Since there was such a great response to my Conde Nast post, I would like Fodorites to list their favorite HOTELS in mainly Southeast Asia... although other parts of Asia can be included.This will be a helpful list to those readers who need ideas of where to stay.List by city/town and country and an approximate hotel price....and please list more than five-star properties. Happy Travels!

I'll start out.1)Singapore...YMCA Hotel at 1, Orchard Road next to the Dhoby Gaut MRT station...S$75.00 a night (Aug 2004) for a twin-bedded room with bathroom... breakfast included...super clean and in the heart of town....2)Four Seasons Bangkok...Mon-Thursday price $158. Fri/Sat/Sun $138 (Aug 2004)for a standard room...in the heart of town...across from the Rajadamri skytrain station and excellent restaurants and atmosphere...3)Prada...Ubud...Bali...6 guesthouses decorated in modern Balinese style, owned by descendents of a royal family, located on their family grounds. In the heart of Ubud...price $50. in Dec 1998. Happy Travels!

Hotel Tugu, Canggu, Bali
Pool Villa US$280 - US$340 incl Tax (rates from balidiscovery.com, depending on season)
Exotic boutique hotel filled with Indonesian artwork and antiques. Unique dining situation allows guests to have meals anywhere on the hotel grounds - on the beach, by the pool, by the lotus pond, in the main pavillion, in the garden or in one of several other available rooms or "bales". Excellent spa with both indoor and open air facilities.

Peninsula - Bangkok- $185 for grand deluxe (no balcony) This was in April and included breakfast for 2 and pickup and drop off at the airport.

No competition for number 1 -- The Oriental in Bangkok. Average price of $250 including breakfast -- less off season.Best rates through hotel website and Am Ex Fine Hotel program. Have not found good prices on typical discount hotel websites.

Penn offers better value therefor I submit it is #1. (let the games begin!)

bangkok, thailand---marriott resort and spa, under $125 and as low as $65. plus the bangkok peninsula about $160-190.. plus the shangri-la $55 and 65. on priceline...plus the jw marriott about $100

hong kong--kowloon hotel about $75-90; rennaissance about $85-125

bali, indonesia--conrad hotel $$88...bali hyatt $70

chiang mai, thailand---sheraton formerly the westin $65

singapore--orchard hotel $70

hua hin, thailand---marriott $65

chiang saen, thailand---anantara hotel $123.

koh samui island, thailand--peace resort--beachfront bungalow $82

yangon, myanmar (burma)--inya lake hotel $65

hy-phong, vietnam---royal garden harbour view hotel

hanoi vietnam---daewoo hotel--may be no longer

Bangkok - Towers of the Royal Orchid Sheraton. Towers suite under US$200 (from 1-800 number of Starwood Hotels) includes breakfast, cocktails and canapes in the evening and free laundry.

Singapore - Regency Club of the Grand Hyatt, about US $230, Hyatt website or phone, All Regency Club rooms are lovely suites. Pprice includes breakfast and cocktails and canapes (really a light dinner).

Anantara at the Golden Triangle - great spa! - price about US$150 during high season from asiahotels.com

Anantara at Hua Hin - Lagoon Rooms are stunning, approx US$150 from asiahotels, great spa packages available

Hyatt Regency at Hua Hin - Regency Club includes usual Club amenities, about US$175 high season. (Ideally located 5 minutes walk from the incredible spa at the Chiva Som)

Hanoi - DeSyloia - small boutique hotel, suite approx US100 from asiahotels.com

Luang Prabang - Pansea Phou Vao - gorgeous property on the edge of town, beautiful pool, large rooms with balconies, US110 including tax, service and breakfast from asiahotels.com

Bali Hyatt at Sanur, Regency Club about US$110 from Hyatt website or 1-800 number, includes usual Club amenities.

Hong Kong - Kowloon Shangri-La, usually available under US200 from asiahotels.com - lovely location, big rooms (for Hong Kong) great restaurants, excellent service

Bill-- depends on how you define "value". Penn is definitely "cheaper" but,in my opinion, the Oriental offers better value.

Another lovely hotel is the Bali Oberoi (don't know the price but it's less expensive than many in Bali ). More of a boutique hotel than many of the resort hotels. Doesn't have all the amenities (lots of restaurants, activities etc) but you feel like you are in Bali.

Also -- the Rex in Hanoi. Not because it's a great hotel but because I loved being in the bar or walking around knowing that this is where all the press briefings had taken place during the Vietnam War.

Bagan Golf Club in Burma-- we were the only ones there and the staff could not have been warmer or friendlier. Lovely grounds and gorgeous rooms. Only about 40 rooms.

