Remote Lands, Inc. Top Picks For Asia's Hottest Hotels

From India to Japan, Asian luxury properties offer the world's ultimate service and facilities, such as private pool villas, personal butlers, and Michelin-starred restaurants. "From refurbished colonial bungalows, to boutique resorts, to five-star urban oases," said co-founder and CEO Catherine Heald, "Remote Lands matches our clients' own particular desires to the perfect hotel to form the foundation of our bespoke itineraries."

The shortlist for Bhutan, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, and Sri Lanka is as follows.

Bhutan Luxury Hotels - Amankora (Paro, Thimphu, Punakha, Gangtey, and Bumthang) - Five luxury lodges feature a contemporary and minimalist vision of traditional Bhutanese style, incorporating local wood, stone and terrazo tile; Uma Paro - A 29-room hotel set in the Paro Valley with breathtaking views of the Himalayas and a holistic health spa with an open-air yoga pavilion; Taj Tashi Thimphu - Blending Bhutan's dzong architecture and modern design, the hotel's deluxe rooms and suites are adorned with classical hand-drawn Buddhist murals.

China Luxury Hotels - Opposite House (Beijing) - Located in Beijing's stylish new Village at Sanlitun shopping and entertainment complex, a unique small hotel designed by noted Japanese architect Kengo Kuma; Aman at Summer Palace (outside Beijing) - A series of century-old guesthouses, built for guests awaiting an audience with Empress Dowager Cixi, transformed into a hotel with 18 rooms and 25 suites; Raffles Beijing - Once the setting of significant political and cultural events, and only a few minutes from the Forbidden City, the hotel's 171 rooms are among the most spacious and lavish in Beijing; Amanfayun (Hangzhou) - Situated in the outskirts of Hangzhou, surrounded by tea fields, natural forest, quaint villages and a pilgrimage circuit of five significant Buddhist temples; Peninsula Shanghai - With fabulous views of the Bund, Pearl Oriental Tower and other historic and modern architecture, the Peninsula's style is modern while retaining a chic nod to the city's Art Deco past.

Hong Kong Luxury Hotels - Upper House - Occupying floors 38 to 49 of the Pacific Place tower in Admiralty, Upper House was meticulously designed by architect Andre Fu to evoke the intimacy and tranquility of a private home high above the hectic city; Mandarin Oriental - Located in the heart of Central, the standard-bearer for hotels in Hong Kong since opening in 1963; Four Seasons - With excellent views of the Kowloon and Hong Kong Island skylines, the hotel's 54 suites offer signature "4S" luxury in both modern chic and classic Chinese design; the Peninsula - Has hosted dignitaries and other well-heeled travelers to Hong Kong since 1928, when it was deemed “the finest hotel east of Suez."

India Luxury Hotels - Taj Rambagh Palace (Jaipur) - One of the great palace hotels of India, world-renowned for its beautiful architecture and sumptuous accommodations; Amanbagh (Alwar) - This "peaceful garden" with 32 rooms and suites is designed as a contemporary interpretation of the great palaces built during India's golden age of architecture; Oberoi Amarvilas (Agra) - Located just 600 meters from the Taj Mahal, Amarvilas offers views of the monument from each of its 109 guest rooms and suites, as well as its lobby, bar and lounge; Oberoi Udaivilas (Udaipur) - Nestled along the beautiful Lake Pichola, the Oberoi is designed after the majestic Indian palaces of yore that dot the Mewar region; Taj Umaid Bhawan (Jodhpur) - Another of the great palaces of India, this yellow sandstone gem is still partially occupied by the royal family that built it.

Indonesia Luxury Hotels – Amanjiwo (Java) - The gateway to the glorious UNESCO World Heritage temple of Borobudur; Alila Villas Uluwatu (Bali)- Located on a clifftop plateau on Bali's southern coastline and designed by the award-winning Singapore architecture firm WOHA; Amankila (Bali) - With 34 thatched-roof suites perched on a cliff overlooking Lombok Strait and a private beach just below the resort; COMO Shambhala Estate (Bali) - A wellness retreat offering the services of a wide array of health professionals in the heart of Ubud.

Japan Luxury Hotels - HOSHINOYA (Kyoto and Karuizawa) - The property's two locations reflect both the heritage and modernity of Japan itself, combining the best of traditional ryokans with contemporary western comfort; Gora Kadan (Hakone) - Imagine life as a Japanese royal at this ryokan, which was once the country retreat of the royal family; the Mandarin Oriental - At 38 floors above street level, a world away from Tokyo's bustle; Four Seasons Marunouchi - Offers a futurist glimpse of bullet trains silently gliding to and from Tokyo station; Peninsula (Tokyo) - Mere steps from the Imperial Palace and just a short walk from the shopping paradise of Ginza.

Sri Lanka Luxury Hotels - Kandalama (Dambulla) - Designed by celebrated architect Geoffrey Bawa, Kandalama is set into a cliff face in the heart of Sri Lanka's cultural triangle; Galle Face Hotel (Colombo) - The capital's icon overlooking the Galle Face Green and the Indian Ocean, with Classic and Regency wings; Ceylon Tea Trails (Bogawantalawa) - Set among rolling green hills of tea, these genteel colonial plantation bungalows were built by British tea estate managers in the days of the Raj; Amanwella (Tangalle) - Situated in the midst of a coconut grove on a perfect crescent of white-sand beach surrounded by the Indian Ocean; Amangalla (Galle) - Located in the center of the preserved 17th-century Dutch fort, the sumptuous hotel perfectly captures the charm of the historic trading port of Galle.