Set just 10 minutes from the center of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in sprawling parklands surrounded by ancient jungles, Carcosa Seri Negara Hotel was built expressly for Sir Frank Swettenham, then the British advisor to the Sultan of Perak. Two separate mansions make up this finely appointed hotel. The interiors are impeccably decorated with antique Victorian furniture and accented with local hand loomed rugs and batik artwork. The resulting atmosphere is British, with hints of the rich cultures that make up Malaysia. Staying at Carcosa is a chance to step back to the time of British Colonialism, when even in uncharted and exotic lands none of the comforts of home were ever left behind.