If you’re a fan of the raw concrete and exposed brick aesthetic, book into one of these converted factories or offices where the design is bare, bold and beautiful
With beds made from wire fencing (don’t worry, the mattresses on top are normal) and communal spaces that resemble a car park or a building site, this design hotel in the town of Ipoh is as stripped-back as it gets. The hotel occupies a three-storey neo-classical building that used to be a hostel for theatre performers (the theatre burned down in the 1950s), and the ground floor is a popular coffee shop and locals’ hangout. The rooms have many design flourishes: there are thick stage-like curtains separating the en suite bathrooms and outside courtyard, concrete ledges serve as shelves and an assortment of fittings hanging from the ceilings also evoke a sense of being backstage in a theatre. Sekeping has other similarly designed retreats around Malaysia, all with this signature aesthetic.
• Doubles from £40, +601 2227 2745, sekeping.com