Top Ten Luxury
Legendary Asian Hotels

Built in the days of European colonialism the grand old hotels of Asia hark back to a time of pink gins and potted palms, ceiling fans and crumpled white linen suits. So grab Somerset Maugham's collected works for a little light reading and check in.

Hilary Doling 10/5/10

Eastern & Oriental, Penang, Malaysia
Eastern & Oriental, Penang, Malaysia

Established in 1885 and restored to its former glory ten years ago the E &O has elegant suites overlooking the Malacca Strait and claw foot bath tubs.

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Fairmont Peace Hotel, Shanghai, China
Fairmont Peace Hotel, Shanghai, China
This completely refurbished the building and it is due to open its doors as the Fairmont Peace Hotel Shanghai in 2010.
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Le Royal, Phnom Pehn, Cambodia
Le Royal, Phnom Pehn, Cambodia
The hotel was built the year after The Peninsula in 1929 for the comfort of wealthy passengers who disembarked off the steamship lines to view the newly discovered long-lost Kingdom of Angkor.
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Majestic Hotel, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Majestic Hotel, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
The hotel prides itself in offering a combination of "tradition, hospitality and elegance". Black and white photographs of the hotel in its heyday have pride of place.
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The Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok, Thailand
The Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok, Thailand
The grand old Oriental, which has sat overlooking the Chao Phraya River for over 130 years, is a Bangkok institution.
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The Peninsula, Hong Kong, China
The Peninsula, Hong Kong, China
The Pen opened it doors in December 1928. Since then it has witnessed Hong Kong's changing fortunes and been host to everyone from Japanese troops in WWII to the glitterati of the film world, politicians and royalty.
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The Raffles, Singapore
The Raffles, Singapore

Have a consoling Singapore Sling at the bar and toast this hotel's heady history.

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The Sofitel Metropole Hanoi, Vietnam
The Sofitel Metropole Hanoi, Vietnam
Open your copy of Graham Green's The Quiet American and start reading now. Think Catherine Deneuve in Indochine and a Vietnam in the last throes of French Colonialism and you have the feel of this place.
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The Strand Hotel, Yangon, Myanmar
The Strand Hotel, Yangon, Myanmar
Built in 1901 by the famous Sarkie brothers (who also built the E & O Hotel Penang and Raffles Singapore) the hotels 32 suites have recently been restored to their former opulence.
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The Taj Mahal Palace & Tower, Mumbai, India
The Taj Mahal Palace & Tower, Mumbai, India

The Taj Mahal hotel, in what was then known as Bombay, was built by Indian industrialist Tata in a stand against the colonialism and snobbery.

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