Singapore
Right in the heart of Joo Chiat (Katong), low-cost Venue makes a striking first impression with its dark, slinky, sculptural lobby. Rooms are small,…
Must-see hotels in Malaysia, Singapore & Brunei
Sarawak
Something different for Bario, Tuan Guesthouse features five rooms adjacent to the Bario Asal Longhouse. Spacious bathrooms are shared, there's a modern…
Sepilok
Set within manicured lawns, this stunning accommodation is choking on plants and flowers and has chalets fit for a colonial explorer, with polished-wood…
Chinatown & the CBD
Located in a restored shophouse in the heart of Chinatown, flashbacker favourite Wink merges hostel and capsule-hotel concepts. Instead of bunks, dorms…
Kuala Lumpur
This low-scale gem occupies an old building that looks like it was made from a giant's set of building blocks. The Luxe rooms (RM150) allow you to peer…
Peninsular Malaysia's Northeast
Surrounded by trees and centred on a longhouse at the southernmost tip of the bay, Captain's is rustic, chilled and comfortable. Guests can enjoy art…
Colonial District, the Quays & Marina Bay
Part of the ambitious Marina Bay Sands casino-retail complex, the Sands hotel is famed for its extraordinary rooftop infinity pool, which straddles the…
George Town
One of George Town's more distinctive boutique hotels, Macalister Mansion offers eight elegantly designed rooms in a lovely old house that's been given a…
Sarawak
The park has six rustic two-room cabins with attached bathrooms; each room can sleep up to four people. Two additional, more expensive air-con units each…
Little India & Kampong Glam
Wildly popular, the InnCrowd is ground zero for Singapore's backpackers. Located right in the heart of Little India, the highlight of this fairly basic…
Little India & Kampong Glam
An easy walk from the up-and-coming neighbourhood of Jalan Besar is this popular, well-air-conditioned option. Low-frills dorms (including a female-only…
Pulau Perhentian
This resort's bungalows are found on the saddle of land between Coral Bay and Long Beach. Standard rooms have double beds with fans and cold showers, and…
Sarawak
This 252-room resort offers a huge range of activities and amenities, including boat excursions, sea kayaking and even an 18-hole golf course designed by…
Sepilok
Popular with families wanting a taste of nature, with hammocks at every turn, brick-and-wood bungalows with balconies and nicely crafted furniture, wood…
Holiday Inn Express Orchard Road
Singapore
Around the corner from Orchard Road is this crisp, good-value option. The light-filled lobby is upbeat and contemporary, scattered with funky furniture…
Kota Bharu
Just a short stroll from Chinatown, My Place Guest House is a welcoming and friendly spot. Retro posters including the Beatles and Che Guevara punctuate…
Pulau Perhentian
Steep steps running up the southern end of Long Beach will get you to this vertiginous place on the rocks. Cheaper rooms are fan-cooled, and only the…
Pahang & Tioman Island
This c 1929 colonial wooden building exudes atmosphere and style, and is reason enough to stop in Pekan. All rooms have wood floors, towering ceilings, TV…
Malaysia
Rooms at Avillion Admiral Cove are modestly decorated, their beds screened off from the living area. The 'panorama' rooms gaze at glinting views of the…
Pulau Tioman
For a lovely perspective on the beach, ideally grab one of the sweet top-floor rooms in the double-storey chalets right on the sand at this friendly…
Pahang & Tioman Island
This tall hotel towers over the town and offers clean, pretty rooms with hot showers and coffee- and tea-making facilities, as well bathrooms with bath…
Sabah
Simple rainbow-coloured huts with attached bathroom, Caribbean-blue walls, fresh linen, a dive outfit and less-cramped quarters than other budget places…
Pulau Perhentian
The once-humble Abdul’s continues to upgrade, and options range from garden-view bungalows at the lower end of the price range to sea-view family rooms at…
Kuching
Dashes of lime green – a pillow, a bar of soap, a staff member’s tie, the lobby’s Cafe Sublime – accent every room of this well-run boutique hotel. (The…
Kuala Lumpur
Set on a backstreet of prewar shophouses, Paloma is well run and quiet, with simple, mostly wooden-floored rooms, featuring occasional flashes of magenta,…
Kuching
The Hilton has spacious, international-standard rooms in shades of cream, beige and maroon and all the amenities you'd expect from this class of hotel…
Pulau Perhentian
This huge resort occupies the eastern flank of Teluk Dalam and has a swath of narrow beach frontage plus a huge pool. The cheaper ‘standard’ rooms are a…
Little India & Kampong Glam
This upbeat, no-shoes hostel comes with polished-concrete floors and both Wii and DVDs in the common lounge, plus complimentary use of washing machines…
Melaka City
Professionally run with great service, this welcoming choice has each room decorated with an individual touch, with light and bright decor paired with…
Bandar Seri Begawan
Pharaonic in its proportions and opulence, this 522-room extravaganza was commissioned by Prince Jefri as lodging for the royal family guests and…
George Town
Palanquinn comprises two houses dating back to 1927 on a charming, mainly residential street in Pulau Tikus. We particularly liked the huge bathrooms –…
Sandakan
We like Nak for its quirky lobby of oxblood walls, Chinese lanterns, giant bird cages and Oriental vases. Rooms aren't large but they are stylish, with…
Cameron Highlands
In quintessential Cameron Highlands style, this mock-Tudor hotel harbours kingly rooms inspired by an English manor: white walls, wooden fittings and…
Peninsular Malaysia's Northeast
Redang’s biggest resort – a vast 400-room complex – dominates this beach. It has luxurious sea-view suites with balconies, two restaurants, a dive centre…
Sabah
Uncle Tan was one of the earliest environmentalists working along the Kinabatangan. This is not the Hilton: accommodation consists of raised, open huts…
Colonial District, the Quays & Marina Bay
Right in the heart of Boat Quay, Quarters Hostel welcomes guests into a cool pale-pink, cafe-esque reception-dining area, perfect for meeting other…
Sarawak
Owned by artist and one-time guide Stephen Baya, a Bario native, and his friendly Danish wife, Tine, this super-welcoming lodge (and art gallery) has four…
Singapore
In a quiet street just above Orchard Road, the Four Seasons delivers the coveted combo of centrality and retreat-like tranquillity. Common areas are…
Chinatown & the CBD
Occupying a whitewashed heritage building, Hotel 1929 sits on up-and-coming Keong Saik Rd. Rooms are tight, but good use is made of limited space, and…
Semporna
Likely to appeal to Star Trek fans (but less to folks suffering from claustrophobia), these futuristic pods, lit with neon, look like something you crawl…
