GEORGE TOWN: Located in the heritage enclave, one of the unlicensed hotels boasts king-size beds and solid wood cabinets, desks and settees from the 1960s.
It also offers a view of the city’s terracotta rooftops, not to mention the thickly lacquered plank flooring.
The hotel uses mostly incandescent light bulbs that cast an extra warm glow.
The lower floor has two dorm-style rooms with six double-decker bunks, each with thick spring mattresses.
Travellers can rent a bed for RM60 a night and get a locked cabinet to stash their belongings in while exploring the streets.
The ground floor retains its original cement floor but is waxed to the point of gleaming.
This hotel proudly has a Google Reviews rating of 4.7 out of five stars, complete with hundreds of glowing comments.
“We want guests to feel what it is like to stay in a pre-war house with five-star beds, linen, air conditioning and modern bathrooms.
“But we cannot get a licence,” said the 60-year-old owner who used to be a director in an international hotel chain.
The old doors are not fire retardant. There is no fire sprinkler system, and it is impossible to build a fire escape.
The floorboards violate fire safety regulations; replacing them with steel I-beams and concrete will violate heritage conservation laws.
“There are many more licensing requirements that we cannot fulfil. We need the authorities to see that we are more like guest houses. New regulations are needed instead of trying to fit us into the hotel category,” stressed the owner.
