Holiday Inn Express Kuala Lumpur City Centre

Head photo courtesy of Expedia.

84, Jalan Raja Chulan, Kuala Lumpur, 50200 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Hotel Website
+60 3-2028 8888

This is a very good simple hotel in the heart of KL that offers everything you need in a short stay or stopover for a very affordable price, and has easy access to KL main sights, shopping malls and eateries. 

Herewith a wrap-up of my experience.
 
THE GOOD
> Great location, at about 12 minutes walking distance from the heart of KL, where you can find the posh Pavilion Shopping Centre, the affordable Fahrenheight 88 Shopping Centre, the Lot10 underground Malaysian and Japanese eateries, the monorail, and much more.
> Safe and secure hotel and rooms. Overall, I found the corridors and common areas quiet.
> Spotless common areas and rooms.
> Spacious room for a budget hotel!
> Good comfy mattress and pillows.
> Plenty of power points and light points in the room.
> Safety box, 2 bottles of water and coffee/tea facilities in the room, plus an empty mini-fridge, which I always find super handy to bring in goodies you want to buy and consume indoors.
> Fast reliable internet during your stay. If you are going to be around after your checkout, they kindly offer you a complimentary guest connection for you to use while in the lobby.
> Acceptable varied buffet breakfast included in the price.
> Staff are welcoming and willing to help.
> Tour desk has good prices
> There is a Family Mart, a decently sized grocery store with some simple eateries inside, plus two other posher cafes at barely 100 metres from the hotel.
> The three lines of free city loop buses can caught in the bus stop across the road.   
> Plenty of metered taxis around.

SO-SO
The Lobby is comfortable enough, but they could make an effort and revamp it a bit.

DOWNSIDES
>The escalators that go from the ground level to the lobby didn't work any of the days I stayed there. 
> The many lifts in the building can take quite a while to stop at your floor.
> Tiny wardrobe for a person, not to say for two.
> Staff need further training to reply questions about airport transfers to/from hotel.
> Tour desk only works with 2 people or more, forget it if you are traveling on your own. There are barely people visiting the desk and it is because they seem not to be interested in doing business, if you know what I mean. 
> No massage center or beauty salon in the premises. 
> If you happen to come down for breakfast at, say, 10am, you will find that they don't refill the trays, so you might find very little to eat. Some of the bakery goods are in a bakery cabinet to be kept warm, but the cabinet wasn't turned on and they were cold.

MIND
> Toiletries aren't available. You will find dispensers of soap/shampoo in the bathroom, and have to request other things at reception. Hair conditioner is not provided either at the room or at reception. It would cost nothing providing a dispenser of conditioner and another of body milk.  
 > Tourists are charged 10 Ringitt per day, so those fees have to be added to your booking fees later on, if you are booking online.
 > Lobby is on the first floor, not on the ground floor, which would be handier.
> There is a transfer desk outside the hotel, apparently not linked to the hotel. They offer private transfers at the usual rates, which are way higher than the taxis or Grab cars around.
> It takes around 1 hour to get to/from the airport.  A metered taxi, Grab or arranged taxi driver will cost you 65-85 Ringitt.

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Pacific Regency Hotel Suites (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)

Pacific Regency Hotel Suites
KH Tower, Jalan Punchak,
Off Jalan P. Ramlee.
50250 Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia.
Tel : 603 2332 7777
Fax : 603 2031 2492
http://www.pacific-regency.com/
info@pacific-regency.com
reservation@pacific-regency.com



The Hotel is in the heart of the city, at walking distance from shopping malls, sights and transport nods.  The KL Tower and the Petronas are minutes away, and so are the Pavillion and Suria Shopping Malls, the restaurant, coffee and pub strip, the Hop-on Hop-off Bus, the monorail and the metro. Location Location!

My apartment-room was huge, and had a separate lounge and bedroom, a complete kitchen, a huge bathroom with a decent selection of amenities, a king-size hard bed, two plasma TVs, a good selection of international channels, the newspaper delivered daily for free, among other things - A litte home away from home.

