Year opened: 1885 (annex 2013). Like a venerable old relative, the E&O wears its illustrious heritage proudly. More than a hotel, this is a George Town institution, welcoming nostalgic travellers in search of the city’s colonial history with open arms – and a chilled gin and tonic. The entrance into the hotel’s cavernous atrium echoes back to its 19th century heyday, with a white grand piano, Asian antique furniture, and the original gated lift still in working order.