GEORGE TOWN, July 12 ― Visitors to Penang Hill will be able to spend a night or two in refurbished heritage bungalows on the hill from October onwards.

Two bungalows, Hillside Bungalow and Tulip House, have been refurbished into a hillside retreat to accommodate up to 80 people.

Penang Hill Corporation (PHC) General Manager Cheok Lay Leng said the century-old Hillside Bungalow underwent restoration since 2017 while Tulip House was renovated in 2016.

"It will be an eco-friendly colonial-style accommodation for those who wish to spend a night or two surrounded by the 130-million-year-old rainforest in Penang Hill,” he said in a joint press conference with Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow here today.

Hillside Bungalow was built in the early 1900s and is one of the oldest bungalows on Penang Hill.

Classified as a Category II heritage building in the Penang Hill Local Plan 1998 and Penang Hill Special Area Plan 2016, the bungalow was used as a rest house by the British government officers and for civil servants after Merdeka.

The bungalow was then left vacant for many years before PHC decided to restore it and turn it into a family lodge and campsite for visitors.

Meanwhile, Tulip House, located just below the main Summit Road, was built by the British in the 1920s and was used as government quarters after Merdeka.

PHC took over the building in 2011 before it was renovated in 2016.

Cheok said PHC called for a Request for Proposal in September 2017 and Pembinaan YSBT (M) Sdn Bhd was selected to refurbish, equip and operate both Hillside Bungalow and Tulip House in a 10-year concession.

He said the two bungalows will be fitted with eco-friendly amenities and has a rain harvesting system.

Hillside Bungalow, located along Upper Tunnel Road, will have four boutique rooms, four bunk rooms and an open area to accommodate up to 16 four-person tents for camping.

Tulip House will have only two rooms available.

Chow, who is PHC chairman, said the project is a public-private partnership in support of PHC’s vision to make Penang Hill the hill resort of choice in Malaysia and the region.

"It also reflects the endeavours of the Penang state government to promote ecotourism and allowing families to spend quality time together by enjoying the natural beauty of Penang Hill throughout the day,” he said.

The project, called Hillside Retreat Penang, will be open for booking by the end of October.