Jonker Street is among the historical city’s biggest tourist attractions and one of its adjacent streets is home to a particularly charming boutique hotel.

Should you ever find the need to spend the night in Melaka, Courtyard at Heeren would make for a pleasant stay.

A refurbished pre-war shophouse, this hotel, which opened in 2009, offers guests the comforts of modern amenities together with a dose of old-world charm.

Its location is strategic, with plenty of cafés and restaurants in the area, and Jonker Street just a minute’s walk away.

However, since parking bays are limited especially during the holidays, Courtyard has a private parking lot, though it does require a quick jaunt to get there and back.

It is said that you can tell a lot about a hotel by its lobby and needless to say, Courtyard’s lobby presents quite the sight to first-time guests.

With a koi pond and water feature in one corner and a display cabinet filled with antiques in another, this place certainly has some flair to it.

It probably attests to the design concept of the place, which unites the old-school aesthetic with a touch of modernity.

Aesthetics aside, how is the service? If you’re after quick, efficient and friendly service, the front desk staff will not disappoint.

And the rooms are designed to impress. Whether you are a solo traveller or part of a large tour group, Courtyard has rooms perfectly tailored to your every need.

Courtyard has 15 rooms in total, with seven on the ground floor and eight on the upper floor, each looking distinct from one another.

There are a total of seven differently-styled rooms, ranging from the Superior Room for the vacationing duo and the Family Suite for the whole clan on the go.

There is no denying just how cosy each and every room is, with beautiful interior décor, a soft and warm bed, and a bounty of pillows.

True to its name, each and every room has access to a view of the courtyard, ensuring fresh air and natural light no matter where you are quartered.

In terms of facilities, you will want for little as modern amenities are provided in each room, including the all-important wi-fi.

The aforementioned Family Suite is quite the marvel to behold, being the only room in Courtyard to occupy more than a single floor.

These two floors are also connected by an antique spiral staircase, which apparently was transported in from elsewhere in a feat of engineering.

For couples on a romantic getaway, the Executive Suite comes with a jacuzzi for long and relaxing baths. And its balcony, which offers breathtaking views of the Melaka skyline, is the perfect spot for a quiet dinner or drinks.

Speaking to FMT, Courtyard’s founder, YK Tye, said that he opened the hotel mostly as a space to house his family’s large collection of antiques.

Prior to its opening, there were few if any boutique hotels in the area around Jonker Street, which encouraged Tye to try his luck with Courtyard.

“The place was in bad shape when I first bought it,” said Tye. “It took two years to refurbish.”

While the building appears small from the outside, there is a surprising amount of space within. According to Tye, most pre-war shophouses in Melaka are longer than they are wide, because properties then were taxed based on their width rather than their length.

Great emphasis was placed on providing guests with ample space, so instead of stuffing as many small rooms as possible into the building, there are fewer but larger rooms instead.

Hence, should you ever be looking for a place that makes guests feel at home, you should look no further than Courtyard.

Courtyard @ Heeren Boutique Hotel
91 Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock
75200 Melaka
Melaka Bandaraya Bersejarah

Contact: 06-2810088

E-mail: [email protected]

Reservations: http://courtyardatheeren.com/reservations/