What Our Guests
Choose to Share
These are the words of guests who stayed in our properties — written in their own time, describing their own experience.
← Back to HomeIn Their Words
We stayed in the Courtyard House for three weeks in January. The house itself was beyond what photos suggest — the light through the air-well, the original tiles, the quietness of the upper floors in the mornings. Siti was thoughtful about giving us space while being genuinely available when we had questions. We're already discussing a return trip.
Our family of ten used the Riverside Estate for a reunion over Chinese New Year. The setup was perfect — everyone had privacy but we shared meals on the river deck every evening. The keroncong performance they arranged for us on the second night was something quite unexpected and genuinely moving. Rajesh was excellent throughout.
I came to Melaka for a research project on colonial-era domestic architecture and the Straits Mansion was extraordinarily helpful in that context. Ahmad took considerable time to walk me through the restoration decisions and share the documentation he had collected. The property itself is exceptional. One note: the garden can get warm in the afternoon, but that's Malaysia.
My partner and I spent a month in the Courtyard House while working remotely. The Wi-Fi was solid, the desk in the upper room was ideal for long working days, and at 6pm we would sit on the rooftop terrace with a drink and watch the neighbourhood settle. It was genuinely hard to leave. The area around Jonker Street is wonderful to walk at night.
We used the Mansion for my mother's 70th birthday celebration. The event coordinator — I believe her name was Azra — was meticulous and calm under the considerable pressure we placed on her. The formal dining room looked extraordinary with the period candelabras and fresh flowers. The chef produced a menu that honoured both the occasion and the heritage of the house. A genuinely memorable evening.
We came with eight adults and three children to the Riverside Estate. The pool was a lifesaver with young ones. The breakfast arrangements were thoughtful — our host had noted that we had children and made sure there were appropriate options from day one. The estate gives you the rare feeling of genuinely living in Melaka rather than observing it from a distance.
Stays With a Story
A few experiences our guests gave us permission to share in more detail.
A Photography Production Needing Authentic Colonial Interiors
A Singapore-based fashion photographer needed a three-day location shoot with interiors that communicated colonial-era grandeur without being generic. Previous attempts at hotel venues had not satisfied the creative brief.
The Straits Mansion was booked for a four-day period to accommodate preparation, shooting, and wrap. Our team worked with the production's art director in advance to identify rooms, provide accurate measurements, and advise on natural light conditions at different times of day.
The heritage butler coordinated access and ensured the production team could work efficiently without damaging any heritage elements.
The shoot completed ahead of schedule. The creative director described the location as precisely what the brief had described but never expected to find. The resulting images were published across three regional fashion titles. The property sustained no damage and the team departed having requested information about future bookings.
An Extended Family Needing Private Space Without Losing Togetherness
A three-generation family from Kuala Lumpur sought a month-long stay that could give adults privacy and quiet while also accommodating communal meals and the energy of young grandchildren.
The Riverside Estate's layout, with separate wing entrances and a shared courtyard, matched the brief closely. Before arrival, the host discussed room allocations with the family's point of contact to ensure the eldest generation had the quietest quarters. Breakfast arrangements were adapted to different preferences across generations.
The family stayed for five weeks in total, extending by one week after arrival. The grandmother later wrote to say it was the first time in years that the full family had shared meals together consistently. The property's river views and the cultural performances arranged mid-stay were cited as particular highlights.
A Couple Wanting to Write, Not Simply to Holiday
A writer and an illustrator from Melbourne came to Melaka intending to work on a collaborative book project for two months. They needed an environment that would be genuinely inspiring without being distracting.
The Courtyard House's upper floor — a quiet, well-lit room with views of neighbouring rooftops — became the principal workspace for the project. The host arranged visits to two local Peranakan collections that provided source material for the illustration work, and introduced the pair to a local historian who contributed context for the writing.
They completed a substantial portion of the manuscript and the initial illustration sketches during the stay. The book, when published, included an acknowledgement of the Courtyard House and its role in its creation. They have since referred two other writer friends who subsequently made enquiries.
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