The choice of fine hotels throughout Asia can be absolutely tantalising. The best way to choose the best hotel is to focus on your destination. Whichever city you select will be sure to reveal its secrets and its beauty. Here we have a few delectable choices for your pleasure.

There are a few legends that top the list of any trip to Asia. The perennial favourites include the Oriental in Bangkok, Raffles in Singapore and the Peninsula in Hong Kong. A whole world of myth has grown up around these plush enclaves of exclusivity. All of them are stately colonial structures, all were occupied by the Japanese army during World War II and all have played host to famous writers (Conrad, Maugham) and matinee idols (Chaplin, Gable, Gardner). These glorious venues are perfect for lounging in wicker furniture by the pool and directing your business by wi-fi, halfway across the world.

If you’re looking for calm and inland beauty mixed with authentic culture, try the Amandari in Bali. This primo resort forms a necklace of private villas hidden amidst the rice terraces of Ubud. Wildflower Hall, a colonial edifice at the base of the Indian Himalayas in Shimla, wins high praise for its Ayurvedic massages. And The Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai, set in the rich northern territory of Thailand, is known for an outdoor cooking school that’s occasionally frequented by a pair of resident water buffaloes.