28 August 2008 - It's been quite a whirlwind since I joined The Heritage Station Hotel, Kuala Lumpur – or as we affectionately call it, @THSH. I'll admit, when I first arrived, the chatter around the hotel wasn't exactly glowing. Between the public perception, the press, feedback from industry peers, and even some internal murmurs, it was clear the place had its challenges. But I suppose that's where I thought I could step in with my own unconventional approach.
I come from a background that many would consider the gold standard of hospitality – a deluxe‑class, award‑winning 5‑star resort in Penang. That experience gave me a solid foundation, and I'll always be grateful to my former mentors for their guidance. They taught me the importance of product knowledge and service excellence, and for that, I owe them a great deal.
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The Heritage Station Hotel – Now Closed (1996 – 2010) |
Breaking Free from the System
After spending time working and travelling around the region, I noticed something shifting in the hotel scene. It was becoming more structured, more systematic – which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Consistency and professionalism are vital in our industry. But I started to feel that this approach could sometimes make the service feel a bit too cookie‑cutter. As someone who craves creative freedom, I decided to step away from the polished, predictable world of luxury hotels and take a leap into the unknown. Perhaps it was my age – I was in my early thirties then – but it felt like a rebellious move, maybe even a bit reckless, and yet it was entirely mine.
The School of Hard Knocks
What followed was a series of adventures – opening and closing restaurants, navigating shockingly tough working conditions, building custom computers, and eventually circling back to the backpacker hotel scene. Some might call it a fall from grace, but reminiscing about it now in the current year of 2008, honestly? I wouldn't trade it for anything. Every misstep and detour taught me something valuable, much like fine dark chocolate – bitter at first, but it matures into something rich and meaningful over time.
The Climb, The Heritage, and The Vision
Arriving at @THSH felt like scaling a vertical cliff – a ninety‑degree climb, no exaggeration. But I've always believed that nothing is impossible unless you make it so. So I rolled up my sleeves and got to work. After all, I reminded myself, I'd been through tougher situations, like being posted to a newly acquired 3‑star hotel in Siem Reap, Cambodia. That experience, though challenging, gave me a profound appreciation for resilience. Watching my Cambodian colleagues take immense pride in their language, culture, and customs – despite earning so little – was humbling. It made me realise just how fortunate we are in Malaysia.
That perspective stayed with me, and I found myself looking at the building I was working in with fresh eyes. The Heritage Station Hotel Kuala Lumpur isn't just a place to lay your head – it's a monument carved out of history. Perched at 2 Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin, it literally sits inside the old Kuala Lumpur Railway Station, that sprawling Indo‑Saracenic masterpiece designed by Arthur Benison Hubback – the very man whose family I'd soon be crossing oceans to meet. The station rose between 1910 and 1917, and the hotel, originally just called the Station Hotel, was later rebranded as The Heritage Station Hotel in 1996. It claimed the northern wings and upper floors, with 170 rooms and a lobby that once housed the bustling Charlies Restaurant & Bar.
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Community Project: Pre-Wedding Photography Photo by Adam Ong. A rare glimpse inside @THSH with the Historic Painting in the background. Taken from Prewedding.info (my former site) and used with permission. |
But even as I admired the bones of the place, I was silently racking my brain over how to actually sell it. The hotel had been branded a "6 Star Budget Hotel" – a contradictory tagline that, to me, missed the point entirely. Guests would be just as baffled as I was. I started digging for the architect behind the hotel's interior conversion, hoping a named designer could anchor a fresh narrative, but I came up empty‑handed. Still, the idea began to crystallise: why not lean into the building's true roots and reposition @THSH as a thematic heritage hotel, wrapped in the romance of the early 1910s? That approach would unlock all sorts of low‑cost, high‑value activities – vintage photo shoots against those grand staircases, curated history walks through the station's forgotten wings, and storytelling sessions that resurrected the whispers of a bygone era.
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Community Project: Pre-Wedding Photography Photo by Adam Ong. Taken outside the Main Entrance of the Hotel featuring the Iconic Red Mailbox Taken from Prewedding.info (my former site) and used with permission. |
By the time I walked through its doors in 2008, the last renovation had been back in 1995, and the faded grandeur was undeniable – sweeping staircases, hand‑carved wooden panels, portraits of long‑gone rulers staring down from the walls. But honestly? That faded glory was exactly what I needed to see. It wasn't a drawback; it was an invitation. This wasn't just a job anymore – it was a chance to restore a slice of Malaysian heritage that had been quietly slipping away. And it sparked a curiosity in me that I couldn't shake.
A Curiosity That Became a Mission
I was fortunate enough to connect with the Hubback family, and the more they shared, the more captivated I became by the stories and contributions they'd made to our young nation. Yet, I couldn't shake the question: why don't we know more about the Hubback Brothers, despite their architectural legacy?
My curiosity soon turned into passion. I began meeting architecture and conservation students doing research at @THSH – conservation being a relatively new field in Malaysia – and I was surprised to find that many of them didn't know much about the Hubback Brothers. Even worse, some of the information they shared was inaccurate. That bothered me.
The Boldest Leap
After talking it over with my wife, who, to my immense gratitude, gave me her full support, I made a bold decision. I would personally fund the trip myself and told the Hubback family I'd be visiting them in the UK. This was going to be a huge challenge, but I felt ready to take it on.
With arrangements in place, I set my email auto‑responder, posted a note on my other blog, and flew off to meet the Hubback family in the UK in mid‑August. Now that I'm back, I'm finally putting this entry together on 28 August 2008. Life has been busy since my return – between hotel operations, reaching out to patrons, and working on community projects – but I wanted to make sure I documented this journey properly.
Grateful Acknowledgements
I'm deeply grateful to my wife and team at @THSH for standing by me. Without them, I wouldn't have gotten this far. And of course, a heartfelt thank you to the Hubback family in the UK – it was an absolute honour to meet you all.
No Turning Back Now
The race has begun, and there's no turning back now. Looking back, I realise how much has happened since that bold decision – the journey, the discoveries, the people I've met along the way. That chapter may have passed, but the story is far from over. Today, the work continues, and I'd be so grateful for your support. Please visit thehubbacks.org to learn more about the Hubback Brothers' legacy and how you can be part of preserving this remarkable piece of our shared heritage. Every bit of encouragement helps keep the memory alive.
Originally Published: 28 August 2008 | Last Updated: 25 June 2026
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