Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur

This is not my first visit to Kuala Lumpur, far from it. It has just been a while, being the better part of 30 years, so yes, I expect many, many, many changes.

The first question was where to stay, so while talking to a work colleague, who suggested the Shangri-La and said it was 5-star in a near-perfect location.

Interesting, but 5-star, my first thought was, it must be horribly expensive, but after some digging around through the usual online sites such as webjet.com and booking.com, the truth was it was cheaper than the one I usually stay at in Singapore and even better when bundled with flights.

So, after a very long taxi ride from the airport, the arrival was as expected for 5-stars, my bags were collected from the taxi, and the check-in was fast and efficient.

The only issue was when I tried to use my HSBC international card for the deposit, which, for some reason, was rejected despite being more than able to handle it.

Now, while some hotels I have stayed at would have complained, the check-in person just handled it using another card, without any drop in professionalism, with that sorted out, the hotel tax paid, and the free WiFi details in my hand, I was on my way to my room, with my bags soon to follow me.

Heading into the lift to my room on the 15th floor, the only thing I noted was the lack of security, which did not require me to use my key card to access the floor. It's not a big deal, but it's very unusual and something I have not seen in decades of travelling.

The interesting part is that the tech to read the keycard was in the lift; it just did not seem to be required. This is something I will ask the front desk about.

Quick update on this lack of security in the lift, it seems it's currently under maintenance, so not a real problem, just an example of proper maintenance. I will say a sign would have been nice, but again but not a big deal. 🧰

So, getting to my room through the very plush halls and opening the door, the first thing I noted was the air conditioning, which was set to a pleasant level, rather than some places I have stayed that tried to freeze me on arrival. It's a small thing, but most welcome.

My first thoughts were impressive, very plush, well laid out, and contained everything needed for a comfortable stay. But first, what's the view like? Well, not a stunning panorama of the city with the Petronas Towers, but still pleasant.

And yes, I know I was not really expecting the panorama, given the room I am in is the bottom of those available.

Before I could do anything other than take a quick look, my bags arrived with a friendly staff member, who brought the bags in and deposited them where I wanted them. I did feel a little bad as I had no cash, so I could not tip him. And yes, another example of the 5-star service.

I must make a note to check whether that's a thing here, as it's been too long, and my memory is not that good.

hmmm, quick update, it seems tipping is not expected, but in some cases is appreciated. Just check out this page which talks about this with examples.

See what I mean, it's a pleasant outlook, nothing overlooks, nor do I get fried by the sun. In short, one of the better ones I have had in a while.

If this is the basic room, the higher-end ones must be absolutely stunning, and no, this is not the only 5-star hotel I have stayed at, far from it, but still, so far anyway, it's one of the better ones.

Location-wise, it's good being right in the middle of the city, close to the Patronus Towers and just about everything else, with the monorail running right down the street right outside of the hotel.

As you can see from the above map, everything is easy to get to, with the KLCC being very close, and yes, that's where the Patronus Towers are located, together with a huge shopping mall and even a pleasant park complete with a fountain show.

In my case, each morning, I head over to the KLCC mall for breakfast, and while Marks and Spencer Malaysia does not sell the same killer croissants that you can get in Singapore or Hong Kong, many places in that mall do. Hint: try Cold Storage Supermarket, or one of the Japanese Markets.

And yes, I know the hotel makes a good breakfast, but in my case, to motivate myself to head out and get some exercise, I opted not to go down this path. Maybe later on this trip, I will try it.

Currently, I am only in the first few days of my stay at the Shangri-La, but as it stands, it's one of the better hotels I have stayed at, and well deserves its 5-star rating.

Final update: it's the end of my stay, and no, my thoughts on the hotel are unchanged. It's up there with the best I have stayed at over the decades, and it's going to be my preferred hotel in Kuala Lumpur.