WELCOME TO HEEREN HOUSE!
Heeren House is a 5-bedroom UNESCO heritage house, located right at the entrance of the famed Heeren Street (Gentlemen’s Street) now called Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock, where the rich families and notables of Melaka used to live.
A renovated 18th-century Dutch-period building featuring 2 storeys, Heeren House offers its guests a unique choice of bedrooms. All located on the second floor, the rooms are furnished in a simple modest classic style with traditional solid wooden furnitures. Four of the rooms can each accommodate 2 persons, while the biggest one can accommodate 5 persons.
Heeren House has a snug cafe downstairs where breakfast is served. A perfect place for guests to chill and enjoy the river view while having a cup of coffee!
Each room has its own private bathroom with hot and cold shower, a coffee/tea making facility, a clothes cabinet, and a work table. All rooms are overlooking the charming Melaka river and the Middleburg Bastion (or the Flo de la Mar if you are on the Hang Tuah room).
Also within view from the property is the beautiful St. Paul’s Hill, while Stadthuys and Christchurch, as well as other relics of the Portuguese, Dutch, and British presence are only a few minutes walk away. Additionally, close by are Heeren 8 (also an 18th-century Dutch-period residential house turned into a museum), and the famous Jonker Street.
Walking distance to the famous Chicken Rice Ball Kedai Kopi Chung Wah. Also the new hip cafe like Daily Fix, Stolen Cup, Kaya Cafe and Navy Cafe.
The name “Heeren” is a remnant of the Dutch colonization of Malacca. The word is the Dutch equivalent of “lord”, used to refer to the highest class of gentlemen.
The building that is now Heeren House has undergone many changes over the years. From being an 18th-century Dutch-period residential house, to a warehouse, to a typical Chinese coffee shop and a family home.
Heeren House today stands along a street of traditional shop houses whose architectural features are unique to Melaka.
HEEREN STREET
Heerenstraat as it was once for the Dutch, may not be as popular as Jonker Street anymore, but Heeren Street manifests more history and old-world charm.
Originally called “Kampung Belanda” (Dutch Village), the area used to be populated by the Dutch burghers. Houses here were built from bricks and roofed with tiles where the common characteristic features of buildings are high roofs, private entry porch, teak wood doors, and symmetrical designs.
One can also note that houses on the street are rather narrow and small when viewed from the outside, but are actually long and spacious inside. This is because the owners back then were taxed on the width of their buildings instead of the total area.
Due to a fire that burnt down many of the houses in the town in the mid-18th century, the Dutch administration enforced a strict regulation on the area. They ordained that no new buildings were to be built, so when the wealthy Chinese gentlemen came years later, they had to buy the existing Dutch buildings and renovated them to adapt to their needs.
Heeren House went through a lot of changes over the years. Thankfully, the walls, porch, doors, and windows are intact. Guests and visitors can still get a chance to see a piece of history whenever they are at the property.
STAY AT HEEREN HOUSE
Melaka is one of the most picturesque towns in Malaysia. Old historical buildings in the city center are listed by UNESCO as a world heritage site.
Heeren House is a heritage property in a UNESCO Heritage Centre.
Come stay at Heeren House! Take delight on the nostalgic experience of the past, warm hospitality of a home, and the comfort of a modern guesthouse. It not only has a terrific location, every room offers a glimpse of the river and historical sights.
LOCATION
Address:
1, Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock
75200 Melaka, Malaysia
Note: Heeren House is now being managed by Signature Puzzle Hotel. The property is currently going through a minor renovation and is NOT accepting bookings (until further notice). For your inquiries however, please feel free to drop an email at info@heerenhouse.com or info@signaturepuzzlehotel.com.
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