The staff (at reception, housekeeping and tour-desk) were super-friendly, always ready to help. I thought they guys at reception desk were flatted out sometimes and that they needed a bigger desk and at least two extra hands to attend cues, and also an extra hand to attend to in-house guests going out or coming in with their keys and queries. The same pleasant impression I got from he taxi-drivers that work at the entrance of the hotel, although I did used them rarely. They were courteous, never pushy, and informative if you want to walk around. If Saita is available, let her take you around.

I booked a room for non-smoker but this was not available and I was given one in a smoking floor. However, my room was sprayed and no odour was perceptible; however, the external corridors smelled a bit. The room was also sprayed for pests during my stay; I thought that they should have done so when the room was empty; although there was no smell after the spray, this could spark all sort of allergic or poisonous reactions.

The kitchen barely had a few items of crockery, cutlery and glasses, which were not enough to cook basic stuff in the apartment, so I had to contact Housekeeping. I expect a hotel like this to provide guests with basic kitchenware without the guest having to call the housekeeper for it. Moreover, there was no microwave! I mean, this is a four-star hotel and we are in the 21st century.

There is a one restaurant, café-bar and night bar in the hotel, but I did not visit them. I found more interesting wandering the surrounding area or heading to posh Suria Mall and finding my treat of the day there. 

One of the main downs of the hotel is the level of noise in some rooms - namely mine. The aircon is old and rattles a lot, especially during the night if you leave it on, or if your neighbours do so, as the hotel has ducted aircon, not individual pieces. Moreover, my apartment was close (almost at arm's reach!) to a huge crane doing demolition/construction works, and the noise bas a bother sometimes, especially at night.

Overall, this is a very good hotel, good-priced and good-serviced, but needs to be updated to provide the guest with a better selection of kitchenware and a silent air-con system. The new wing is already refurbished and open, and I hope the old rooms, like the one I stayed in, are updated by now.

    Stayed December 2011

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Cameron Highlands Resort (Tanah Rata, Malaysia)

Cameron Highlands Resort
Tanah Rata 39000, Malaysia
+60327831000
http://www.cameronhighlandsresort.com/

Cameron Highlands Resort is a beautiful hotel that provides an unforgettable experience to the visitor. The friendliness of the staff, the attention to the detail in the room service, the beauty of the rooms and the hotel make you feel like a noble. 

The rooms are beautiful, classy colonial style, very spacious for two people, awesome furniture, huge balcony with a big table and seats, and very comfortable. The bathroom is gorgeous and very spacious, with a divine set of good-quality toiletries. The shower is huge! The smell of the bed linen is also wonderful. They are really generous with their room's tea & coffee making facilities and with their mineral water refills.

My room was facing the inner courts, in front of one of the restaurants, and it was very quiet. The restaurant finishes business at a decent time and, therefore, they will not disturb your sleep unless you go to bed at 9pm. I found the hotel very quiet in general, although many reviewers have complained about the noise.

There are four restaurants in the hotel, but they are a bit overpriced for the quality of food they offer. I really liked the food in the Japanese restaurant Gonbei, as well as its chill-out ambience. The other ones are too old-style for my taste, but the service is still fantastic. I missed a Malaysian good quality restaurant, instead of the western and Japanese ones, after all this is Malaysia!

Their Koi pond is beautiful, mesmerising actually, and you will want to wander around or stand by there to relax or take photos before heading to their small but well-equipped gym or spa, or just afterwards.

A visit to the Spa Village is a must, really!,  because of the treatments, the great ladies working in it and the fantastic facilities. It is a bit pricey, but truly worth it.

This hotel is perfect for couples looking for a romantic escape and for families travelling with children, not as much for independent travellers willing to move around freely or for young people looking for lots of night life and fun around. Still, it is worth the visit.

TIP 1
The hotel is very expensive, but if you book months in advance you can save 70% of their usual rates. Surf the net thoroughly before booking.

