With its classic white exterior, one would be hard pressed to guess just how long this grand old hotel has been around for.

The English-looking country house with open fireplaces and wood-panelled walls inside beckons visitors into the 85-year-old hotel, whether for a weekend stay or a delightful high tea of hot scones and pudding.

The beauty of the oldest hotel in Cameron Highlands is amplified by the expansive fairways of the Sultan Ahmad Shah golf course spread out below.

Officially opened in 1937 at Christmas time by Englishman William J Warin, the hotel was originally called Ye Olde Smoke House Inn, housing a modest six rooms.

According to Alex Lee, who currently manages the hotel, the Smokehouse was also the first place to provide hot running water in the ‘30s – a luxury.

He also said the hotel was meant for homesick British expatriates based in Malaya, pointing out that Warin wanted to evoke as many memories of old England for them as possible.

“If you go back to the colonial era, a lot of British people came here to work at private enterprises and in the military. The hotel only catered for Europeans.

“Our family was the first to actually open the hotel to all Malaysians,” he told FMT.

Lee said the hotel survived the treacherous Japanese occupation of Malaya from 1941-1945, and was made the residence for their military officers.

“The Japanese kicked everyone out of the hotel. We received a letter (years ago) written by a British army soldier who notified his sister that the Japanese were arriving in the country. It was only when the war ended that Warin took over the hotel again. However, with the broken economy, he had to sell the hotel off a few years later.”

Lee said the hotel had four different British owners before his father, Peter Lee, bought it in 1977 from a Lieutenant Colonel Stanley Foster.

Alex said Foster also built another hotel in the ‘70s called The Lakehouse, which is still operating in Cameron Highlands, before selling it to his father.

Throughout the years, Alex said there were various upgrades to the hotel, particularly to the number of suites.

However, he said his family wanted to maintain the look and feel of the place, and as such, all furnishings and art are still purchased from Europe.

“The art and antiques we purchased are genuinely from Europe. We wanted to keep the hotel as authentic as possible.”

To this day, the hotel only serves English fare like roasts, stews, pies and pudding.

Lee said every owner left their touch on the hotel, pointing out that his father created an English country garden. “We upgraded the garden significantly which won many awards. Also, every corner of the garden is named after one of my siblings.

“At the same time, every room in the hotel reflects our family history… from the places we studied at to places where we have stayed and travelled to.”

Lee, who took over the hotel in 2018, said he wished to continue his father’s legacy by keeping the hotel as authentic as possible.

“I don’t want this hotel to be an ordinary one. The easiest thing is to convert it into a regular hotel instead of maintaining it as an English country house.

“This hotel is part of my childhood. As a kid, I would spend a couple of weeks here. There is an emotional attachment to this place and therefore I would naturally want to preserve it.”