Kuala Lumpur is the biggest city in Malaysia and a major air hub for travel in Southeast Asia. If you are travelling in the region the chances are you are going to pass through here at some point. While it’s nowhere near as big as Bangkok, it’s a spread-out city that can be hard to navigate at first.
This Where To Stay guide is to help find a hotel in Kuala Lumpur. I have narrowed down the best areas to stay in if you are visiting for the first time. These areas are centrally-located and with public transport, and have access to the most popular sites in KL.
Where to stay in Kuala Lumpur guide
Map of Kuala Lumpur hotels
Best areas to stay in Kuala Lumpur
Old City Centre (Chinatown and Colonial District)
Bukit Bintang (Shopping and entertainment area, hotels for all budgets )
Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) (Upmarket hotels in the business area)
Bukit Nanas (Leafy streets around KL Tower)
Other areas to stay in Kuala Lumpur
KL Sentral / Brickfields (Rail transport hub and Little India area)
Chow Kit (Emerging area in Central KL)
Bangsar (Inner city residential area)
Map of Kuala Lumpur hotels
Map of the best areas to stay in Kuala Lumpur.
[View map of Kuala Lumpur hotels.]
This map shows areas mentioned in this article. The outlined areas are not official boundaries.
Best areas to stay in Kuala Lumpur
Old City Centre
Kuala Lumpur gets its name (“muddy confluence” in Malay) from where the Gombak and Klang rivers meet. At this junction is the Jamek Mosque, and the area around here is the old city. To the west of the Klang River are the historic colonial administrative buildings (often referred to as the Colonial District). To the east of the river are the shophouses of the old city.
Chinatown is within the old city, making up most of the area to the east of the river. The Petaling Street market is the centre of Chinatown.
The Old City has the most lively street activity, with lots of cheap places to eat. The Old City also has more old shophouses, though they have not been kept in good condition compared to Singapore. This area has been undergoing a transformation, so there are near-ruined shophouses standing next to freshly-restored shophouses with cool cafes and restaurants. The regeneration of the Old City area is also bringing in some better hotel options, so it is not just for budget travellers.
The biggest thing to have happened in KL is the Merdeka 118 Tower. This skyscraper topped out in 2021 and is now the second tallest building in the world. The building is near the Chinatown area, so it’s likely that this will see even more upgrades in the future. The tower complex has its own metro station (Merdeka), and it will have a mall at the base and Park Hyatt KL will be in the tower.
Overall, the Old City has the advantage of being near the historic colonial-era administrative buildings and most interesting street activity. This makes it my choice as the best area to stay if it’s your first time in Kuala Lumpur.
Budget (1-2 Stars)
Chinatown has the cheapest hostels and budget guesthouses in KL. Some of the budget options are very basic and haven’t aged well. The cheapest private rooms in guesthouse are usually partitioned rooms with a shared bathroom.
I’ve stayed at The Travel Hub Guesthouse and Matahari Lodge, which are budget options in the Chinatown area.
Backhome KL is a hotel with dorm beds and private rooms.
1000 Miles Hotel is another hybrid hotel is dorm and private options.
If you’re looking for the absolute cheapest hotels in Kuala Lumpur you could try your luck with the guesthouses on Jalan Pudu, opposite the old Pudu bus terminal. Here you will find some rooms for 40-45 MYR per night. None that I would personally recommend as they are pretty grim, but I’m just putting this here as information.
Mid-range (3-4 Stars)
The Travelodge City Centre is in a prominent flatiron-shaped building opposite the Central Market.
D Loft Hotel (3-star) is at the centre of Chinatown at the southern entrance of the Petaling Street Market.
Signalling that this area is getting more upmarket, the Four Points by Sheraton Kuala Lumpur, Chinatown is in a new building that opened in late 2019.
Luxury (5 Stars)
Most of the action in the old city centre is to the east of the river, and that is where you want to stay. I would make an exception for The Majestic Hotel.
The original Hotel Majestic is national heritage site that was built in 1932, diagonally opposite the even more majestic Kuala Lumpur Railway Station. This historic hotel saw many prominent international visitors over the years. The hotel has been expanded and is now The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur, Autograph Collection (a luxury hotel group within the Marriott International portfolio).
