Soori Penang, Malaysia

Hotel Conversion

A serene intervention within the colour and energy of Malaysia’s George Town, Soori Penang wins the Hotel Conversion award at AHEAD Asia 2026.

KKS Hospitality and Soori Hotel & Resorts worked with SCDA to transform a collection of heritage shophouses within the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Later alterations were removed to recover the buildings’ original proportions, while characteristic air-wells, five-foot ways and layered thresholds became integral to the guest experience. A former car park was also reimagined as a secluded garden courtyard, creating a gradual transition from the intensity of the city into the calm of the hotel.

Described as a “beautiful sanctuary within the chaos of Penang”, the project impressed the judges with its sensitive infusion of new design into the historic fabric. The panel also highlighted its “excellent sense of scale and detail”, praising the elegant, culturally rooted modernism it brings to the heritage setting.

Winners
Global Headline Sponsor
 
RH

Trophy Sponsor
 
Preciosa

Global Sponsors
 
Kaldewei
 
Laufen
 
Lutron
 
Roca
 
Villeroy&Boch

Event Sponsors
 
Del Mar Lighting
 
Gessi
 
Hansgrohe
 
Kohler
 
Magnovent
 
Preciosa
 
TECE

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