ON a hill amid lush gardens overlooking the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, is Carcosa Seri Negara.
Its first guest was Queen Elizabeth II and there can be few greater recommendations than that for a Valentine's Day retreat with unadulterated class and exclusivity.
Built in 1901 as the official residence of the British Governor of Malaya, Carcosa is one of the most imposing colonial mansions in Southeast Asia.
In 1957, the mansion, set in 16 hectares of parkland, hosted the signing of the Federation of Malaya Agreement, which established a constitution for the current government.
It was converted into an hotel in 1989 and opened to the public following Queen Elizabeth's visit. Since then, Yasser Arafat and Japan's Emperor Akihito have been guests.
The service at Carcosa is nothing short of impeccable, with a private butler assigned to each of the 13 suites (he even greets you at the airport).