This might be just a Singaporean thing, but whenever we’re heading to another country in South-East Asia, we just zero into Tripadvisor’s ranked list of hotels, and start looking from the top of the list. We had a couple of options initially on which nearby place to go to for our year-end short vacation this time round, though this was made somewhat limited in range of choices given Ling’s pregnancy i.e. must be reached by boat or coach only. Most of the city hotels around the two states I looked at – Johore and Melaka – were ordinary with many of their top hotels barely scrapping a four star rating.
One property though in Melaka was a little different; The Majestic was built from a 1920s Colonial-styled mansion, and the 4.5 star top-rated hotel in the state. Once we booked a five-day stay there at per night rates of around MY$480++(S$191), our trip was pretty much locked in.
Getting to the hotel from our coach drop-off point at Melaka Sentral was straight-forward if pricey by Singapore standards. The journey was just a few kilometers, but the cab driver’s fee was MY$15. We liked what we saw from the moment we approached the hotel entrance; reception staff were welcoming with cold towels for us to freshen up, and we had a no-fuss check-in. Accommodation documents were pre-prepared and the reception was already expecting us. I also especially appreciated the fact that we were able to check in at noon – two hours before the usual check-in – without needing us to ask for it too. The hotel is also pretty small at just 54 rooms too.
Our Deluxe room of 35sqm was located on the six floor, and a young Japanese concierge lad carted a pot of Lychee-flavored tea also showed us to the room, orientating us to the room’s amenities. Both girls loved the room, with Hannah proudly claiming the additional bed we asked for her and that she liked it more than her bed at home. Ling was even more impressed with the branded (Crabtree & Evelyn) toiletries and also the Clawfoot bathtub. The hotel staff were all very friendly and offered warm greetings at every turn. Lots of other amenities accompanied our stay too; the rainshower in the standing shower stall, complementary nonya kueks for supper, breakfast (the main buffet spread was ordinary but the accompanying ala carte main courses were much better), and a decent room view of Melaka River. Cleaning staff also snucked into the room while we were out for dinner to do a quick interim cleaning too.
On the downside; there’s some renovation going just opposite the hotel now, and coupled with the narrow sideroad the hotel is situated at, meant we had to be extra careful navigating the pavement-less stretches with Hannah. As Ling’s best friend Doreen remarked too: The Majestic isn’t in a terrifically centralized location, though the more ‘happening’ parts of the city are still a doable 20 minute (30 with Hannah) walk away. There wasn’t in-room wifi and the somewhat unstable Internet access was via Ethernet cable only. Lucky I erred on the side of caution and brought the Samsung netbook instead of the Ethernet-less MacBook Pro Retina. The last problem annoyed Ling especially, and it’s room sound-proofing. Our stay was accompanied by lots of ambient audio; we got to enjoy the neighbor chattering outside our room and also frequent drainage sounds of bath usage from the nearby rooms, and it’s by no means soft.
In all, though this is just the second day of our five-day stay, I feel confident to give this hotel a conditional recommendation. It’s pricey for the per night rate compared to other hotels in the city, not in the best location and soundproofing is a concern. On the other hand, if you’re interested in a comparatively quiet stay otherwise without lots of other guests running around, this place is pretty good.:)
More notes on our 2012 December stay at The Majestic here.
Hi, can I find out which coach company did you purchase your tickets? I am thinking of doing a free and easy trip to Melaka as well.
Hi Theresa; that would be Starmart, here at http://www.starmartonline.com/. Ling did the coach booking, so she’ll be able to offer insights to her experience on it, alongside how we managed to keep our girl well-fed and receptive to everything we put on her plate.:)
Okay thank you!!! Look forward to hearing from Ling!
