Malaysia’s Five Best Hotels

If Sofia Coppola were looking for another gasp-worthy hotel to shoot the sequel to her cult film, ‘Lost in Translation,’ the Presidential Suite (from RM30,000 a night) at the Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur might just be the place that location scouts say yes to. If indeed these scouts had done their research. With the skyline of Kuala Lumpur as a backdrop, the property’s sophisticated interiors, designed to meld with the semi-circular shape of the skyscraper that houses the hotel, make for a convincing riff. Spanning 340 sqm, the suite is accessible by private lift, with a direct path to the master bedroom and adjoining bathroom fitted with a gorgeous round marble bathtub that Bill Murray would be happy to soak in. Interiors are understated, plush, and comfortable. Artworks from the region’s top names, curated by Palm Beach-based interior designer Bilkey Llinas, are both local in flavour and international in appeal. There are also additional areas for entertainment and dining, as well as a kitchenette that comes in handy when guests want to play host. A 24-hour concierge and dedicated butler are on hand to ensure that a stay at the hotel’s highest tier accommodation is seamless, and memorable.

Grand Hyatt KL

The island of Langkawi is named for the convocations of eagles that have settled in the towering trees next to the mangrove swamps, an elaborate series of mandrake roots spanning several kilometres. There also other creatures in the locale, both great and small, of land, water and air, all of which call the island’s 550-million-year-old UNESCO-certified Geopark, home. A mere five minutes away by boat is the Four Seasons Resort, a property that draws both jet-setters from around the world and Bollywood stars, the latter of whom were ensconced in its Royal Villa for a month during the filming of the movie ‘Roy’. At 1,400 sqm, the two-bedroom unit is the resort’s largest with its own swimming pool and spa rooms, making trips to the resort’s two main pools and Geo Spa options optional. The space is palatial and profoundly relaxing. It is an orchestration of tasteful tropical wood and Spanish marble fittings, as well as classic Malay and Moorish design templates. It also offers close proximity – by way of the open-air bathroom – to a rocky karst outcrop, part of a primordial segment of limestone hills enveloping the resort. The suite also features a comfortable daybed, a 140-centimete plasma screen television, a private bar, an espresso machine, and a writing desk along with high-speed Internet access for – hopefully – rare moments of work.

Four Seasons

The narrow lanes that abound with heritage shophouses and their equally aged inhabitants who craft their living from joss-tick making, fruit-selling, fortune-telling, and other trades, are the yarns which Georgetown has used to weave its cultural stories. Next to one of the island’s oldest Goddess of Mercy temples is Seven Terraces, an exquisite 18-suite property that artfully marries the island’s storied Peranakan heritage with five-star luxury and hospitality. At Seven Terraces, hoteliers Christopher Ong and Karl Steinberg have both brought a stylish sensibility on to a formerly dilapidated row of seven Anglo-Chinese terrace units. So while the Peranakan antiques and art works selected by Ong, displayed in the public areas and suites, are categorically old world, it’s the creature comforts like the cashmere bed throws and high-thread count all-white bedding that make all accommodations including the top-end Grand Apartment (from RM2,400 a night), a treat to linger in. A pair of ornate red Chinese doors leads into the suite, where museum-worthy 19th century Baba nyonya artefacts are displayed: lacquered cabinets, opium beds, altar tables as well as other items that would impress any antiques collector. Beyond the interiors worthy of a museum, after a day exploring the island, there’s also an inviting lap pool to cool off in and a sundeck to lounge about in the evenings with a cocktail in hand.

Seven Terraces

The capital of Sabah is arguably a destination more popular with tourists from around the world than it is to Malaysians. It’s just a three-hour flight from Hong Kong, while Singapore is an easy two-hour plane journey away. Most visitors are composed in the main of sun-seekers, nature lovers, families with teenagers, and golfers, who gravitate to Dalit beach on the coast of East Malaysia. A 45-minute drive from Kota Kinabalu airport, the three-kilometre stretch of creamy pristine sand is also the location of the Shangri-La Rasa Ria Resort, a sprawling property, designed by Singaporean architect Tsao Chee Ann, with its own orang utan wildlife sanctuary and nature reserve. Guests can sign up for activities unique to the location like orang utan feeding, cruising down mangrove-lined waterways, as well as horse-back riding on the beach. At the property’s Garden Wing, the one-bedroom Speciality Suite (from RM1,965 a night) looks out to the aquamarine-tinged South China Sea, which on a clear day, stretches seemingly forever. Measuring 108 sqm, the space has separate dining and living areas – ideal for large celebratory groups. A nature-inspired theme of luscious dark woods, green and lime upholstery is subtle, inviting and calming to the senses.

Shangri-La Rasa Ria

At the lobby of The Majestic Hotel, a pianist’s rendition of melodies popular in 1930s Kuala Lumpur gives the impression of an older, glamorous era. Or at least this is the case in the afternoons when tea is served. While upstairs in one of two Majestic Suites (from RM10,000 per night) that counts David Beckham as a recent guest, the stylised old world interiors in rich tones of gold, cream, rich browns, and burgundy are both shimmery in appearance and made from materials that are soft to touch. Each suite spans 100 sqm, and comprises living and dining spaces, as well as a guest powder room, while the bedroom features a walk-in wardrobe and adjoining bathroom with statement claw foot bathtub and relaxing rain shower. As with all accommodations in this wing, The Majestic Suite comes with its own team of 24-hour butlers, all of whom have been trained in the fine art of anticipating one’s needs with precision and efficiency, minus the pomp. For guests who are entertaining in-house, there’s the 10-seater private dining room at The Smoke House, a gentleman’s club with its own chef for those occasions when impressing one’s guests is a top priority.

Majestic KL