Kuala Lumpur is becoming more and more popular as an interesting alternative to nearby Singapore. Recently we wrote about Kuala Lumpur as a Luxury Destination. Now where to sleep in KL in comfort.

Mandarin Oriental
Adjacent to the Petronas Twin Towers and overlooking the 50-acre KLCC Park. This hotel gets rave reviews for its service, its location, its views and for the enormous breakfast buffet. Get a room high on the Petronas side for one of the most spectacular hotel views anywhere.

This is a large hotel, at over 600 rooms, but they seem to have got the service just right. Of course all the normal amenities are available in your room including a twice a day service, fresh fruit and ice daily, luxurious bathroom amenities and a separate bathtub. If you can’t choose between the 6 on-site restaurants (plus many more in the area), use the 24 hour room service. If you think you can’t afford 5-star luxury check out on line deals: you could get a room here for less that $200, that’s for a hotel which is compared to the Ritz, Paris! Read more about Mandarin Oriental.

Hotel Imperial, Kuala Lumpur
Is another beautiful 5 star property in the heart of KL’s downtown commercial, shopping and business district. Smaller than Oriental with just over 300 room this 38-story hotel can still offer view of Petronas, about 2 miles away, and is adjacent to the upmarket shops, restaurants and night life of Bintang Walk and Asian Heritage Row. Or dine in house at the Botanic Brasserie (international buffet), Celestial Court (Chinese) or Villa Danieli (upmarket Italian cuisine).

Many taxi drivers in KL still refer to Imperial Hotel Kuala Lumpur as the “Sheraton”. There are a few other less than 5-star hotels in KL by the name of “Imperial/Imperia” and you may end up in one of these random 2-3 star hotels! Make sure you are clear on the address: written down if necessary. Read more about the Hotel Imperial

The Shangri-La Hotel, Kuala Lumpur
Is also in the heart of the city. A modern property with the normal five-star amenities: flat-screen televisions and dramatic views. Again customers rave about the service from staff. For the best views and the maximum luxury experience head to the Horizon Club rooms on the top five floors of the hotel which include late check-out, personal concierge and wireless Internet. Read more about the Shangri-La Hotel

Carcosa Seri Negara
We’ve looked at three of the best modern hotels in KL. Here is something totally different. Carcosa (Italian: ‘dear place’) Seri Negara (Malaysia: ‘King’s house’) was built in 1896 for the first resident-general of colonial Malaya. Until World War 2 Carcosa was the the official residence of the highest British representatives to the Malay States. Today, it is one of the leading hotels in Kuala Lumpur with its manicured lawns and luxurious setting, this is a special hotel.

This hotel is a beautifully restored building sitting in manicured gardens, its also intimate with only 13 suites: all different. All suites have a separate sitting area on the verandas and many have separate living areas as well. Carcosa has two on-site restaurants and is about a 15-minute drive from downtown KL.

Carcosa boasts two excellent restaurants, one French the other Malaysian. You wouldn’t be getting into the spirit of the long-gone British though if you didn’t take afternoon tea in the drawing room before a pre-dinner G&T at the bar. Read more about the Carcosa Seri Negara

If you are staying for just an overnight or heading out to the airport consider the conveniently located.

Hilton Kuala Lumpur Hotel

KL’s airport is over 70km from the city centre so staying somewhere close to the airport makes sense especially if you have an early departure or just an over-night stop-over.

Overlooking the Lake Gardens and located in KL Sentral, the transport hub of the city, Hilton Kuala Lumpur Hotel is 28 minutes from Kuala Lumpur International Airport via the airport express train and 10 minutes from KLCC.

The 400 foot long pool is a good place to start to relax but don’t forget to check out the spa treatments in-house either. There are number of restaurants on site ranging from Australian to exotic. The huge suites include separate bedrooms, rain showers, and flat-screen TV’s in the bathroom. Sounds better than hanging out at the airport! Read more about the Hilton KL