[Check rates for The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur, Autograph Collection.]
Bukit Bintang
Bukit Bintang is a popular shopping street in central KL. When looking for a place to stay, the surrounding streets are usually referred to as the Bukit Bintang area. Running parallel to Bukit Bintang is Jalan Alor, which has a famous night food market on the street. There are bars, nightclubs, and mega malls here, and its also popular with Arabian travellers. This area is KL at its international best.
The Bukit Bintang area has also been through extensive redevelopment over the last few years. There is a new metro station – Bukit Bintang Station of MRT Line 9 – and Bukit Bintang City Centre is rising at the site of the old Pudu Jail.
The central point of this area is the junction of Bukit Bintang and Jalan Sultan Ismail. The Bukit Bintang monorail station is near here, and the corner is starting to resemble a mini Times Square with all the bright lights and electronic advertising displays. The city has turned this busy intersection into a pedestrian scramble, and it is referred to as the the “Shibuya Crossing of KL“.
There are plenty of mid-range hotels, and some cheap guesthouses (though generally not as cheap as Chinatown). On the other side of Jalan Sultan Ismail are luxury hotels, so this area has something for everyone.
Budget (1-2 Stars)
Mid-range (3-4 Stars)
Travelodge Bukit Bintang is on the famous night market street.
Wolo Hotel Bukit Bintang sits prominently on the corner of Jalan Bukit Bintang and Jalan Sultan Ismail (the “Shibuya Crossing” corner). This mid-range boutique hotel bills itself as “a hotel for the curious and creative traveller”.
[Wolo Hotel on the corner of Jalan Bukit Bintang and Jalan Sultan Ismail.]
The Kuala Lumpur Journal Hotel has a modern retro vibe and is right in the middle of the BB action.
citizenM Kuala Lumpur Bukit Bintang is on Jalan Pudu (the road that connects Bukit Bintang to Chinatown) and they describe themselves as “affordable luxury hotels”. citizenM is from the Netherlands and they have established themselves as a modern brand, with features such as mobile check-in.
[citizenM Kuala Lumpur Bukit Bintang.]
Melia Kuala Lumpur (4-star0 from the Meliá Hotels International of Spain have a hotel on Jalan Imbi.
Luxury (5 Stars)
Most of the 5-star hotels are in the upper Bukit Bintang area, near the Pavilion KL Shopping Mall. Luxury hotels here include:
JW Marriott Hotel Kuala Lumpur
Grand Millennium Kuala Lumpur Hotel
Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC)
KLCC (Kuala Lumpur City Centre) is the central business district of KL, with the Petronas Twin Towers being the undisputed highlight of this area.
There are lots of malls and luxury hotel chains in this area, including the Suria KLCC shopping mall at the base of the twin towers. This opens out to the KLCC Park, where numerous hotels offer sought-after views of the twin towers.
The Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre is in this area, and the streets are generally less chaotic than the rest of KL. Being a high-end luxury area it’s also a bit harder to find cheap eats, but Bukit Bintang is not far away.
[Jalan Pinang, KLCC.]
Like the rest of central Kuala Lumpur, KLCC is undergoing extensive redevelopment. A new MRT line (Putrajaya Line) opened in 2023, and new office towers and hotels are being built around this line.
KLCC is best if you want a great view of the Twin Towers, if you have a preferred luxury hotel, or are in the area for work. For budget travellers, I would stick to Chinatown and Bukit Bintang.
Mid-range (3-4 Stars)
Holiday Inn Express Kuala Lumpur City Centre is rated 3.5 Stars and is within walking distance of Bukit Bintang and KLCC.
Luxury (5 Stars)
Traders Hotel is well-known for having one of the best views of the twin towers. The hotel faces the park behind the twin towers, so there is no other building to obstruct the view.
W Kuala Lumpur is a 5-star hotel that has a swimming pool view of the twin towers.
In any other city the 343-metre tall Four Seasons Hotel would be a defining landmark of the skyline. Here it’s standing next to the twin towers, so its height is not immediately apparent.
Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur overlooks KLCC Park.
Pullman Kuala Lumpur City Centre Hotel and Residences Hotel is located closer to Bukit Bintang, so it has the best of both worlds of being in KLCC with the amenities of the Pavilion KL mall.
