Four Seasons Hotel and Residences Kuala Lumpur

The RuMa Hotel & Residences (‘house’), in Kuala Lumpur, is Urban Resorts’ first hotel outside China. It came about because Malaysian developer, Datuk Lai Siew Wah, stayed at Urban Resorts’ The PuLi in Shanghai and, like so many who visit the resort, he loved it; he wanted a luxury hotel just like it. RuMa is a celebration of Malaysia past and present. Entering the hotel, guests walk past six antique wood columns. The ante-lobby is reminiscent of entering a mine. Go further into the main lobby and enter the Grand Salon, which has a copper ceiling wrapped down to the walls. A highlight appears on the 27 curved stairs from the Salon up to the restaurant, where a full-size kebaya dress, by local artist Bernard Chandran catches the eye. The kebaya is formed entirely of real-gold butterfly shapes, each three centimetres long.