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…
Must-see hotels in Malaysia
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…
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…
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…
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…
Sabah
Simple rainbow-coloured huts with attached bathroom, Caribbean-blue walls, fresh linen, a dive outfit and less-cramped quarters than other budget places…
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…
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…
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…
Sabah
Uncle Tan was one of the earliest environmentalists working along the Kinabatangan. This is not the Hilton: accommodation consists of raised, open huts…
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…
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…
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…
Mt Kinabalu & Kinabalu National Park
Outside Sutera Sanctuary Lodges accommodation, the only other option for sleeping on Mt Kinabalu is Mountain Torq's Pendant Hut. Guests take two of three…
Kuala Lumpur
The comfortable, butterscotch and blue decorated hotel rooms occupy the 15th to 26th floors of this new 40-storey tower – a forerunner of how much of…
Sabah
Managed by SI Tours, ecofriendly Abai Jungle Lodge sits 37km downstream from Sukau as the river emerges from secondary forest. Rooms are comfortable fan…
Sabah
This admirable community ecotourism initiative is a refreshing alternative to the big lodges, and it’s great value to boot – rates include all meals and…
Pulau Perhentian
This semiluxurious option overlooks perhaps the best beach on the islands – a sweeping half-moon bay with good coral (and turtle viewing) around the…
Pulau Perhentian
Ombak provides modern digs in Bali-inspired rooms on Coral Bay. Beds are comfortable, bathrooms are tiny and management are very helpful. Credit cards are…
Chinatown, Merdeka Square & Bukit Nanas
If you've ever fancied spending a night in a capsule hotel, then this is your chance. The relatively roomy plastic tubes provide a tad more privacy than a…
Sarawak
With more than 200 rooms, the RH Hotel is Sibu's most impressive place to stay. Expect a hefty discount on the rates listed here and excellent views of…
Kuching
A well-run, comfortable place with a breezy verandah and a cosy living room. The breakfast of fresh fruit, banana fritters and muffins out on the verandah…
Semporna
At first glance this place exudes urban chic, which is much needed in Semporna: a graffiti-scrawled yet inviting common area, private rooms that are all…
Penang
If you can stomach the corny, hyper-corporate vibe, this resort can be a fun place to stay. There’s a particular emphasis on family friendliness, with…
Cherating
This friendly main-drag choice offers a neat row of wooden bungalows and well-manicured gardens that back onto the river (bring mosquito repellent). The…
Cameron Highlands
This welcoming guesthouse on the outskirts of Tanah Rata has 12 pleasant, high-ceilinged rooms, many of which overlook a flower garden. The mauve colour…
Kota Bharu
G Home may well be Kota Bharu’s most colourful hotel. Rooms are decked out in a fetching shade of lime green, and bathrooms combine brown and white tiles…
Pulau Tioman
Peaceful Panuba Inn, located over the headland from ABC, clusters around its own jetty and restaurant with 30 chalets built on a hill overlooking the bay…
