SCMP

November 4, 2003

Jewels of the East, C7


Jon Stonham, founder of a successful internet hotel guide, has published a book on the best places to stay in Asia.

Frustration led Jon Stonham to start website asia-hotels.com in 1996; he was tired of having to pick other people's brains for hidden-gem hotels and resorts in the region. Now his company visits and reviews 600 properties a year and encourages its 50,000 customers to provide feedback. Their opinions fuelled a new book, Asia's Best Hotels and Resorts, published in association with Insight Guides. Stonham visits 200 Asian hotels a year; here are a few of his favourites:

Grand Dame: The Peninsula Hong Kong
Wander through The Peninsula and you always end up with the same conclusion: the term "five-star hotel" is a woefully inadequate description for your surroundings. You might be touching down on the rooftop helipad, peering majestically at the harbour through the telescope in the Marco Polo Suite, lingering over the signature braised veal shank in Gaddi's, daydreaming while lazing in the Graeco-Roman pool, or simply taking a mildly cheeky, air-conditioned shortcut through the lobby where you will be greeted by a chorus of immaculate pageboys at the main door. Whether it's the Pen's style, service or downright sophistication, the oldest of Hong Kong's hotels is not so much a grande dame as a new crowned empress. From US$305 a night; Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui; tel: 2920 2888

Architecture: Grand Hyatt Shanghai
The Grand Hyatt is more than just a hotel: it is a glistening emblem of the modern-day Shanghai - innovative, technologically advanced, ultra-luxurious and shaping the way forward for the new China. The entire structure is a catalogue of superlatives. Set in the 53rd to 87th floors of the 421-metre, pagoda-like Jin Mao Tower (China's tallest building) in Pudong, the views over the city are stupendous. The atrium soars a neck-craning 31 storeys, the 555 rooms average 40 square metres - making them some of the largest in the city - and the Sky Lounge bar, fitness centre and the hotel itself are all rated as the highest on the planet. From US$153; Jin Mao Tower, 88 Century Boulevard, Pudong, Shanghai 200121; tel: 86 21 5049 1234

Heritage: Lu Song Yuan Hotel, Beijing
The Lu Song Yuan is one of a dying breed: an affordable and unspoiled two-star, 19th-century hotel, built in the traditional style of Chinese residences, with sweeping roofs, chunky red beams and pillars and lanterns reminiscent of the nearby Forbidden City, albeit immeasurably more modest. It is not a hotel built for comfort; there is no pool, no gym, no doorman and only a simple restaurant. Hidden in a little alleyway among the capital's hutongs, it can be hard to track down but this lends an air of seclusion secrecy, plus bags of personality. From US$38; 22 Hanchang Lane, Kuanjie, Beijing 10009; tel: 86 10 6404 0436

Island paradise: Soneva Fushi, Maldives
Soneva Fushi combines simplicity with sophistication and luxury with a "back to nature" ethos. The villas are supported by recycled telegraph poles; if guests need wheels they come in the form of bicycles; faxes are delivered in hand-woven reed tubes and if you call for a television it is delivred in water hyacinth basket. A seaplane bridges the 60 nautical miles between the international airport and the resort and on arrival guests are invited to shed their shoes. Kunfunadhoo Island measures just 1,400 metres by 400 metres and scattered along the beaches and in the rich vegetation are threescrore rooms and villas. The interiors make much of the bathrooms while furnishings are kept attractively simple. From US$250 a night; Kundufanadhoo Island, North Baa Atoll, Maldives; tel: 960 230 304

Villa hideaway: Banyan Tree Phuket
Whether your stay is spread over a couple of weeks or a couple of nights, there's no gainsaying the sexiness of this dazzling resort's 121 villas. Leap out of the dictator-sized bed and throw open the villa's doors to your own pool, which is kept private by a high wall and verdant foliage. Plunge in for a delirious sensation of luxury and privacy that sums up this hotel. Although it is set within the Laguna Phuket hotel, the Banyan Tree was designed to reflect the most harmonious elements of an Asian village. The buildings are set in clusters, while the bathrooms are open to the elements; the deeply pitched roofs and open-air-pavilions (salas) characterise traditional Thai architecture. There is an 18-hole, 71 par golf course, a 40-metre pool and classes in tai chi, batik painting and yoga. From US$300; 33 Moo4, Srisoonthorn Road, Chemgtalsy, Amphur Talang, Phuket 83110; tel 65 76 324 374

