Kuala Lumpur: Le Méridien Hotel Review 1/2

Date: 2020-03-30

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We stayed at Le Méridien Kuala Lumpur. It was only a one-night stay, so this isn't a complete guide, but here is what we saw and experienced.

Hotel Overview

Le Méridien Kuala Lumpur ★5 Built in 2004, the hotel was renovated in 2015, so the interiors and guest rooms are fresh, clean, and well-maintained.

Location, Address, Number of Rooms, Floors, and Room Rate

Le Méridien Kuala Lumpur is ideally situated directly across from KL Sentral station, and is accessible on foot (3–5 minutes) from inside the station. The entrance from the station is shared with the adjacent Hilton Hotel. Facilities on the 8th floor such as the pool and gym are jointly operated with the Hilton.

Le Méridien Kuala Lumpur 2 Jalan Stesen Sentral, Kuala Lumpur Sentral +60 3-2263 7888

Fri, Mar 13, 2020 – Sat, Mar 14, 2020 (1 night) Total for Stay (all rooms) 355.30 MYR

The hotel has 35 floors and 420 guest rooms in total.

Nearby Dining and Shopping

The hotel is close to KL Sentral station, Chinatown, the Petronas Twin Towers, and Perdana Botanical Garden — one of Kuala Lumpur's most popular locations. KL Sentral is the terminus for the KLIA Ekspres, the express train connecting the airport and the city centre in about 30 minutes, making it an excellent base for airport access. The station is directly connected to NU Sentral shopping mall, so dining and shopping are never a problem.

Top Facilities in the Hotel

Kuala Lumpur is known worldwide as a city where you can stay at 5-star hotels at very affordable prices — a paradise for hotel lovers.

The Club Lounge is Highly Recommended

Even if the room rate is slightly higher, we strongly recommend booking a Club Room which includes access to the lounge. The Club Lounge is located on the 33rd floor. Club Room guests and elite members with lounge access can also check in and out from here.

We went to the ground floor front desk when we arrived, but were escorted up to the lounge where we checked in and were served drinks. After relaxing in the lounge, we headed to our room to find our luggage had already been delivered.

When we asked for orange juice, it was freshly squeezed. The view from the lounge is also lovely. A motorway leading into the heart of KL runs in front of the hotel, and the lights looked beautiful at night.

We could see the Le Méridien reflected in the office building across the street.

The lounge is open from 6:30am to 11:30pm. It is a very spacious area with a variety of seating styles, so you can find your favourite spot to relax.

There is a proper kitchen staffed by chefs who serve dim sum, steamed dishes, noodles, and more.

This is a private room with glass panel partitions, suitable for groups of 8–10. Guests with lounge access can use it free of charge for up to two hours.

Across the train tracks from KL Sentral is the Aloft hotel, also part of the Marriott group. Aloft is a modern, art-inspired business hotel targeting millennials.

The Club Lounge serves a Continental Breakfast from 6:30am to 10:30am (until 11am on weekends). Of course, you can also have breakfast in the main restaurant "Latest Recipe" on the 5th floor.

The much-anticipated Evening Cocktail Hour runs from 6pm to 8:30pm. During this time, alcoholic beverages including wine and beer are served, along with a spread of food from starters to desserts.

There is a warm European-inspired selection alongside Asian favourites including dim sum and noodles.

Desserts were a colourful and varied assortment of sweets.

This lounge ranks among the best we have ever visited. Japanese 5-star hotels are in a class of their own, but overseas hotel lounges often disappoint with only simple snacks during cocktail hour. Here, however, the food was delicious and plentiful — good enough to replace dinner entirely. As dusk fell throughout the hotel, candles were placed everywhere.

The Hotel Has 7 Restaurants and Bars:

"GASTRO SENTRAL" on the lobby floor — a classic gastropub.

[caption id="attachment_6360" align="aligncenter" width="550"] "GASTRO SENTRAL" on the lobby floor[/caption]

"LATITUDE 03" — a barista coffee shop on the ground floor lobby.

[caption id="attachment_6361" align="aligncenter" width="550"] "LATITUDE 03" ground floor lobby[/caption]

"LATEST RECIPE" on the 5th floor — also the breakfast venue, serving international buffets for lunch and dinner.

[caption id="attachment_6363" align="aligncenter" width="550"] "LATEST RECIPE" on the 5th floor[/caption]

"PRIME" — a steakhouse serving premium beef from the US and Australia. Perfect with wine.

[caption id="attachment_6364" align="aligncenter" width="550"] "PRIME"[/caption]

On the 7th floor, "Ginza Sushi Masa" is a sushi restaurant operated by the Japanese chain "Umai Sushi Kan". On the 8th floor, "FAVOLA" is an Italian restaurant, and "POOL BAR & GRILL@8" is a bar beside the pool where you can order delicious drinks poolside. All venues are stylish and run by award-winning chefs serving world-class cuisine.

The Business Centre is on the same floor as reception, and computer and printer use is available for a fee.

Pool, Gym, and Spa

Shared with the neighbouring Hilton Hotel, the facilities are on the 8th floor terrace. Because the pool is shared between two hotels, it is generously sized, well-maintained, and makes for a wonderful urban retreat.

On the Hilton side, we spotted an amusingly named Japanese restaurant called "Ikekire" (meaning something like "Brilliant Pool"!).

[caption id="attachment_6372" align="aligncenter" width="550"] "Ikekire"[/caption]

The gym and spa were located in the lower section of the Hilton.

The Hilton towers to the right. Since Marriott and Hilton are separate groups, it is unusual to share facilities, and we wondered if perhaps the same owner holds the property here.

A true urban oasis — a space that makes you want to spend an entire day doing nothing but relaxing.

This is "POOL BAR & GRILL@8".

It was not in use during the day, but it appears to become a grill restaurant in the evening.

Continued in: Kuala Lumpur: Le Méridien Hotel Review 2/2.