TIP 2
Before booking mind that, if you are not driving a car or don't want to rely on taxis, the hotel is located between the towns of Brinchan and Tanah Rata, the first at 20 minutes walking distance, and the second at 45 minutes. If you are not a walker, have mobility problems, or don't want to rely on taxis for going out, this might be out of the beaten track for you. On the other hand, during local holidays, the traffic jams can reach several kilometres, so being in a car does not mean you are going to reach destination sooner than a walker!

TIP 3
If you don't feel like expending much money in the hotel restaurants, walk 20 minutes to Brinchan and you will find lots of cheap local eateries, a KFC, and some supermarkets. Take the opportunity and visit one of the beautiful Buddhist or Hindu temples around!

TIP 4
The hotel has a excellent selection of tours you can join in, they are quite good but pricey, and you are picked up and dropped by at the hotel. However, if you want to save some money or just have a wider choice, go to Tanah Rata and shop around, as there are many small tourist offices offering the same services at cheaper prices, all English-speaking operated, and willing to do business.

Visited December 2011

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Hallmark Inn Hotel (Melaka, Malaysia)

Hotel Hallmark Inn
66, Jalan Munshi Abdullah,
Melaka 75100
Malaysia
Tel: +606-283-8333
Fax: +606-286-2611
Website: http://www.hotelhallmark.com/our-branches/hallmark-inn-melaka

The Good Things
1/ The place is centrally located, at 0 minutes walking distance from the city centre, and at 3 minutes from the picturesque riverside. 
2/ The hotel has decent basic rooms with a comfortable bed and a basic set of toiletries.
3/ The prices are affordable. It is good value for money, and perfect for budget travellers or families that do not want to expend too much money while in Malacca.
4/ The breakfast is included in the price of your room, and they caters for Asian and Western tastes, so it is great.
5/ Most of the staff were really lovely and helpful, always ready to help, especially Theresa in the mornings and the young guys in the afternoon.
6/The place has many traditional eateries around (an Indian and a Chinese), and many shops around.

The Not-so-good Things
1/ the toilet is tiny, even for a small person like me. The shower is not separated from the rest, so once you take a shower the whole toilet and bathroom area is wet.
2/ I missed some tissues in the room and notepad and pen, which shouldn't be that difficult to include in the rooms.
3/ There was a pungent smell in my room, that persisted despite the opening of the window. I am not sure if coming from the carpet or from the plastic curtains.
4/ The fridge seems to get off once you leave the room and remove the room card from its slot, which switches the electricity off, so you can't leave anything under refrigeration while you are away, especially if you out for a few hours. 
5/ There was a problem in my second night at the hotel, that affected all guests. There was a group of teens travelling with a bus that spend from 11pm to 3-4am shouting, slamming doors, running up and down the stairs, put the music loud, collapsed the lift. Teenagers are like that everywhere in the world. However, I expect the hotel to have and implement policies that make sure that these things don't happen, or, if they happen, to put a stop to them. Otherwise, is unacceptable.

    Stayed December 2011

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Palanquin Heritage Suites (Georgetown, Malaysia)

Palanquin Heritage Suites
39 Bangkok Lane
Pulau Tikus, Georgetown,
Pulau Penang 10250, Malaysia 

Phone:  +6012-405-5313

Website: http://www.palanquinn.com/

My stay at the Palanquinn is one of the highlights of my visit to Malaysia and Penang. Charlie and Patricia, especially the first, went out of their way to help me, explain me anything, from the price of a taxi, to where to take a bus, give my change for it, advice me wisely where to go and what to do with the time I had at Georgetown. Moreover, they treat you as a person, individually, which rarely happens nowadays in the tourism industry.

I had one of the lofty rooms with balcony, upstairs, and it is like taken out from a colonial movie set. it has an open-concept bathroom, and separate living room and bedroom, all very spacious and with separate aircon. The furniture, the style, and the congruency of the whole decoration make of the place a delight. They provide free wi-fi, too.

