Kuala Lumpur's Bukit Bintang neighborhood is the prime tourist hub with great shopping, food, and transport connections. KLCC area hotels have Petronas Tower views. For budget options, Chinatown (Jalan Petaling) and Chow Kit have cheap guesthouses.
Penang's Georgetown has excellent boutique hotels in heritage shophouses — a unique experience that fills up fast in peak season. Langkawi and the Perhentian Islands offer resort-style accommodation at prices well below Thailand equivalents. Borneo accommodation ranges from jungle lodges to modern city hotels in Kota Kinabalu.