The Blue Mansion

George Town, on the island of Penang.

There are just 18 rooms here, guaranteeing seclusion and exclusivity. Nestled in the hotel’s two tropical courtyards, they are spacious and individually themed, with heritage furniture, artworks, antiques and heirlooms, alongside TVs and iPod docks. The bathrooms have rainshowers, and some rooms have private plunge pools and daybeds.

Enjoy an al fresco breakfast of both local and international favourites in the elegant courtyard, and for dinner, feast on delicious Cantonese cuisine at the Cheong Fatt Tze restaurant, which brings an old-world style to modern Penang. It is named after the mansion’s aristocratic former owner - something of an entrepreneur, he was known as the Rockefeller of the East.

The mansion is a museum in itself, and there are guided historical and cultural tours of the unique building and its eclectic architecture, which ranges from Victorian stained glass windows and Scottish cast iron columns to delicately carved Szechuan screens and solid Chinese timber doors, with a warm colour scheme centring on the hotel’s signature blue. The building is designed according to the ancient principles of feng shui. Explore the sights and sounds of historic George Town, where you can see Chinese shophouses, Buddhist temples and British colonial buildings, and stroll through botanical gardens and along the seafront promenade. Bustling cafes and restaurants are nearby, and you should also try the tasty street food. The unique 3D Trick Art Museum, which features murals that play with perspective and life-size figures protruding from walls, is just a short walk from the hotel.