The breakfast is always different, purchased from Indian, Chinese and Malay street vendors, and it s served not before 9am. Western breakkie is not available. So, if you feel like need to have breakfast before, buy some food the night before and have it ready, as the hotel won't provide it to you beyond a bunch of bananas or some fruit. Most businesses in Georgetown open at 8am, so if you are an early bird, not even Starbucks will be open.

The whole street is full of colonial houses now hosting with different businesses, five minutes from the seaside walk, and 12 minutes from a Gernay Shopping Centre, Night Food Hawkers area, and western cafeterias. The place is in the outskirts of the city but very close and easy to reach by public bus. It is also very convenient to take the public bus to Batu Feringgi, and at 5-minute walking distance from the beautiful Burmese and Thai Buddhist temples.

Palanquin is the sort of place that independent travellers will love if you have a bit of extra money to spend. If you are a fussy eater, fussy in general, go to your usual boring hotel. You have to leave your "westernism" at the doorstep.

Among the downs, I missed some more sachets of powder milk/creamer, or even a jar of fresh milk in the fridge, to add to the coffee-making facilities. The set of amenities was rather poor and could be easily improved, especially because their prices are those of a five-star hotel in Malaysia.

I would recommend people with mobility problems, or those who cannot carry their ton-weighed suitcase on their own not to book the rooms upstairs as the only lift is the one provided by your muscles. The stairs are also narrow and small and if you are fat, well, can you get stuck.  

Visited December 2011

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Semenggoh Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre (Kuchin, Malaysia)

Semenggoh Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre
Jalan Tun Abang Haji Openg,
Kuching 93000, Malaysia 

Tel: (+6) 082 618423
http://www.sarawakforestry.com/htm/snp-nr-semenggoh.html

This is a natural reserve, so do not expect seeing the orang-utans as if they were in the middle of the jungle. However, the animals live freely in a large land reserve, and move and act freely within it; in fact, they behave wildly and attack visitors if they feel like it (so very natural!), so mind that this is not a zoo or you are watching tamed animals. Still, if you are lucky enough to see them, they are very cute, entertaining and wonderful to observe. There is is no guarantee that you will see any orang-utans if you go there, but the lack of promise makes the trip much more exciting and seeing even one of them a special treat, especially during the monsoon season, when the forest is full of food and they don't visit the feeding area, which is also the viewing area. Unless you venture into the real jungle in a well-prepared jungle trek you are never going to see orang-utans in the wild, so this sort of rehabilitation centres are the best way to see the animals in an environment that is real and natural, although assisted, protected and curated.

On arrival, you are given some guidelines on how to behave regarding movement of your body, things you carry, tone of voice and level of noise, all safety procedures to avoid attacks and let the animals approach the viewing and photographing area at easy. Still so many tourists ignored that and talked loudly, and disregarded all the guidelines!


The best times for visiting are the feeding hours, i. e, at 9am and 3pm. The entrance fees are 3 Malaysian Ringit for adults and 1.50 for children. The place is easy to reach by local transport or by car, or, if feeling lazy, you can take a cheap organised tour that will take you there and back to your hotel. 
 
I found shocking that there is a smoking area in the reserve, amist the jungle!

Visited January 2012

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Hotel Sentral (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)

Hotel Sentral
30 Jalan Thambypillai
Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur 50470,
Malaysia
http://www.hotelsentral.com.my/
Tel No: 603-2272-6000  
Fax No: 603-2272-6099
Email: hskl@hotelsentral.com.my

The hotel is centrally located, at 2 minutes from the monorail, 7 minutes walking distance from KL Sentral Station and the Skybus/Airbus buses to the LCCT Airport, with plenty of local cheap eateries in the same street.

This is not a fancy hotel, still a good and comfortable one.  The room is basic, still clean, with a decent set of amenities in the bathroom, coffee facilities, and anything that you can need for a short stay or overnight. Free wi-fi and free buffet breakfast included! The staff were lovely, very helpful and friendly.

