The RuMa Hotel and Residences

Underrated among Far East megacities is Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian capital, perhaps best known either for its iconic Petronas Towers or for its out-of-this-world street-food scene. For hotel fans, however, it’s perhaps even better known as a place where extravagant heights of luxury are available at prices that, for foreign travelers, are a fraction of what they’d expect. All of which is the long way around to saying that the RuMa Hotel and Residences, despite its relatively modest price tag — and its memorable style, of which more in a moment — offers an unmistakably high-end experience.

It’s part of the same Urban Resort Concepts family as the PuXuan in Beijing and the PuLi in Shanghai, both highly impressive hotels in their own right. The name is a play on the Malay word for “home,” and the brand’s concept is “hostmanship,” which is URC’s name for human-centered, relationship-based hospitality that prizes personal connection over mere physical comfort.

The RuMa does, of course, have a surplus of physical comforts, as well as a style that’s contemporary, yet clearly influenced by Malay design and craft tradition. They range from the 43-square-meter Deluxe Room all the way up to the two-bedroom Ruma Suite, and at all levels they include indulgences like automated blackout blinds and full-size bathtubs with separate rain showers.

ATAS, the restaurant, serves high-end modern Malaysian fare, while SEVEN is the lobby bar and lounge, and SANTAI the poolside option for lighter fare or a sunset cocktail. Meanwhile the UR Spa and an outpost of London barber Truefitt & Hill see to it that your bodily needs are well taken care of.