It’s 12.30am on a Friday night and we’re still on the road trying to locate our accommodation for our weekend sojourn in Batu Pahat, Johor. My colleague, who has been behind the wheel for the last three hours, finally manoeuvres the car into a narrow street, passing the Sekolah Menengah Sains Batu Pahat and the Bukit Banang Golf & Country Club.
“There it is!” I exclaim delightedly upon seeing a huge LED sign flashing ‘Hotel 57’. Situated next to the Batu Pahat Community College, this corner lot budget hotel has been in business for over five years, established by one Chiang Chin Hwee.
It’s the dead of the night and there’s not a soul out on the streets. Alighting from the car, I notice a mamak restaurant on one end of the shoplot and a sundry shop a few doors away from the hotel. Pushing open the glass door, we find ourselves in a simple reception area complete with a bright red feature wall and a red leather sofa in the corner. The hotel’s owner, Chiang, rises to greet us, smiling broadly.
“Sorry we’re so late,” I apologise, extending my hand for a handshake. He waves my apology aside before offering to take us around for a quick tour. He’s joined by the hotel’s architect, CJ Tan.
Despite the late hours, Chiang remains spirited, regaling us with the story behind his hotel. It seems that he chose this location because of its proximity to the picturesque golf club and the science school. It’s also next to the community college, which is convenient for out-of-town parents sending their children here. So why the name Hotel 57? I ask. “It’s just my lucky number,” replies Chiang, smiling, before proceeding to unlock the first of the rooms on the ground floor.
CLEAN AND COMFY
“Wow!” The word slips out as I step inside the room. On the feature wall is a beautiful painting of a country garden while the rest of the walls are painted in moss green. The floral bed sheet covering the double bed will make you feel like you’re sinking into a garden.
There are 16 rooms in total; with each one having its own distinctive design. Some of the artworks on the walls were actually hand drawn by Chiang himself, who’s an interior designer. The room we’re in now is themed ‘France Style’.
“The rooms on the ground floor are larger than those on the upper floor, with prices starting from RM58 per night,” explains Chiang, leading us upstairs. Stopping by the first door that we come to, he opens it with a flourish. And suddenly from France, we’re transported to the Wild West.
As my eyes become accustomed to the dim lighting, I note that here the walls are painted emerald green, and there are yellow bedside tables matching the colour of the head board. The feature wall meanwhile has a painting of a cowboy.
Making our way to the pantry just by the landing, we’re suddenly accosted by some random paintings of wayang kulit, a Chinese opera singer, a Red Indian and a topless lady - all on the same wall! I couldn’t help but smile in amusement.
The rest of the rooms are themed ‘London Style’ where the headboard is painted with the Union Jack; ‘Disney Style’ which comes with a bunk bed and a wallpaper of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, and ‘New York Style’ which boasts snazzy white furnishing and beddings.
Although the designs are somewhat random and a tad too much for my subtler taste, the main thing is that all the rooms come with an attached bathroom and are clean and comfortable enough for a quick weekend getaway.
Noticing just how late it already is, we bid goodnight to Chiang and make our way to our room. Windowless, it’s one of the more modest options and comes complete with a double bed, attached toilet and shower facility, a medium-sized television, and a small desk.
FOOD HUNT
Hotel 57 is located about 15 minutes’ drive from Bandar Penggaram, the town centre. But before we make our way there to explore what the town has to offer, we decide to start the day with the best lempeng (pancake) in town.
Lempeng Sedap, as it’s aptly named, is about half an hour’s drive from the hotel. You’ll be spoilt for choice here as there are so many dishes to choose from that go really well with the piping hot lempeng or roti jala. The more popular accompaniments include the delicious sambal tempe (fried soy bean with spicy sauce), sambal hati (liver in spicy sauce), and fish or chicken curry.
Fully satiated after such a hearty meal, we drive into town, headed for the Pasar Pagi on Jalan Ibrahim. The wet market which opens daily, except on Thursdays, bustles with vendors packing their wares. Nearby, there’s the classic Pasar Melayu, home to a number of old Malay trades such as songkok and frame-making.
We conclude our day at the Batu Pahat Old Street Commercial Centre. Strategically located at Batu Pahat's “golden triangle” - between Jalan Kluang, Jalan Parit Besar and Taman Sri Jaya - its unique façade serves as a notable landmark in this quaint little town.
Aiming to be the ultimate hotspot for leisure and quality lifestyle, the building integrates different types of F&B, entertainment, fitness centres and shopping outlets.
The darkening skies signal that it’s time for us to head back to our hotel. And just like that, the weekend is almost over. I’m sure we’ll come back again to explore the rest of this charming town. And of course, there’s always Hotel 57 to return to!