My room was a bit small, but this is not a problem for me, me being small. However, it could be a problem if you are travelling with your partner or you are big.

On the down side, the safety box and the fridge were not working. However, the staff offered me to take my valuables downstairs and to put it in the hotel's safe, which was great, while I was away wandering around the city.

There were a few local eateries in the same street, those not frequented by Westerners, which are always a hit with me.

    Stayed December 2011

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Best Western Kinabaly Daya Hotel (Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia)

BEST WESTERN Kinabalu Daya Hotel
Lot 3 & 4, Block 9 Jalan Pantai, 

Kota Kinabalu 88000, Malaysia
Telephone: (6088) 240 000
Fax Number: (6088) 263 909
Email Address:  info@kkdayahotel.com

Website: http://www.kkdayahotel.com/

The best thing about this hotel is that is centrally located, a few minutes from the seafront, and at walking distance to several shopping malls, banks, etc.

Free buffet breakfast is included in the price; I thought was excellent, with a mix of Asian and Western foods. The staff at the restaurant were OK.

I paid for a deluxe suite, with separate bedroom, kitchenette and living room, in a non-smoker floor. However, on arrival I was given another room in a smoking floor. I noticed that there was not kitchenette and went down to tell reception, and they tried to convince me that my fridge and coffee/tea facility was a kitchenette. At seeing me not happy, they immediately offered me another room, and asked me if I liked better - but I was asking for what I have paid for, not for a fancier room, and they were not making me any favour.  Still, the kitchenette in the new room was pathetic, with a sink with a bad tap, a microwave, kettle, mini-fridge and a few items of crockery and cutlery - No cooking tools, no washing tools.

The room was big and with large windows so during the day was very luminous. The room was also very quiet during the day and at night. However the room was poorly lightened, with no side tables or table lamps to help during the night (that would be so easy to fix!), the wall and ceiling had evident cracks, and part of the furniture was also chipped. The wardrobe had an ironing set, but no sleepers or bathrobe. The set of the amenities in the bathroom was the worse I found in Malaysia, despite me visiting much cheaper hotels. That would not be important if the price matched what you get, but Best Western is offering a cheap hotel service and rooms and asking you a 4-star hotel price in Malaysia.

The people at the tour desk and reception were OK. Some of the them very nice, but generally speaking a bit sour.

A hotel for backpackers and budget travellers if they had backpackers prices.

    Stayed January 2012

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Hotel Pullman Kuchin (Kuchin, Malaysia)

Address: 1A Jalan Mathies, Sarawak
93100 Kuching, Malaysia
Tel. (+60)82/222888
Fax. (+60)82/222999
Email: H6332@accor.com
Website: http://www.pullmankuching.com/

GOOD THINGS
+ Centrally located to visit all the sights. Close to the riverside, nice restaurants and the heart of the city.

+ Great room. Huge in size, very welcoming and well layered out. Very comfortable and homey. The bathroom was divine.

+ The hotel is above a recently-opened shopping mall (Star Hill), where different affordable Asian restaurants and coffee shops can be found.

+ Good set of toilet amenities.

+ Checking out at 12pm is also great

+ Free newspaper every morning

+ One hour free Internet in the room. It is fast, and enough for checking emails and uploading a few files. No speed or giga upload limit.

+ The Malaysian staff were especially friendly and welcoming, especially Sanusi. The cleaners and housekeepers were delightful as well as the girls at the coffee shop and the special events desk

BAD THINGS

+ Crowded insufficient plugs in the room!

+ No free Internet in the rooms. So the last century. Three star hotels are doing so already!. Moreover, they have stupid Internet policies, and blocking sites like Multiply that is less dangerous than Facebook. Reason given: it is a sharing place. Senseless! As a result I had to stop posting in my blog and sharing my photos. Thanks Accor...

+ Lobby looks and feels like an airport corridor: too big, you might need a skate to move around the lobby, too shiny, too pretentious, too impersonal and unwelcoming. They should refurbish it and divide the space differently, so it feels more welcoming to the customer.

