Hotel Name: Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur
Address: 11 Jalan Sultan Ismail, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
I stayed at the Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur as a guest of the hotel, and this is a review of my stay there.
The Shangri-La is a famous luxury hotel group that began in Singapore (which I also stayed at), and KL was one of the original hotels in the chain. Being one of the older hotels mean they have a large chunk of prime real estate in the heart of Kuala Lumpur.
The hotel is located in what is known as the Golden Triangle area. It’s located on a leafy section of Jalan Sultan Ismail, in front of the KL Tower.
The monorail travels in front of the hotel with the Bukit Nanas Monorail Station being 2 minutes walk away. Also nearby is Dang Wangi LRT Station (5 minutes walk), KLCC/Twin Towers (5 minutes walk), and the Bukit Bintang area (10 minutes walk).
Upon arrival you are greeted with a grand foyer area which appears bigger than what the street view would let on.
Through the foyer you see the garden area which extends behind the hotel.
My room was spacious with a big window view of the KL skyline. The bed was incredibly comfortable and I regretted booking early transport the next day as soon I laid down on it.
The work desk and a comfortable chair, though I found the bed so comfortable I was doing all my computer work on the bed.
The room also has a coffee pod machine, though with my late arrival I didn’t try it, tempted though I was. They also provide complimentary water.
As you would expect, a lovely bathroom with separate shower and bathtub.
Looking in the bedside drawers I found a copy of Lost Horizon, which is the novel from where the name Shangri-La originated.
I had never seen it before, so here is the cover description:
It is 1931. Revolution rocks the British Raj in India and procedures of evacuating foreigners are underway. Four individuals are on a plane to Peshawar when, in a twist of irony, their plane is hijacked and their journey to safety becomes one of danger. They subsequently crash-land on the hostile mountains of Tibet.
As British diplomat Hugh Conway, his vice consul Charles Mallinson, American businessman Henry D. Barnard, and English missionary Roberta Blinklow trek through the merciless Himalayas, they find refuge in a lamasery. In the weeks to come, their lives are changed forever in this magical haven called Shangri-La.
Breakfast has an amazing array choices available with Western and Asian breakfast favourites on offer. The breakfast choice that stood out for me was the chocolate fountain, though I resisted the indulgence.
I didn’t realise until after breakfast that there is the option to take breakfast in the garden behind the property. This is the best time to be outside in KL, while the day is not yet overwhelmingly humid, and it is a beautiful garden that gives a feeling of being walled off from the rest of the city.
The garden also has a large Koi Pond (Japanese carp):
Koi Pond in Shangri-La’s Garden
Stand at the edge of this pond and the Koi or Japanese carp will swim vigorously towards you. They are colourful – red and white, orange with black stripes, silver tinged with orange, even black and white.
Spot the red and white Koaku, the Ogon which is the shiny metallic one, the gold Yamabuki and the Bekko, which has black markings on the body.
Koi fish are auspicious. They symbolise good fortune, success, wealth and prosperity. The Kohaku is believed to bring career advancement. The Ogon is associated with success in business.
Koi comes from the Japanese word Nishikioi which means ornamental carp. It is a symbol of love and friendship in Japan. Koi are very hardy fish and can live up to 47 years old if properly cared for.
Also behind the hotel is the swimming pool area. It’s also set in a garden and from the pool you can see the Petronas Twin Towers on one side and the KL Tower on the other.
I arrived late and had to leave eary for another project, so I didn’t get to savour the experience as fully as one should at such a hotel. If you are staying here you would want to check in early and check out late and make the most of your stay. It’s probably best if you’ve already been to KL so you don’t feel guilty about staying in the hotel for most of the time.
View more photos at my Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur photo gallery.
Find out more about where to stay in KL.
