Staycation: Settlement Hotel Melaka Malaysia

My second visit in Melaka had a little bit of chill pill in it. We let go of all all planned activities in the city and told ourselves to just relax and let the weekend just unfold itself and surprise us.

Read also: Malaysia Travelogue: 9 Reasons to Visit Melaka

We were invited to stay at the Settlement Hotel in Melaka. The location of the hotel is (relatively) far from the city center. As someone who just came from Malaka a few days before, this idea didn’t bother me. All I was looking forward to are the amazing food that we will be trying and also a comfortable bed to sleep at—and maybe visiting the weekend market at Jonker Street as I was not able to go there last time.

The Settlement Hotel is situated in a very quiet neighborhood. There are no high-rise building around the area, that is why the 4-storey white painted boutique hotel can easily be seen from the road.

[caption id="attachment_5125" align="alignnone" width="800"] Enjoying a cup of coffee in front of the hotel (on a swing of course)[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_5141" align="alignnone" width="800"] The hotel's lobby/mezzanine[/caption]

This boutique hotel was built from a 1960’s 4-storey government training building that took 2 years to restore.

You will be welcomed by a 350 year old Sultan bed from Palembang, Sumatra. My friend Kat (@katpegimana) said that Melaka was founded by a Palembang prince, so I guess you’ll do the math (hmmmm).

https://www.instagram.com/p/BSfNJ3igp7G/?taken-by=kennethsurat

I love boutique hotels, I always prefer it from big hotel chains. There is a certain homey-aspect in the Settlement Hotel, which you will expect in a boutique hotel. Maybe because the main lounge itself feels like your own living area? Or the roof deck is easily accessible to those who just want to chill and enjoy the view (or sing Karaoke?!).

ACCOMMODATION

The hotel offers 3 different room types. The Settlement Suites, Junior Suites and Deluxe Rooms. I stayed in a deluxe room which is perfect for anyone traveling solo (also can fit 2- you can choose twin sharing or single bed). The hotel's promise of providing excellent hospitality and services was very evident when I entered my room, and found a teddy bear waiting inside. A simple gift from the management (aaaw).

[caption id="attachment_5138" align="alignnone" width="800"] TEDDY!!!!![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_5139" align="alignnone" width="800"] I love the look of my shower. It is small personal shower with everything you need.[/caption]

One thing I love in my room is that, I have my own iron and ironing board, some hotels ignore this NEED!

We also got a chance to tour Settlement Hotel’s Malay Style Villas. There are 4 villas in the property, 1 junior and 3 luxury villa. These villas are built by traditional craftsmen that exhibits the rich and local Malay heritage. There is even an option to use a bucket-wash in the shower (yes, same as a 'tabo' and 'timba' in the Philippines). You can also request for a Mandi Bunga bath if you fancy to try a traditional floral bath ritual.

[caption id="attachment_5142" align="alignnone" width="800"] Inside one of the luxury villas[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_5131" align="alignnone" width="800"] What is Mandi Bunga?[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_5130" align="alignnone" width="800"] Preparing myself to endure the experience hahahah....[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_5129" align="alignnone" width="800"] Just some of the flowers they used during my Mandi Bunga session.[/caption]

DINING EXPERIENCE (FOOOOOOOD!!!)

The hotel offers different avenues for dine in. The moment we arrived, we were served with an afternoon Teh Tarik with Malaysian sweets (that we’ll just call Nyonya cakes).

[caption id="attachment_5144" align="alignnone" width="800"] Malaysian sweets (I forgot what they call them but they are delish...missing them badly haha)[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_5143" align="alignnone" width="800"] Teh Tarik anyone?[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_5134" align="alignnone" width="800"] After our little tour around town, we were given a refreshing cuppa... this hospitality it off the chart[/caption]

Speaking of Nyonya, we had a very scrumptious buffet with a mix of barbecue and Baba-Nyonya dishes at the Long Table Bar where we had our first dinner. It was a wise decision for us to just stay in the hotel and enjoy this hearty meal. Baba-Nyonya Laksa was my favorite (I guess craving for laksa the day before our trip helped with this assessment).

Breakfast are also being served at the Long Table Bar. A buffet style breakfast with a mix of continental and Malaysian cuisines ( NASI LEMAK!!!!!)

[caption id="attachment_5137" align="alignnone" width="800"] Our barbecue mix[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_5136" align="alignnone" width="800"] Baba Nyonya Laksa!!![/caption]

For lunch we had it at the mezzanine dining area where we had a full western inspired meal. We had mushroom soup, chicken thigh on mashed potato, asparagus glass with samosa and strawberry caramel. Super yum! This lunch meal alone is worth the stay!

[caption id="attachment_5133" align="alignnone" width="800"] Chicken Thigh on Mashed Potato[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_5128" align="alignnone" width="800"] Afternoon snack. It was served at the pool area. Just perfect.[/caption]

RECREATION AND RELAXATION

The hotel has it own spa cottage where you can try their signature massage packages. I was not able to try it so I can’t do any recommendations on this. What I can say is, the spa looks good. Also just in front of the spa you can find the hotel pool. It is far from being a lap pool as it is fairly small, however, it is good enough to make you feel refreshed from the warm Melakan afternoon.

[caption id="attachment_5127" align="alignnone" width="800"] Just enjoying a refreshing dip in the pool.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_5140" align="alignnone" width="749"] Care for a spin???[/caption]

To explore the neighborhood, you can grab a bike (from the hotel of course) and cycle your way around the area. Just a few minutes away, you can explore the Portuguese Settlement, hence where the name of the hotel came from.

You can also go up to the rooftop garden where you can invite your friends for a karaoke, play board games or just simply enjoy the bird’s eye view of the whole neighborhood.

[caption id="attachment_5135" align="alignnone" width="800"] Big screen karaoke at the rooftop[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_5146" align="alignnone" width="800"] Our crew exploring the Red Square[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_5126" align="alignnone" width="800"] Spending the evening at the Jonker Street for the Weekend Night Market[/caption]

Though it is far from the city center, there is a free shuttle service that will drop and fetch you wherever you want in the city. In fact, while staying in the hotel, we were able to visit some of the city’s main attractions. Jonker Street, River Cruise and Menara Taming Sari to name a few.

Read also: Malaysia Travelogue: 9 Reasons to Visit Melaka

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I really had a wonderful time during our weekend staycation at the Settlement Hotel. It was the right amount of escape needed from the busy week. Will I suggest this place? If you want a very relaxed place to stay in Melaka and you don’t need to be in the city center the whole time, or you have been to Melaka several times and you are visiting on a very chill pace, DEFINITELY this is the place for you.

CONTACT DETAILS 

Address: No. 63 Jalan Ujong Pasir, Melaka City, 75050 Malacca
Contact Number: +60 6 2921133
Email: enquiry@thesettlementhotel.com
Website: www.thesettlementhotel.com