This month, we had the opportunity to interview yet another Airbnb Superhost. This time, the Airbnb unit Pause Ipoh is located in Ipoh, Perak and the Superhost are a sweet, loving couple, Jason and Cheryl.
The story of Pause Ipoh started in 2016, when the engaged couple purchased a run-down house and saw the potential in it from the intact tiles and house structures.
Two months of renovation later, Pause Ipoh started creating history and beautiful memories for individuals seeking to take a break and just take a small pause from the busy lives that they have.
Little did Jason and Cheryl know that their Airbnb would be so successful that it gained attention from Says, Suara Perak, Vocket and other websites.
We aren’t surprised! They managed to give a traditional house a modern twist, retaining the mosaic floorings, traditional window grills, and the house structure. The surprising twist?
The couple has taken the liberty to plant a tree inside the house, giving it a more lively appearance.
Lots of rewiring and repainting later, Pause Ipoh also has the alluring charm of a clean and modern home, especially with all the modern furniture pieces that has filled the spaces in the house. We also love the huge chalkboard installed in this home – you know what you can do if you have time to spare here!
Read the interview below to find out what Jason and Cheryl has to say about Pause Ipoh and the story behind it all!
1) Please tell us about yourself and what is the background that has contributed you to become an Airbnb host?
Hi, I’m Jason and answering this interview with me here is my fiancée, Cheryl. Both of us like to stay at Airbnbs when traveling abroad and experience the local surroundings. So, when we bought the house in an old neighbourhood, we wanted to let others to experience what we did.
2) What is the story or meaning behind the name of “Pause Ipoh”?
Our house number is 11. When we design the logo of the house, we stumbled into II; It’s shaped exactly like the “pause” symbol in an old VCR player.
Pause Ipoh’s Logo
We love the meaning of “Pause”, it’s telling our guest to pause and relax for a while before continuing their journey.
3) What makes you have the courage to buy a dilapidated ancient house to be your first Pause Ipoh Airbnb?
Our initial plans were to purchase this house for own stay purposes. I mean, the moment I stepped into the house and saw the green mosaic tiles, I already fell in love with it!
Cheryl also loved the house structure, with 3 rooms at one side and the common areas – living room, dining hall, kitchen and bathroom on the other side of the house. We both love this house, and we later thought that this house can be that little place for all travelers to stop by and relax.
4) What is the biggest challenge to turn a dusty and greasy house into an elegant, cosy and warm homestay Pause Ipoh Airbnb?
I think the most challenging part is how to make this 700spf house to retain its originality as much as possible while giving it a modern, comfortable twist. We had to make many tough choices – whether we wanted to modernize the entire bathroom, or to maintain the concrete flooring. Everything turned out well in the end though, and we’re glad!
5) Which part of the Pause Ipoh Airbnb are you most proud of and why?
Personally, I’m proud of the living room. I love the mosaic tiles, and thankfully, I was able to find a retro style modern sofa, coffee table and other furniture that suit the flooring well. The results turned out way better than I expected.
We’re also proud of the bathroom. It’s a considerably bold choice to choose a black and white checkered flooring, as the bathroom is not as big as most of the modern houses.
This flooring design usually makes a room look smaller. Nevertheless, it turned out nicely and it still serves as an enjoyable place for having a bath.
6) Can you please tell us why you have this great idea to plant a tree in the house?
Cheryl loves greenery; She always wished to have a tree inside the house, saying that it would brings life into the space and she can watch the little movements of the leaf when it catches a breeze – It’s relaxing, calming, and she absolutely loves it.
The leopard tree also acts as a cover for the rain gutter behind it.
7) Can you share with us the secret that allows you to continue to win the Superhost every year?
We just keep providing our guest the same experience we would want to experience ourselves from time to time such as the luxury of having memory pillows or anything else that will improve the quality of the stay.
8) What is the reason for you to check in your guest on your own rather than using an automation check in like digital lock or keypad?
