Truly at home at Vistana Kuala Lumpur (Why stay at any other hotel?)

[Nicholas Snow]

By Nicholas Snow

 

As a travel and entertainment journalist, I am spoiled.  I have stayed at some of the world’s finest hotels, from beach front pool villas in tropical resorts to urban properties in the hearts of cities including Montreal, New York, Dallas, Honolulu, Bangkok, Phuket and on this occasion, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.  Often, I’m a hosted guest of the hotel, or because I’ve been invited in my capacity as an actor, singer and songwriter, someone else is paying.  And on that rare occasion, I’m paying for the stay myself.

 

As I write this, I am currently concluding an 18-day stay in Kuala Lumpur on my first of what I hope will be many trips to Malaysia.  During this visit I first stayed with friends, then at a hotel in the heart of the city center, then again with friends, and for the final nine days, at the Vistana Kuala Lumpur, part of YTL Hotels (the hospitality arm of one of Malaysia’s most dynamic conglomerates, YTL Corporation Berhad).

 

And I tell you in all honesty, as I sit here writing at the desk in the hotel room pictured above, when staying in KL there is no need to stay anywhere but the Vistana.

 

For starters, the rates are half the price of area hotels that are nowhere near as nice, especially if you book your room on Agoda.  These rates are even better when you consider that in-room broadband WiFi is complimentary (why anyone would pay to stay in a hotel that charges extra to use in-room internet I’ll never know!) and your room rate usually includes the fantastic breakfast buffet.  I also appreciate that the breakfast is served until 10:30 a.m., a full half-hour longer than most hotels.

 

 

I will also submit that the location is fantastic.  Yes, you do need to ride the KL Monorail to get to the popular Bukit Bintang shopping district, but the cost is well less the equivalent of one U.S. dollar, the site-seeing along the ride is quite interesting, and keep in mind that people from all over the world pay good money to go to places like Disneyland simply to ride a monorail!

 

 

The view of the transportation hub from my 9th floor room at the Vistana Kuala Lumpur.

 

Of note, my Fitness First "passport" gym membership allows me to visit their gyms in various cities and one of their locations is less than a five-minute walk from the KL Monorail.

 

The view of Kuala Lumpur's iconic Petronas Towers from the KL Monorail.

In addition, the hotel is within walking distance of several affordable restaurants and convenience stores, which is good because I never use hotel mini-bars when you pay eight to ten times the price for a soft drink than it costs down the street at the local 7-11.  Keep in mind that most hotels in Malaysia do not serve alcohol in their mini-bars, which is also fine with me because I haven’t had alcohol in over ten years.

 

When I was raving about the hotel one staff member said to me, “There must be something you don’t like?”  Well, only two things.  The first: There is no complimentary bottled water in the hotel room (but there is cold drinking water in ample supply around the clock in the lobby).

 

When travelling I prefer to eat delicious, extremely affordable local cuisine on the streets and in local restaurants, so when going for a more upscale dining experience, I usually choose “western” food.  The Vistana Restaurant is the site of quite an international breakfast buffet but is also open in the evenings with a great ala carte menu on offer.  My dining companion and I (you didn’t think I ate everything in those photos by myself did you?) delighted in a four-course meal, mine consisting of a hot melon soup, Caesar salad, and fish and chips, followed with a delicious cheesecake with a cappuccino.

 

The meal was delicious, but this brings me to the only other thing I did not like about this overall glorious stay:  all of the courses were brought to the table at the exact same time (with the exception of dessert which hadn’t been ordered yet) so, by the time I got through my soup and salad, the fish and chips were not as hot as I would have liked them to be.  My suggestion, simply confirm upon ordering that they bring out the courses one at a time (which they probably do most of the time anyway).

 

 

In terms of the facilities, the hotel offers no gym but they do have a rather nice outdoor pool and patio which I unfortunately was only able to use for a photo shoot to accompany an interview with me in The Star newspaper.   When I did need to take a taxi, the hotel staff was very helpful in securing a metered taxi and making sure they knew my destination.  And, by the way, throughout my stay, many of the staff addressed me by name, even those I hadn’t yet met.

 

Saving the best for last, let me tell you about the room.  First of all, the lowest class of room is still a “Deluxe” and it is deserving of the title.  In fact, I see no reason to pay for an Executive Deluxe because, based upon the photos I’ve seen, you just get more modern bath fixtures and a more modern desk.  Everything else seems to be quite similar, right down to the flat screen TV and the ultra luxurious king-sized bed (other options available) with a wide variety of pillows to choose from based upon your comfort preferences.  Another plus, all of the rooms are non-smoking (I hate going into a hotel room where someone has smoked).

 

So, now I’m sad.  Why?  Because I have less than 24 hours remaining in my stay in KL, a city I have absolutely loved visiting.  I have been here for the launch of the world tour of “The Power To Be Strong” HIV Testing/Safer Sex Awareness campaign, the cornerstone of which is a music video (subtitled in 20 languages including Malay and Mandarin Chinese) calling upon people to “Get tested and live longer and be strong.”  My trip has generated media exposure reaching over 2,000,000 people in two languages on national TV and also in major English and Malay newspapers, all promoting the vital, anonymous HIV counseling and screening services of the Kuala Lumpur-based PT Foundation.

 

My stay at the Vistana Kuala Lumpur was provided to me by a private individual in honor of the new organization in Malaysia advocating for people living with HIV, MY PLUS.  I look forward to bringing you reports about MY PLUS in the future.

 

Since I have been here on a high profile media trip, I also appreciate that the guest room floors at the Vistana Kuala Lumpur are very secure, requiring a key card for access.

 

So, I have two questions for you:

 

Have you had your HIV test yet?

 

Have you booked your stay at the Vistana Kuala Lumpur yet?

 

Until next time,

 

Nicholas Snow

 

VISTANA KUALA LUMPUR

 

9 Jalan Lumut, Off Jalan Ipoh
50400 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Tel : [phone]
Fax: [phone]

www.VistanaHotels.com

www.ytlhotels.com.my

The Vistana Kuala Lumpur on Agoda

 

The photo for the above article was taken poolside at the Vistana Kuala Lumpur.

 

THE POWER TO BE STRONG CAMPAIGN

 

www.ThePowerToBeStrong.com

www.PTFMalaysia.org