OK Gloria lets look at it this way.Penn and Oriental are both 5 star hotels. They are both river hotels. Your hotel costs $250 with breakfast. My hotel costs $185 with breakfast and airport pickup and drop off. Now the Penn is the better value. Value in my mind is better at the Penn because I'm getting a great hotel and more benefits at a lower cost. ( The extra "service" you claim to get at the Oriental is not worth the extra $$$$- so I don't value that aspect). It is of course a personal choice issue- nothing wrong with your way of determing value.

Great folks...keep the hotel list coming...and let's not fight folks...or I'm going to give you all a TIME OUT! Just list the hotels. Happy Travels!

Hong Kong - 5* Kowloon Shangri la (I can usually get an exec harbourt view room with breakfast for about £450 for 5 nights in May) Absolute Bargain!
4* - I like the Park Lane in Causeway Bay

Singapore - 5* Shangri La Garden Wing - Beautiful balcony's overlooking the gardens - right in the city (not cheap at about £140 a room a night) - Alternative The Oriental

Bangkok - 5* - Krungthep Wing at The Shangri La - Balcony's overlooking teh river - run almost as a separate hotel to the main wing. Rooms come with free mini-bars! (Prices from £130)- alternative the landmark tower at the Dusit Thani (in all its wonderful faded glory) (Prices from £100)
4* - The Novotel in Siam Square (first rate hotel, bargain basement prices)

Hua Hin - The Sofitel (prices from £65)

Phuket - The Royal Meridien Yacht Club (prices from £70)

Chiang Mai - 3* - The empress - Unpretentious but fabulous value (prices from £15)

Chiang Rai - The Dusit (Landmark rooms from £28)

Kuala Lumpur - 5* The Shangri La - Prices from £60 night

Penang - 5* The Eastern and Oriental Hotel - Raffles like hotel (but without the touristy bits) at very friendly prices (from £85)
The Casuarina Hotel 3* (prices from £26) unpretentious, friendly hotel with good sized rooms - all rooms have sea view. Food in the hotel is absolutely awful but there are dozens of good quality restaurants at bargain prices on the door step

Langkawi - 4*/5* - Sheraton Perdana - good quality hotel near the town of Kuah, but still quiet. (prices from £65)

Kota Kinabalu - Tanjung Aru Hotel (part of the Shangri La hotel). Great value hotel in Borneo. Large 5* hotel with loads and loads to do. (Prices from £60)

Kuching - The Hilton (prices from £60) - Avoid the very tatty Crowne Plaza next door at all costs.

Delhi - Hyatt Regency (prices from £65) - Fancy 5* hotel at good prices.

Thanks Walter for the great list! I'm thinking of hopping over to Penang and was thinking of the Eastern and Oriental Hotel. Happy Travels!

Ubud, Bali - Begawan Giri - $500 a night

India
Ranthambore - Sher Bagh - $150/night - www.sherbagh.com
Agra - Amar Vilas - $250/night
Udaipur - Udai Vilas - $300/night
Kerala - Casino Group properties - www.cghearth.com - $150-200/night

Laos - Ban Pako Eco resort - $12/night

Sri Lanka - Elephant Corridoor - $250/night, www.elephantcorridoor.com

Cambodia, Siem Reap - Amansara - $300/night, www.amanresorts.com

Sinagpore - Ritz Carlton - am a sucker for the bathtubs!


Guenmai - when was your last trip to Ubud? We went to check out Prada Guest House in Dec, 2003 as we had thought of staying there based on rave reviews of earlier guests but found it really run down - understand management has changed.

gloria---isn't the rex in saigon??

Rhkkmk, The rates you listed for Thailand were for low season . Travelers to Thailand who are going in high season (roughly December through Feb or March, I think) should expect to pay more. E.g. Marriott resort & spa is approx $147 for a riverview room. Also, priceline is great if you can get it, but you can't count on it.

Bob-- The Rex is absolutely in Saigon. I was thinking of Hanoi having read the previous post with envy since when I was in Hanoi it was before anyting resembling "decent" hotels.

Thanks for the catch

Asia is absolutely my favorite place to travel and if I had my life to do all over again I'd be an asian studies major. And I've always touted their hotels as being fabulous. But this thread made me realize that I actually have far more "favorite"hotels in Europe. I think it's because I really don't like large, modern hotels no matter how deluxe they are. They are all to impersonal for me which is why I none of the Shangrila or Penn hotels or the deluxe resorts I've stayed in rank among my favorites. In Europe I've found some wonderful small (4-20 rooms) hotels that are much more to my liking. It was an interesting insight caused by this thread.

high season rates---i do not find a huge difference in many hotel rates from low to high season...i usually go in the nov/dec time frame....the most i have ever paid for the marriott is $105....i have usually booked it directly with marriott.com until this last trip when i used a hotel booking web site