Malaysia’s five most luxurious city hotels

Central city locations plus luxurious amenities help these five hotels rank among the coolest accommodations inMalaysia. If you’re looking to be spoiled consider checking into one of these places.

Ritz Carlton Hotel, Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur’s first full-butler hotel is also one of the most spacious; the Ritz Carlton offers 365 guest rooms and suites with a larger-than-usual size complement. The rooms are done up to exacting standards with brass inlays, earth-toned fabrics, and dark wood surfaces.

Its location in the Golden Triangle places it right in the middle of the action; within minutes guests can reach classy shopping, dining, and entertainment options. Guests can simply cross a walkway to the Starhill Gallery shopping center and beyond that the KLCC shopping mall and thePetronasTwinTowers.

But why leave the premises when you can just lose yourself in the Ritz Carlton’sSpaVillage? The hotel’s in-house spa lives up to its claim of being a “tropical oasis in the city”, with treatment suites surrounded by lush vegetation, all equipped with sunken baths and outdoor showers more reminiscent ofBali. The Sensory Exploration is the signature treatment: a therapeutic routine that tantalizes the five senses.

168, Jalan Imbi, Kuala Lumpur, tel::  +60 3 2142 8000 

Majestic Malacca, Melaka

Located beside Melaka’sChinatown, the Majestic Malacca remakes a 1920s-era mansion into a luxurious retro haunt in the city’s historic area. The reuse of a grand old home is typical of Melaka’s love affair with history, but the Majestic takes it a step further with meticulous preservation of the architecture and fixtures.

The hotel keeps up with the latest standards too with the incorporation of contemporary style and amenities in all 54 rooms (located in an annex).

Much of the mansion’s original grandeur shines through in the details; a solid timber staircase, high ceilings and imported floral floor tiles. The attachedSpaVillageskillfully leverages the property’s Peranakan past with treatments inspired by Chinese traditional medicine.

Guests are within walking distance of theJonker Streetshopping area, the town square, and Melaka’s many historical attractions. For history buffs the access to the historic district can’t be beat.

188 Jalan Bunga Raya, Melaka, email: travelcentre@ytlhotels.com.my

Anggun Boutique Hotel, Kuala Lumpur

Bukit Bintang’s heritage sites may not get as much attention as its outlets for retail therapy, and the Anggun Boutique Hotel’s guests may like it that way. The Anggun is made from two colonial-era Peranakan shophouses; after extensive renovation the shophouses reopened as a luxurious boutique hotel oozing with old-school flair.

Whatever didn’t come from the original shophouse was imported from old houses in Melaka, like the hardwood sleepers lining the Bubu Rooftop Restolounge to the ceramic tiles in the courtyard.

Efforts have also been made to improving the Anggun’s green credentials: energy-saving electronics and low-power facilities lower total consumption without derailing the homey comfort. The rooms feature teak beds and fluffy duvets, Peranakan décor, Wifi access and 32- or 37-inch LCD TVs in all units.

7 & 9, Tengkat Tong Shin, Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur, tel . +6 03-2145 8003

Eastern & Oriental Hotel, Penang

The Eastern & Oriental Hotel was established by the entrepreneurial Sarkies Brothers, who later founded Singapore’s Raffles Hotel in 1887. Like its counterpart to the south, the E&O has hosted celebrities like Douglas Fairbanks, Charlie Chaplin, Noel Coward, and Rudyard Kipling.

Some things haven’t changed from the days when these notables roamed the lobby; guests are still greeted by attendants in colonial-era wear and you can order a full English-style tea at Sarkies Corner coffee shop, complete with trolley and fine china.

The E&O abuts a seawall overlooking the Straits of Malacca, and sea-facing rooms get an almost uninterrupted view. To complement the expansive scenery the rooms are gigantic with high ceilings and decked out in period style with a surfeit of antique fixtures and wooden floors.

10 Lebuh Farquhar  10200 Georgetown, Penang, tel: +60 4 222 2000

Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur

The Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur offers accommodations for both short- and long-term stays, with 643 guestrooms and 51 fully-serviced apartment suites. The hotel prides itself on meeting the demands of even the most persnickety guests, and both the staff and facilities provide exacting standards of service. The staff will even leave bookmarks on your duvet after evening turn-down.

Whether you just need to chill out in one of the understated yet elegant rooms, or you’re losing yourself in one of the eight treatment rooms, the Mandarin Oriental won’t be satisfied till you feel spoiled rotten by the experience.

Kuala Lumpur City Centre, 50088 Kuala Lumpur, tel: +60 3 2380 8888