8,570 SQM, BUILT 2019
162 KEYS, MEMBER OF DESIGN HOTELS
SMOKE AND MIRRORS_ The Prestige Hotel is nestled within Penang’s UNESCO World Heritage neighbourhood of Georgetown and draws inspiration from its local colonial history as well as lush island identity to create a “Tropical Victorian Eden” experience for its guests. Combining the most characterful elements of the historic context with an innovative and modern sensibility, we sought to “transpose heritage”; not to be ruled by it, but to run with it in order to create something fresh but yet familiar. Uniquely one of a kind, the Prestige Hotel draws upon the cultural relevance of its colonial past whilst showcasing the brilliant art of illusion and magic to deliver a distinctive hotel stay experience.
In the lobby, guests are invited to navigate a white marble-clad maze with brass trimmings on the floor. The reception desk is made of concave mirrored stainless steel, creating a distorted reflection seemingly balanced on chrome spheres. The black-and-white dotted floor-pattern, which seems to magically “appear and disappear” before your eyes, unifies the lobby with the other ground floor spaces.
In the guestrooms, a key feature is the Shower and Wardrobe Enclosure, crafted with champagne bronze tinted metal and glass; a hero piece which takes aesthetic cues from Houdini’s escape box.
“MOD provided thoughtful planning, and detailed proposals at every turn, making it easy for me to make decisions. The novel and pragmatic approach to the resolution of on-site and design constraints is one of the key success factors in our project. It has been an absolute pleasure to partner with MOD and we continue to be inspired by the brilliance and originality that they have brought to The Prestige Hotel project.”
Modernizing the Victorian conservatory with a simplified wrought-metal lattice pattern, the Glasshouse restaurant is presented as an all-day-dining garden conservatory offering people-watching on forest-green leather banquettes, facing the front street, or intimate lush landscaped alfresco areas at the back.
1. Winner, Merit, Best Hotel, 2020 at BCI Asia Interior Design Awards, Singapore
2. Finalist, Visual Identity, 2020 at AHEAD Asia Awards, Singapore
3. Finalist, Suite, 2020 at AHEAD Asia Awards, Singapore
4. Longlist, Spatial Awards Hospitality - Hotel of the Year, 2020 at FRAME The-Great-Indoors Award, Netherlands
