Little boutique hotel in Penang wins big award

The lobby of Sinkeh Hotel sports the building's original floorboards.

You wouldn’t think there is an award-winning space behind the no-frills facade of the Sinkeh Hotel in George Town. But the boutique hotel and arts space actually won one of the categories in the prestigious Cityscape Awards for Emerging Markets.

The awards, which are part of the annual Dubai Cityscape Global real estate exhibition and conference, celebrate excellence in real estate development and architecture. The Sinkeh Hotel topped the awards’ Leisure & Hospitality (Built) category, beating the Hyatt Regency Dubai Creek Heights in Dubai and Zaya Nurai Island Resort in Abu Dhabi.