+ A bit chaotic reception desk with some misinformed and unwelcoming staff.

+ Unwelcoming guy at the Tour office. Some people should practice smiling every day and say thank you to customers, too! It seemed that he was annoyed because I was trying to book some tours. Ridiculous!

+ The coffee at the lobby cafeteria is not good and overpriced.

+ Mostly a business hotel.
Room Tip: If you are visiting during New Year or Chinese New Year, ask for a room that does not face the pool...
See more room tips

    Stayed January 2012

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Piccolo Hotel (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)

Piccolo Hotel
101 Jalan Bukit Bintang, 
Kuala Lumpur 55100, Malaysia
Tel : 603 - 2146 5000 
Fax : 603 - 2146 5001
Email: reservation@piccolohotel.com.my
http://www.thepiccolohotel.com/
http://www.piccolohotel.com.my/Home.html?page=index

Piccolo Hotel is pretty and trendy hotel located in the heart of the posh shopping area of KL that defines itself as eco-friendly. I found it very comfortable for the days I stayed. They have free fast Internet, a cozy spacious room, great design and lighting, original open concept bathroom, good plasma TV and entertainment program, and free newspaper every morning.

The toilet amenities are good quality but very limited. No hair conditioner (if you are a lady with long hair you need it), no toothbrush, no cotton buds, no rubbish bin in the toilet!, no robe. These details are unimportant, still expected in a hotel that pretends to be trendy, especially when average hotels in KL have the above mentioned things.

The level of noise in my room was dreadful! There is a nearby open disco that goes bombastic from 10pm until 3am or so. Moreover, the walls between rooms are paper-thin and you can hear the shower/sewage of the next-door room! The corridors can be be noisy, and if they are, you will hear everything as the rooms are not sound proofed. The music at the shopping mall public areas starts at about 7am.

The concierge and tour people were really friendly and helpful, but the people at the reception desk were helpful but unwelcoming and not warm at all. They are at the bottom list of the many hotels I have visited in Malaysia so far. Smile!!! Make people welcome! Is that so difficult?

I truly recommend the Morino Kaze Fish Spa experience, for the fish spa which I found to be an amazing experience!

The heritage food trail is at one minute from the hotel; a fantastic food hall to savour different Asian delicacies. However, you can find any western, Asian or Middle Eastern food restaurant at 5 minutes from the hotel, as well as bars and shopping malls. There are two restaurants at the lobby, but they are always empty...

A great hotel for young and modern-minded people looking for a great location to move around the best shopping area in KL.

Room Tip: If you are a slight sleeper ask for a room facing the lateral alleys.  

    Visited January 2012

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Absolute Tribal Restaurant (Kuching, Malaysia)

No. 24, Upper Ground Floor, Hills Shopping Mall,
No. 8 Jalan Bukit Mata, 93000, Kuching, Malaysia

GOOD THINGS
+ The atmosphere is contemporary, pleasant colours and different spaces to chose from.
+ The staff are extremely friendly.
+ They have buffet lunch some days of the week and if you order take away for lunch they will serve your very fast.
+ Nice natural juices prepared on the spot.
+ They have decent food, both Thai and Malay. For my evening dinner I ordered a Midin Kerabu which was delicious, and, as a main, a Fried Prawn with Assam Sauce that was very tasty. However, the prawns being in their shell, the plate turned to be mostly shells and not much to eat, despite the 36 MYR I paid for it. The waitress recommended this way, but I thought, at the end, that this only benefits the restaurant, which uses less prawns for the same dish. Otherwise, please be more generous!

BAD THINGS
+ The service is SLOW in the evenings. The drinks came 10 minutes after ordering, the entrée and main course were severed at the same time at about 30 minutes after ordering. People who came after me got their food before I did. I find that unacceptable for such a pricey restaurant.
+ Totally overpriced.
+ Poor selection of sweets.
+ Small serves

    Visited January 2012

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