Baba House Melaka

Parking was convenient and well organized even with the hotel in such a central spot. We enjoyed two nights here, and the reception and parking staff made us feel welcome. The place mixes modern and antique architecture beautifully. Our room and bathroom were clean, the towels and amenities were enough, breakfast was decent, and Wi-Fi worked well. The bathroom did get warm after showers, so better ventilation would help. It was a nice way to experience Baba culture in Melaka.

The building is gorgeous, and at checkout the manager asked for feedback and said they were talking with the building owner about the soundproofing. That gave me the sense that someone does care. Still, the place could be a lot more comfortable and less like a museum. The library is a stuffy little room with uncomfortable seats. There’s a piano salon with live music, but it seems to be inside an outfit rental shop, and I couldn’t tell whether guests could sit there for a drink. The terrace is lovely, though I couldn’t get a drink there either. I tried ordering one at reception, then another staff member came by to say it wasn’t available and asked me to choose something else. In the end, only coffee and tea were available that day, for some reason. My first room was next to the lift, had no window, and had no soundproofing at all. It felt like anyone coming out of the lift could walk straight into the room. I asked to move and they arranged it, but the front desk person said all the basic rooms were like that, as if I was at fault for booking a normal room and expecting basic hotel standards. The second room was quieter and had a small window onto what seemed like an air shaft. After the first day, housekeeping seemed to forget I was there. The room wasn’t made up and I didn’t get fresh towels.

I’ve visited Melaka often and stayed in plenty of hotels, but this was my most disappointing stay here. The price felt completely out of line with what you get, despite Agoda’s “Exceptional” rating. The room’s so-called window looked onto the cramped hotel interior, with no real view. The place felt more like an overpriced, crowded Kongsi House than a heritage “Baba House,” as if the goal was to fit in as many guests as possible. You could hear footsteps, doors, and hallway conversations everywhere because the occupancy is so dense. Their answer to the noise was earplugs, which felt like a lazy response to a design problem. I was told right after booking that parking was first come, first served. When I arrived, I saw there were fewer than 20 spaces for a hotel with so many rooms and a banquet hall. That seems like poor planning for a place of this size. Consider another hotel if you want a more comfortable and authentic Melaka experience. (My same review posted on Agoda)

We spent five nights here, breakfast included, and I’d book again. The hotel was clean and tidy throughout, and the staff were always courteous. Our second-floor room was spacious, with a good shower and comfortable bed. Its little window let in some natural light, though there wasn’t a view. We liked having breakfast in the garden seating by the entrance. As we’ve found at many hotels in Malaysia, breakfast wasn’t really aimed at Western guests, but we found enough to eat with fruit, cereals, and egg on toast. Good value for money.