In Kuala Lumpur:

>The Mandarin Oriental

The Mandarin Oriental
Kuala Lumpur City Centre,
50088 Kuala Lumpur
Ph: (603) 380-8888
Fax: (603) 380-8833
Website: www.mandarinoriental.com

The Mandarin Oriental is the ultimate in luxury. Guests who are members of the Mandarin Oriental Club are welcomed by a Club host, treated to a sumptuous complimentary buffet breakfast-and are free to enjoy the softly lit ambience of the exclusive lounge where hors d'oeuvres and cocktails are served each evening.

For those seeking relaxation, the facilities include an outdoor swimming pool, sauna, whirlpool, tennis and squash courts, and a fully equipped gymnasium. Business travellers have the added convenience of a modern, well-equipped Business Centre with a full range of secretarial services.

The Mandarin also boasts a Conference Centre (equipped with state of the art projection/sound systems), a Banquet Hall and two Ballrooms, the larger of which can accommodate 2,400 people. As part of their commitment to excellence, a gourmet meal at the Pacifica Grill and Bar as concocted by Chef Adam, (winner of the Five Star Dining Award) is a gastronomic delight.

Above all else, the Mandarin prides itself on treating their guests like visiting royalty. Their personal attention to each visitor's needs, earns them a glittering five star-plus-plus rating in the constellation of excellence.

>The Legend

The Legend
Putra Place,
100 Jalan Putra,
50350 Kuala Lumpur
Ph: (603) 442-9888 or 1-800-88-3390
Fax: (603) 443-0700
Website: www.asiatravel.com/malaysia/legend/
e-mail: tlegend@po.jaring.my

Truly "legendary" in terms of hospitality, style and comfort. While on par with (or better than) any international 5-star hotel as far as guest amenities go (spa, swimming pool, gym, business office facilities etc.)

The Legend has some unique features. Their "Lady Legend" programme caters specifically to women, with special additions to their rooms: magnified make-up mirror, feminine toilet accessories, women's magazines-and a hotline phone number for emergency assistance. Five restaurants pamper to the most fastidious of taste-buds, offering customers a variety of health-food dishes, sushi, satay, sea-food, crepes, and decadent deserts.

Their funky Monkey Bar has great late-night entertainment.

And for that once-upon-a-lifetime-never-to-be-forgotten experience, there is nothing to compare with The Legend's exotic 5,000 sq.ft "Topkapi Suite". Custom designed with materials from Spain, Morocco, Egypt and Iraq, it has accommodated the likes of visiting royalty and trendy rich-n-famous (or infamous!) personalities such as Joan Collins! If you are a Marilyn Monroe fan, wallow in memorabilia in the two-bedroom suite named after her.

It even has a karaoke den - maybe so guests can warble along with her husky rendition of "River of No Return"?!

>The Ritz Carleton

The Ritz Carleton
168 Jalan Imbi
55100 Kuala Lumpur
Ph: (603) 242-8000
Fax: (603) 243-8080
Website: www.ritzcarlton.com
e-mail: rajazami@ritzkl.po.my

Has all the usual five-star facilities - efficient service, spacious rooms, business office facilities and four restaurants, but lacks pizzazz.

Its sole claim to distinction is a range of butler-drawn baths: rose petals for honeymooners and Dead Sea salt minerals with peppermint and camomile for the weary.

Should you wish to be Queen of the Nile in your bathtub, Cleopatra's elixir consists of "exotic" (?) milk mixed with lavender oil accompanied by cucumber slices for tired eyes. Guys can sip cognac and inhale a Rey Del Mundo cigar while revelling in water spiced with ylang-ylang and sandalwood. Lovers may share their tub by candlelight, soaking in a mix of ylang-ylang, patchouli, sage and flowerpetals, while hoisting a glass each of Moet & Chandon champagne. Which, according to the publicity blurb have "just the right ingredients to start the fire burning."

Kota Bharu

>The Diamond Puteri

The Diamond Puteri
Jalan Tenku Petra Semerak
15000 Kota Bharu
Kelantan
Ph: (609) 743-9988 or (603)-413-0448
Fax: (609) 743-8388 or (603) 413-7284
Website: www.diamond-puteri.com
e-mail: dp@adorna.po.my

Among the best hotels in Kota Bharu, the staff of the Diamond Puteri are courteous and eager to please. The entrance foyer has a magnificent curving staircase, and an interesting diorama of a tribal village scene. A curious little item included in their hotel information package is a price-list for those wishing to take home a "souvenir" of room accessories - including the linen and china! The TV too is available for 1,500 Malaysian Ringets (Can$600) added to the hotel bill!

Terengganu

>Gem Beach Resort Gem Island Resort

Gem Beach Resort and Gem Island Resort
Gem Resort Reservation Centre,
Lot 2135, Mukim Batu Rakit,
Mengapang Lekar
21020 Kuala Terengganu
Ph: 609-669-5920
Fax: 609-669-5910
Website: www.gemresorts.com
e-mail: enquiry@gemresorts.com

Situated on a sandy, palm-fringed stretch of waterfront on the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia, Gem Beach Resort is set in a landscaped garden surrounding a swimming pool. All their rooms have balconies with sea views.

Gem Island Resort, which is under the same management as Gem Beach Resort, is a rustic hideaway, accessible only by a thirty-minute boat ride across the China Sea. Gem Island is tiny, and isn't even shown on most maps. It is however, ideal for snorkelling, and kayaking. You can even frolic nose to nose with a shark - they don't dine on humans, honest! Or visit their turtle hatchery which, during May and June, have teensy baby-turtles by the hundreds. Gem Resorts offer very attractively priced two-day packages. Visit their website for up-to-date information.

>The Aryani Resort

The Aryani Resort
Jalan Rhu Tapai-Merang,
21010 Setieu,
Terengganu
Tel: (609) 653-2111
Fax: (609) 653-1007
e-mail: norilah@pd.jaring.my

The Aryani Resort is a miniature jewel. Set in a tranquil garden filled with flowering shrubs and shady trees, the resort's twenty self-contained villas range from elegant art dÈcor modernity to the ambience of a lovely old heritage suite. Soak in the heritage spa, with its herbal aromatic baths, or merely laze in the sun on the deck of their Pilau Beach Club overlooking the ocean.

Then, in the gentle tropical twilight, listen to the mellow sounds of a Gamelon concert wafting across the lawn, while dining on specialities of East Coast cuisine, prepared from recipes which were once exclusive to royalty. The Aryani is steeped in cultural traditions and charming old-world Terengganu hospitality. It is idyllic and unforgettable.

Getting There:

• Malaysian Airlines which operates between Los Angeles and Kuala Lumpur deserves its reputation as one of the world's finest airlines in terms of unparalleled service and comfort. By way of entertainment, individually operated computer monitors deliver a wide selection of movies and documentary features, access to news channels, and a variety of interactive games.
• Elegant menu cards allow for a choice of entrees, and the meals themselves are imaginatively prepared and well-balanced. And, whether flying economy or business class, the cabin crew are superb: cheerful, attentive and solicitous. Airline travel just doesn't get much better than this.

Margaret Deefholts is a freelance author and travel writer.