Shangri-la Hotels is on a winning streak. The Hong Kong-based company, which has traditionally focused on Asia, is planning to open more than 40 new hotels around the world in the upcoming 18 months.

Well-known in Asian circles, the group will set its sights on Europe and North America, starting in Vancouver and working eastwards to New York, and will eventually open five-star properties in London and Paris.

Shangri-La in Malaysia is a familiar brand, and its star property, the Shangri-La in Kuala Lumpur, lives up to that reputation. Having opened its doors nearly 22 years ago, it has always been synonymous with excellent service and in synch with the business traveler.

Under the capable hands of General Manager Jarlath Lynch, the hotel offers an oasis of calm and tranquility in the midst of bustling downtown Kuala Lumpur, just minutes away from the city center and The Petronas Tower, a Kuala Lumpur icon.

The hotel has 701 rooms, offering all the amenities you would expect in a five-star property. The top five floors are home to the Horizon Club and Lounge, with separate check-in facilities, a business center, and a breakfast and cocktail lounge. For Horizon Club guests, this feels like a special place, almost like a hotel within a hotel.

Under Mr. Lynch, the Shangri-la Kuala Lumpur has made gastronomy a focal point of the hotel. Four of Kuala Lumpur’s top restaurants are located on the premises. The hotel has been a part of the International Gourmet Festival, featuring the abilities of its top chef, Kevin Cherkas, who runs the award-winning Lafite restaurant.

General Manager Lynch, sensing Cherkas’ talent, saw an opportunity to transform the staid Lafite into an exciting and innovative new restaurant. He gave Cherkas Carte blanche to give it a makeover.

Cherkas, overcoming Malaysian traditionalism, created his own in-house “laboratory,” where he literally invents new dishes from nine to twelve. Then he dons his white suit to put them into play.

His latest concoctions could be in a form of a bubble creating an explosion of taste for the palate or a cotton candy “Tokyo stick.” Kevin combines the new with more traditional comfort food dishes such as shepherd’s pie and baked salmon.

Cherkas is certainly having fun reinventing Lafite—and so are the diners—while General Manager Lynch sees an ever-increasing crowd trying to break down the door for a much-coveted reservation.

Another prize-winning restaurant at the Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur is the Shang Palace, which specializes in Chinese cuisine. Then there is the Lemon Garden, which has a feel of a French Brasserie with Asian overtones. These impressive restaurants, all under one roof, have made the hotel one of the city’s hottest spots for dining.

This has translated into a treat for the international traveler. In 2006, Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur made Conde Nast’s Traveler Gold List of the “World’s Best Places to Stay.”