Hip Hotels: Orient

Live like a maharaja – with a maharaja – in the splendid Umaid Bhawan Palace in Rajasthan, a unique Art Deco architectural fantasy designed for one of India’s most monumental homes. Admire the flair and extravagance of one of the Orient’s most flamboyant houses in the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion in Penang, a tribute to feng shui. Relax in a guest villa of King Sihanouk, whose Sixties-inspired modernist aesthetic is the perfect antidote to days spent exploring the nearby temples of Angkor. Or venture to the Commune by the Great Wall, a vibrant, highly innovative development set beside China’s most famous monument.