Bukit Nanas
Bukit Nanas is the small hill that is home to the KL Tower, one of the great landmark towers of the city. This little hill has the last vestige of virgin tropical rainforest in the concrete jungle of Kuala Lumpur.
Bukit Nanas is near Bukit Bintang and KLCC. It’s not part of either but it is not an afficial neighbourhood area either. There are not many amenities here as it is more upmarket residential. There are some serviced apartment accommodations in this area, such as Oasia Suites Kuala Lumpur by Far East Hospitality.
The Shangri-la Hotel is set in a lush tropical garden located near the KL Forest Eco Park. This is within a walkable distance to the twin towers and Bukit Bintang. Here is my review.
[Shangri-la Hotel – Kuala Lumpur.]
Other areas to stay in Kuala Lumpur
KL Sentral / Brickfields
Kuala Lumpur Sentral (KL Sentral) is the central station of Kuala Lumpur. This is the transit hub where long-distance trains, the airport express, commuter railways, and metro services meet. The original central station was the grand Kuala Lumpur Station, but it was moved to this bigger, modern (and uglier) facility.
Around the station a new central business district has evolved, and there are some famous hotel names here.
Opposite the station is the Brickfields area. As the name would suggest, this area was home to the brick factories that supplied the bricks for the building of Kuala Lumpur in the late 1800’s. This area was quite run down before KL Sentral opened in 2001. Even now there are still some old guest houses that hint at a less glorious past, but the area is cleaned up due to its prime location. A few minutes walk from here is the vibrant Little India area of KL.
As a frequent traveller to Kuala Lumpur I have often stayed in Brickfields when I am just transiting for a night. From the airport you can get the fast train to KL Sentral, and then walk outside. I would stay here if you want a speedy getaway in the morning, or if you have an allegiance to one of the high-end hotels at the station.
Budget Hotels
Budget hotels near KL Sentral are accessible through the NU Sentral shopping mall and then an overpass across Jalan Tun Sambanthan. KL Sentral can be a bit confusing if you’re not familiar with it, so follow the signs that point to the monorail station and that will get you there.
Some of budget hotels around KL Sentral include PODs The Backpackers Home & Cafe (2-Stars), Easy Hotel KL Sentral (3-Stars), and City Central Hotel @ KL Sentral (3-Stars).
4-Star and 5-Star Hotels
Some of the familiar names built on the station complex include the 4-Star Aloft Kuala Lumpur Sentral and Hilton Kuala Lumpur, and the 5-Star Le Méridien Kuala Lumpur. These are ideal for business travellers where time is of the essence. From here the airport express train takes just 28 minutes to KLIA.
Chow Kit
An emerging neighbourhood in KL is the Chow Kit area. I wouldn’t stay here if it’s your first time in KL, but I’m putting it here for regular visitors who would like to consider other areas. Chow Kit is in the central city area not far from KLCC. It’s been going through a regeneration of late, and it burst onto the international scene when it was featured by The New York Times in their list of 52 Places To Go In 2020.
The first area to check is the area I call “Lower Chow Kit”. Sometimes the hotels here are classified as being in KLCC or the Golden Triangle. There is no set boundary, but they are technically in Chow Kit.
The hotel of the moment here is the Hotel Stripes Kuala Lumpur, Autograph Collection.
Also around here is the Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur.
On the main street of the Chow Kit commercial area is The Chow Kit Hotel.
Next door is MoMo’s Kuala Lumpur, which is described as “social hotel with micro-rooms”. In the reception is a cafe, bar, and MoMosita Taco Bar.
Bangsar
Bangsar is a popular area for expats so I’ve listed this if you want an extended stay in a more residential area. There are lots bars and restaurants around the streets of Bangsar Village.
Bangsar is one stop away from KL Sentral on the Kelana Jaya LRT Line, though it’s a fair walk from the station to Bangsar Village (or most places in Bangsar). Outside of the central area you will discover that Kuala Lumpur is a car-oriented city.
Opposite the Bangsar LRT station is the Alila Bangsar Kuala Lumpur (5-star), a brand of Hyatt Hotels. This hotel is connected to the LRT station by a pedestrian bridge.
There are not many hotel options in Bangsar so try Airbnb.
