Loke Mansion is a handsome "arts-and-craft" heritage villa facing the sea on prime real estate in Gurney Drive, Penang. It is one of the heritage sites in Penang threatened by surrounding developments, so I am documenting it for AsiaExplorers and Penang Travel Tips so that everybody can get to appreciate its heritage value.
Loke Mansion was built by Alan Loke, the son of tycoon Loke Yew, around 1924-25. In keeping with the habit among the well-to-do at that time of building ostentatious homes and giving them English-sounding names, Loke Mansion was originally called Chatsworth. The northern seafront where it was located, which is today Gurney Drive, was then called North Beach.
Loke Mansion, a seafront heritage property on Gurney Drive, Penang.
For many years, Loke Mansion was occupied by Alan's brother Loke Wan Yat, who raised his family in its grand surrounding. After the family left Penang, Loke Mansion was left uninhabited, safe for its loyal caretaker who continued to maintain the building in as well a condition as could be expected. However, natural wear-and-tear manifested in the form of leaky roofs, broken gutters, and other general dilapidation. A restoration was carried out in 2003, after which it was rented out to an expatriate couple.
Finding Accommodation in Penang
If you're going to Penang, you now have the option of finding accommodation in a hotel, or look for one in hostels and guesthouses. To book a room in a star-rated hotel, use the Penang Hotel Guide for Budget Travelers. To find accommodation in a Hostel or Guesthouse, use the Penang Guide to Hostels and Guesthouses. Each link provides detailed listing of the type of accommodation you can expect in Penang. Be aware that you get what you pay for. If you need a certain degree of comfort, then a star-rated hotel may be an ideal option for you. On the other hand, if you are able to forego a bit of creature comfort, then hostels and guesthouses are clean, safe, and incredibly good value for money. For accommodation in other destinations, visit Hotel Guide for Budget Travelers or Hostels & Guesthouses Accommodation Guide.
There are many heritage sites in Penang - indeed it has one of the densiest concentration of sites in Malaysia. Explore these many sites with AsiaExplorers.
AsiaExplorers is researched and written by Timothy Tye. Reasonable care is taken to check and verify the accuracy of the content. AsiaExplorers disclaims responsibility for any inconvenience, mishap, injury or death resulting from following the tips and advice provided directly or indirectly by this website. All pages may be printed out for your own personal, non-commercial use. Photographs not credited to a third party belong to Timothy Tye and may not be reused in any form unless you are first given permission. Write in to inquire if interested. Third party photographs are governed by their respective licenses. The author is a Christian. Click here if you are interested to know more about his Christian beliefs. To contact AsiaExplorers, use the following email address:
