On our travel trip, we will review some historic and kind of famous hotels around the world. In Asia there you just can’t pass legendary Sarkies brothers hotels. For a better understanding, it’s good to take some historical overview of this brilliant hoteliers.
Contents
The Rise of The Sarkies Brothers
In 1885 there were already millions of Armenians outside of the Armenian homeland. Many of Malaya’s Armenians came from the country around New Julfa, Isfahan. Isfahan was then Persia, today’s Iran. Armenians proved valuable allies for the British. They followed the British East India Company and mostly work for them.
The Armenian community established a strong presence in British colonial Calcutta, where they founded their college. This college had been also a station for Sarkies brothers before they came to the Malaya. There were four Sarkies brothers, Martin, Tigran, Aviet, and Arshak. They founded, owned and managed a series of hotels.
Sarkies Brothers or Ter Wosnian
Their full name is Sarkissian, but they shortened it, to make it easier to pronounce. But there is also another theory, accorded to research by Nadia Wright, the Sarkies’ real family name should have been Ter Wosanian. Later they adopted their father’s first name, Sarkies Martyrose Ter Woskanian, as their surname.
Penang Was Sarkies Start Point
Tigran was first of four brothers Sarkies, who settled in Penang. His new Company, auctioneers, and commercial agents were opened, when he was only 21 years old. He also had a sideline in renting and selling real estate. In 1884 Tigran fell in love with a new hotel with an extensive view of the Straits of Malacca — so-called Eastern Hotel. Only one year later his brother Martin, then about 33 years old, joined him. Together they formed Sarkies Brothers. Soon they jumped at the chance to buy Penang’s former Hotel de l’Europe which was near Eastern hotel.
Thailand Connections
The landlord of both hotels was Khaw Sim Bee, a Thai tin and rubber magnate with extensive land holdings in Penang as well as a considerable political power in Thailand. His family had the Koe Guan Company in Penang, where a manager was one of Sarkies brothers. Khaw Sim Bee liked their idea of establishing a high-quality new hotel in Penang. In 1885 the Sarkies established the Oriental Hotel, later renamed and refurbished E&O Hotel. In 1886 their 24-year-old brother joined them from Calcutta’s College, serving first as an assistant at Eastern Hotel and later manager.
Eastern & Oriental Hotel Was Only a Start
The Eastern was raised for rent and options for expansion were null. The Sarkies Brothers decided to find a new better location for their luxury hotel. Tigran let to set up Singapore’s famous Raffles Hotel in 1887. In 1889, they completely refurbished Oriental and surrendered the Eastern at this point. In late 1890 Martin Sarkies returned to New Julfa, where he remained a sleeping partner in his brothers’ hotels for some years to come. At the same time, Aviet became a partner and was put in a charge of E&O and the youngest brother Arshak, 22 years old, joined the business. At first, he was understudying Tigran at the Singapore Raffles.
Burma
In 1892, when Arshak got the hang of things, Aviet left for Rangoon, Burma. Arshak was only two years later managing the E&O, while his brother Aviet ran the Railway Refreshment Rooms, later opened Sarkies Hotel, and the Bodega&Billiard Saloon, finally establishing the famous Strand Hotel in 1901. In Penang, there wasn’t only E&O under their management. They took over the Crag in 1905. The Crag was located against the backdrop of a George Town on an 830 meters summit of Penang Hill. This 25-room hotel was marketed as a health resort. Later in 1914, they renovated this hotel, but only six years later sold it to Federated States Railways.
Bad Times for Sarkies Brothers
1912 was a bad year for Sarkies Brothers. In February Tigran died in England, while only two months later Martin passed away in New Julfa, Persia. After Martin’s and Tigran’s death Arshark had free hands from a more conservative older brother. His expensive nature came out. E&O has received major renovations and enlargements. Aviet after brother’s deaths took over the Raffle until his ill health forced him to leave Asia in 1918 and later in 1923 passed away in Paris. The same year Arshak opened a new hotel in Singapore — The Sea View, which is the only one not existing today. Well, the Crag on the Penang hill is in ruins, but there are still some colonial memories of this once neat hotel.
Death of the Last Sharkies Brother
Arshak managed Sarkies Hotels until his end. He died on 10 June 1931, the same year when a bankruptcy case against Raffles Hotel ran. This case was only the start of the largest bankruptcy affair of that time. The firm of Sarkies Brothers, hotel proprietors, had total liabilities of 3.5 million owing to 195 creditors. This was a bitter end of the Sarkies legacy but luckily hotels remain today under different owners. Well except The Crag on Penang Hill and Singapore’s The Sea View.
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