We love to meet and interact with people. We would take the opportunity to tell them about the neighbourhood and inform them about our favorite spots to eat as a suggestion for them.
Pause Ipoh’s VIP guests
Checking the guest in ourselves also gives us a warm feeling; It’s nice to know that there are people waiting for us at the house after we have traveled the long distance to greet them and show them around.
9) Have you met any special guests that make a great story to Pause Ipoh Airbnb?
Certainly, yes! There’s this one guest that booked our place to propose to his fiancée.
There’s also a bunch of interior design students that booked our place as their stay, where they can also study the house design. We definitely couldn’t forget our first guest, Eve and her family. They were lovely guests and we’ll always remember them.
10) What opportunity and obstacles had come in your way while you were passionate about your hosting career? And how did you overcome the obstacles?
We had the opportunity to get to know more local hosts. Whenever there are emergencies, we would help each other as long as can we can afford to. We also share some homestay-related information with each other. Having more information and up-to-date info about our industry would certainly help us a lot more.
11) We noticed that you have another Airbnb and they have a projector in the unit! Could you tell us more about them and what inspired you to set up a projector in the unit?
Our 2 other listings are Pulse Ipoh – Boho and Safari, which are located at Majestic Condo Ipoh. This condo was an old cinema built in the 1940’s. Back then, it was known as Majestic cinema. Due to the rise of the modern day cinemas, it was closed down years ago and the cinema was replaced with the current condo.
So, when we were designing the units, we tried to bring back the cinema feel to them, just like they were in the old days – thus the projector!
12) Can you tell us more about the neighbourhood surrounding your place (both Pause Ipoh & Majestic Ipoh)? Any hidden gems to share? What’s your recommended food in your area?
Pause Ipoh is located in a small neighbourhood that’s just a 5-minute drive away from the town center. It’s a quiet neighbourhood, and most of our neighbours had been living here since the 1970’s.
There’s an old-school Chee Cheong Fun store, just 2 to 3 minutes drive from Pause Ipoh. It still follows the traditional ways and recipe and it tastes delicious. Even better, the price is also affordable! If you’re dropping by, you have to give it a try. The location and details are as follows: Pasir Pinji Chee Cheong Fun
Location: 1456, Jalan Pasir Pinji 5, Taman Hoover, 31650 Ipoh, Negeri Perak Contact No. 05-255 6951
Pulse Ipoh meanwhile is located in the middle of town, within a walking distance to the famous Lou Wong Touge Chicken. My personal pick would be the old curry noodle shop that’s also within a walking distance from our condo – the curry is very fragrant, not too spicy, and it’s also very famous among locals. Usually, the curry noodles will be sold out in 3-4 hours from their opening time at 7am.
阿B椰檔
Location: Taman Jubilee, 31650 Ipoh, Perak
13) Any plan that coming soon in the near future?
Yes. We do have some ideas and plans, but we’ll announce it once things are firmly in place.
14) Anything else you’d like to share with the audience that I didn’t ask?
It’s a life changing experience after we had Pause – plenty of ups and downs, of course, but it is really beyond our imagination that our Airbnb is so well received among our customers. We’ll continue to keep the unit as a small little place for people to rest, relax, and to pause for just a while, before continuing with the next journey.
That has certainly been an enlightening story from our Airbnb Superhosts this month! If you are planning a visit to Ipoh, Perak anytime soon, then why not take a look at Pause Ipoh’s offerings?
Pause Ipoh can comfortable house 6 pax, with 3 bedrooms and 1 bathroom. The space in front of the house is huge, as it is with most traditional homes. You can just park your cars within the gated premise and leave your worries aside.
Located in Taman Kampar, you should have no issues reaching this Airbnb unit from major arterial routes. Check Pause Ipoh’s available dates and book directly from their Airbnb link below!
P.S. Do you have any unique Airbnb/lodging to share with us? Comment below and we’ll reach out to them!
P.P.S This is not a paid advertising, all the interviews are done by invitation only.
P.P.S Check out our collection of unique lodgings and add them to your wishlist!