Hi Theresa,
We went by Starmart coach as recommended by my best friend as its seats are spacious and relatively clean and bug-free. Just a note if you’re going by this coach – must have toilet break at the S’pore customs (M’sia side is not so clean la) as after that the rest of the journey is non-stop. I limited Hannah intake of water by just giving her sips along the way so that she could last the 3-4 hour ride. The online purchase of tickets was easy and you get to choose your seats too. Make sure you check the return date for availability of seats before you confirm buying. We almost got ourselves a one-way ticket situation. Otherwise, we might end up travelling by 2 different coach companies – a bit inconvenient la. BTW, the coach will drop you at Melaka Sentral and it is necessary to hike a cab to your hotel. Try to flag down by the main road as it would be cheaper. Bargaining rates around RM 12-18 if the cab is not metered.
About hotels, although Majestic Hotel is a great place, it is not conveniently located near the sightseeing and shopping areas. If your family doesnt mind walking for AT LEAST 30 mins to jonker area and then another 30 mins back to hotel each day or paying for cab fares (roughly RM 15 per trip), then go for Majestic hotel. Otherwise, consider Equatorial, Casa del Rio, Hatten or Holiday Inn as these are much much nearer to Jonker. Easy on the feet for all and arms for parents too especially on a hot, humid day. Of course, if you plan to spend most of the time enjoying the hotel facilities, then Majestic is great.
Well, I don’t know how best to advise on getting tots to eat, hee hee. Hannah was mostly interested in the food we ordered. Maybe we often seem to enjoy our food that made her want to have a share as well. Perhaps she was often hungry by the time we settled down for a meal? Perhaps the fun of using her hands to pinch off foods like naan and thosai appealed to her. Sometimes I used my authority as the mother to insist that she finish her bowl of mixed rice when she didn’t feel like eating. But we did use an interesting canned drink (e.g. chrysanthemum or grass jelly) as a reward for finishing her food. Hannah hardly get to try sweetened drinks in Singapore.
Just to share the part on Hannah’s daily milk intake. I like to buy small packets of strawberry & chocolate milk to bring along on the trip as an indulgence for her on vacation. She looks forward to drinking it day in and out. The Magnolia version with fresh milk incorporated is not as sweet as some other varieties.
When do you plan to have the trip? Hope the above comes in handy :)
Hi Ling
Thank you for your detailed sharing! Wow – you must have done a lot of research work before going to Melaka.
We have this problem with our little girl, everytime, we bring her out for meals, she would get very distracted and refused to eat. On “cooperative” days, she would just eat a few mouthfuls and refused any other thing. The only thing that get her attention is fried food, jelly and ice-cream!!! :( That’s why I am amazed that Hannah is willing to try all kinds of food!!!
No concrete plans to go to Melaka. I went Melaka in Sep 12 for my company retreat and fell in love with the place. We stayed in holiday inn then. I was toying the idea to organise a family trip. Alternatively, my mother-in-law’s church always organise a church camp in June everyyear for 5 days and she would love to have us to tag along (but the idea of 5 days in Melaka doesn’t sound too appealing to us either!).
We haven’t tried long bus journey with our girl yet. That’s also one thing we are still thinking about…
But thanks for the tips! Really appreciate it!
Do take care.
Hi Theresa,
Actually I didn’t do much research. Hee hee. My hubby did most of it and I relied on my best friend for her expertise on hotels and food in Malacca. She has been there a few times. Nonetheless, you’re welcomed :)
Have you considered short plane rides for vacation? If not for my pregnancy, we would have opted for that to cut down on travelling time.
We were quite particular about Hannah’s diet especially where junk food is concerned. Good thing that her nanny shared my conviction too. It also helps that Hannah isn’t cared for by my parents or in-laws as they would have secretly fed her sweets and chocolates, etc. Her sweetest delights are usually fruits, agar-agar and occasionally cakes. However, Hannah has recently discovered the joys of eating french fries! Thank God that she still eat her normal meals. We tried to get her to appreciate ice cream but she simply doesn’t like it as it was too cold for her.
Hope that your next vacation with your girl would be a lovely one! :)