ll be sure to be pointed in the right direction.

Tip: But be careful with how much wine you consume; it’s not classy to get too drunk.

Pretend you’re a celebrity at Skybar

This famous Bangkok lounge is a favourite hang-out of the ultra high class and celebrities. Not only that, but at 60 floors up, it offers an impeccable view of the entire city.

It’s almost worth the 450 baht (about US$15) you’ll have to pay for the cocktail. But if the view isn’t enough, rubbing elbows with high society will definitely give you a taste of how the other side live.

Tip: Enjoy the free pre-peeled pistachios – the bowl will be refilled when you get to the bottom.

Of course, it’s all in the attitude. Walk around like you’re worth it, and people will think it’s true. So, what are you waiting for? Go see how the other side live.

All photos courtesy of Kaila Krayewski, except MBK, by maistora on Flickr

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