I drove to Malacca on Sunday and stayed at the Imperial Heritage. Two things going for the Imperial Heritage again are the hotel's car park and the location of the hotel within walking distance to A' Farmosa. Walked up to Church of St Paul's for the umpteenth time despite the rain. I won't recommend the hotel if not for the location and price. Amenities have aged considerably and the aircon leaked badly. Another advantage with the location is the abundance of Peranakan restaurants in Melaka Raya nearby.
Jonker's Walk was less crowded than usual, due to the evening rain, so I was able to park underneath the Hard Rock Cafe (RM5).
I witnessed that Melaka Gateway has failed utterly. So much for another of those Belt & Road Initiative projects. Many corresponding projects around Melaka Gateway are visibly abandoned, including the Harbour City, which can be seen from any high point in town. Hyped to be one the biggest malls in the region, the upper floors remain incomplete, with no construction activity in sight. Hopefully the adjacent cruise terminal gets to be reworked, so at least there is something salvaged.
If one wants to get up close with the Straits of Malacca, unobstructed, an option is to drive to Encore Melaka which is situated on reclaimed land by the Straits.