79 Unique Hotels in Southeast Asia

In the rolling hills beyond Bangkok's concrete sprawl, a whimsical hotel has turned abandoned train cars into a luxurious escape three hours north of Bangkok. As the capital's endless urban landscape finally gives way to undulating hills and thick jungle, something unexpected appears through a curtain of towering trees: the …

In Kuala Lumpur's Taman Seputeh district, the Trés Hotel brings deliberate cinematic styling to a 1950s building once occupied by Chinese clan associations. Spread in the former building of the Ray Parc Hotel, this 86-room boutique hotel wears its Wes Anderson inspiration openly. From symmetrical compositions and pastel color palette …

Set amid the verdant hills of Mae On Valley, Chiang Mai, La Lanna resort is a feast for the eyes with its unique villas, huts, and vintage trailers. Located on the outskirts of Chiang Mai, it is deeply connected to northern Thailand's extraordinary nature and is blissfully removed from the …

The Fig Lobby is among Bangkok's coolest and most unique hotels, where the "ambassadors" ensure you are well cared for during your stay in the contemporary art-filled, whimsical building that looks like it stepped right out of a cartoon. Its vibrant design is a Thai interpretation of Hundertwasser's signature style. …

One of the most hyped backpacker's adventures is the Gibbon Experience, which takes place in the Northernmost region of Laos, in the Nam Kan National Park. This project made ziplining through dense rainforests a form of wildlife protection. In the mid-90s, French entrepreneur Jean Francois Reumaux came up with a …

Singapore's 23-story tower is a new futuristic addition to the city-state's ever-growing architectural wonders. The Green Vision of Singapore forecasts an extra one million trees to be planted by 2030 to live up to its "garden city" nickname even more. While most plants in the city will go on ground …

TubOtel Sapa is located in a serene area within northern Vietnam's stunning landscape. The hotel has uniquely designed honeycomb/tube rooms with views of the Hoang Lien Son mountain range and Muong Hoa Valley. The honeycomb rooms at Tubotel Sapa were designed by stacking units on top of each other, which …

Lisu Lodge is a back-to-basics getaway named after the Lisu hill tribe village near the lodge. It is part of a community project to preserve the natural heritage of Chiang Mai's hill tribes. The idea to open a lodge was born from a local initiative to integrate the minority tribes …

The luxurious Ylang ship with unique masts by Heritage Line cruises features plush cabins, authentic Vietnamese handcrafted furniture and decorations, and a luxury spa. The Ylang is the newest premium addition to the cruises in Lan Ha Bay. It had its maiden voyage in the summer of 2019 and is …

Located on the top floors (27th to 39th) of the modern Times Square tower completed in 2011, The Reverie offers a central vantage point with stunning views of Saigon's Dong Khoi and Nguyen Hue streets. It's a great base for exploring the city's vibrant financial, commercial, entertainment, and tourism hub …

Thao Bui, the founder of Sep'on Heartfulness Centre, comes from an unlikely place. Most people in the industry who open a hotel have a business, architecture, or interior design background, but not her. Thao is an avid traveler and a mindfulness and meditation teacher. Her passion for mindfulness and her …

Anouska Hempel, the uncrowned queen of boutique hotel design, has helped revamp one of Singapore's prettiest heritage buildings. Singapore, the utopistic city where 89% of the people don't own cars, and rapid transportation takes them at lightning speed to their destination, has a highly respected architectural heritage that keeps improving. …

The grand palace of Hotel de la Coupole, with impressive French Indochina styling, offers extravagance in a breathtakingly pretty environment. The remote mountain region around Sapa is Vietnam's scenic getaway. The natural spectacle with beautiful rugged scenery and rich cultural life is a major tourist hotspot. Sapa lies in the …

Are you looking for luxurious but equally unique accommodation in the bustling center of Ho Chi Minh City? Then look no further. This unique boutique hotel is a mix of European colonial and contemporary Vietnamese styles. If you visit Ho Chi Minh City, you can travel back in time to …

The picturesque tropical island, Ko Yao Noi, sits in the Andaman Sea, halfway between Phuket and Krabi. It's famous for its white sandy shores, mangrove trees, rubber plantations, and cute little fishing villages dotted with long-tail boats. The spectacular TreeHouse Villas is a beachfront resort surrounded by a lush jungle …

Zannier Hotels Phum Baitang sits at the edge of Cambodia's world-famous UNESCO World Heritage Site Angkor Wat. Phum Baitang translates as the "green garden", and it's easy to see why. Its garden with lemongrass and rice paddy fields stretches on a 20-acres land surrounded by lush jungles. What sets Phum …

Laos is a backpackers' favorite for its untouched beauty and cheerful people. Muang La, a rural village in the North, is everything we love about this country. It's a good 5-hour drive from Luang Prabang, one of the most remote spots you can imagine. Yet, Northern Laos' pristine beauty and …

The River Resort lies on the serene banks of the Mekong in Southern Laos, in the town of Champasak. It's the gateway to Wat Phu, an 11th-century Khmer temple complex with carvings of Hindu deities. Apart from the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Champasak is also home to an endangered freshwater …

Melia Koh Samui sits right alongside the beautiful white sand beach of Choeng Mon. This is the famous hotel brand's first entry into Thailand. Naturally, you can expect their full spectrum of amenities, but the real sensation is the boat-shaped suites. They took traditional teak barges (hundred-year-old wooden Thai-Chinese boats) …

High above the bustling streets of Bangkok, this boutique hotel tower is the ultimate luxury getaway. 137 Pillars Suites Bangkok is a 135 meter (443 feet) tall skyscraper designed by the iconic Palmer & Turner architects famous for their hallmark buildings in Hong Kong. This boutique hotel occupies the uppermost …