Spa retreat: Chiva-Som International Health Resort, Hua Hin
Most hotels start with rooms, restaurants and the rest, then tack on a spa. Chiva-Som did things the other way round, taking the spa and its maze of treatment rooms as its centrepiece and locating its 57 clustered pavilions - a refreshing blend of Thai-tinged elegance and simplicity - around that. The first purpose-built health resort in Asia, this is no "fat farm": the dishes at the buffet (steak, yes; chips, no) are discreetly labelled for calorie content and avoid cooking fats, but no one counts how many times you go back and forth. Choose from 80-plus treatments and activities. From US$322; 73-4 Petchkasem Road, Hua Hin; tel: 65 32 535 536

Bargain: De Syloia, Hanoi
Size is not everything, or so they say: the secret is in the service. De Syloia neither looks nor sounds like much, but this wildly popular little hotel runs rings around the big boys when it comes to service and value for money. There are a few facilities beyond what is needed; a tidy lobby leads into a popular local restaurant, Cay Cau, often packed with guests. The 33 guest rooms are straightforward but spacious, clean and comfortable and the hotel is well situated within minutes of the French Quarter and the city centre. For bargain-hunters, this is one of the best deals in Asia. Rooms from US$55; 17ATran Hung Dao Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi: tel: 844 824 5346

All-rounder: Datai, Langkawi
There is a feeling at the Datai that it was not so much built next to the rainforest that covers almost two-thirds of the island of Langkawi, but grew up as part of it. The 54 rooms in low-rise wings peeking over the canopy, and 58 villas and suites sprinkled throughout the forest floor are linked by open-air corridors and a series of verdant paths. Spread over 740 hectares on a hillside above a private white sand beach, the Datai never feels crowded. The peaceful main pool (no children under 15) is seemingly suspended in the treetops, while the Beach Club - next to the resort's second pool - is a relaxed, kid-friendly venue. The adjacent 18-hole golf course blends into the landscape and there is a similarly elegant synthesis at the open-sided Mandara spa, with its deep, petal-strewn tubs and rich wooden textures. Cool Langkawi marble and warm red balau woods provide a gentle contrast within generous interiors augmented by balconies and daybeds in the rooms. BOSE sound systems in the regular suites and villas (which also have private sun decks), and personal plungeries in the pool suites and villas. From US$278; Jln Teluk Datai, 07000 Langkawi, Keda, Malaysia; tel: 60 4 959 2500

Romantic setting: Lake Palace, Udaipur
This 17th-century pleasure retreat was built for royalty and is spectacularly set in the middle of Lake Pichola. Various maharajas have impressed their ladies here and even James Bond bedded down at the Lake Palace in the closing scenes of 1983's Octopussy. The old magic still works, although the compact property is a little time-weathered and worn in places, and the service, facilities and maintenance are ordinary (renovations are underway). People come here for its history, views and architecture: twisting Indian pillars, intricate inlay archways and whitewashed walls - although there is a touch of the 1970s about some of its interiors. Standard rooms are cosy and have views of the central lily pond or, for a few dollars more, the lake. But it is the suites that are the highlight of the Lake Palace: massive, cool and airy, with stained-glass windows, bright tiled floors and even antique swings in some. There is a small pool and the main restaurant is good. From US$271; Pichola Lake, Udaipur 313001, Rajasthan; tel: 91 294 252 8800

Family: Grand Hyatt Bali
The humungous Grand Hyatt stretches along a substantial part of the beach on the eastern coast of Nusa Dua. This is a mainstream tourist resort, with 750 rooms, villas and suites, eight restaurants and a "market" that brings together food stalls, dance performances and artisans. Yet the ambience is solidly Balinese. Designed along the lines of the island's water palaces, the accommodation is grouped into four self-contained "villages" spread over 16 hectares of landscaped gardens, two free-form pools and a host of water features. Kids - and this resort was built with them uppermost in mind - will love exploring. Camp Nusa, for three- to 13-year-olds, keeps children occupied with fun, hands-on activities that range from fish-feeding to squash clinics, painting and pottery to kite-flying and cookery. The rooms are air-conditioned and fitted with satellite TV, but that does not detract from the decor of muted batik fabrics, graceful bamboo furnishings and Balinese handicrafts. From US$148; Kawasan Wisata, Nusa Dua; tel: 62 361 771 234

Extracted from Asia's Best Hotels and Resorts (Insight Guides), available in major bookshops or at www.asiahotels.com/book/orderbook.asp