Muntri Grove – Hotel

Acquired back in 2011, Muntri Grove was originally a row of 10 modest houses built as living quarters for workers serving the wealthy families of the grand houses of Muntri Street. These double-storey houses were some of the early houses built in the 19th century with low roofs, small living spaces, and only two rooms each unit. As with most buildings built during that era, these terrace houses feature British influences but the materials used were more modest such as single brick walls and wooden partitions upstairs between the houses.

Restoration works on the houses started in 2013, where the architectural framework was maintained as close to its original forms as possible with only minor additions to strengthen the structures as they are. The original parts of the house such as roof trusses, windows, and doors were repaired, maintained and some replaced. Access to the rooms on the ground floor is through the original front doors while on the first floor, the rooms are accessible through an impressive 130ft-long veranda at the back of the houses.

Each housing unit was transformed into two large rooms, one on the ground and one upstairs, each spanning an area of about 450 sq ft to afford wide, spacious rooms to guests.

The whole feel of the terrace houses is one of the minimalist clean lines amidst the hidden lushness of an oasis in the city. The interiors of the houses were ones using the minimal palette to create contemporary lines, lending a light and airy ambiance to the rooms.

Muntri Grove was a hidden oasis accessible through a narrow laneway from Muntri Street but was barely discernible from the main road. It located 20 meters away from the main road of Muntri Street, tucked behind the Hainan Association and Mazu Temple. Located between the busy Chulia Street and Muntri Street, it was a subdivision of the original land owned by the association in front of it. Its quiet location was the perfect get-away from the hustle bustle of busy George Town without actually leaving the city.

Just off the intersection of Leith Street and Muntri Street, was a site well known for the beginning of the original Jimmy Choo shoe shop decades ago. The nearby Leith Street was home to the Hakka millionaires as evidenced by the grand mansions lining the street.

One of the most famous mansions was the Cheong Fatt Sze Mansion which was known as The Blue Mansion, gave testament to an era of wealth and grandiose homes were the equally impressive neighboring mansions along the street. For examples, mansions occupied by the Equator Academy of Art, the Red Garden food court, the Chocolate Centre and the Cathay Hotel, just to name a few.