Malaysia: Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur Hotel Review
Date: 2020-04-05
We stayed two nights at the Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur Hotel in Malaysia's capital.
Hotel Name and Star Rating
March 2020 (2 nights) Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur Hotel Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur β 5
Location, Address, Number of Rooms, Floors, and Room Rate
Located in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, the hotel is just a short drive or monorail ride (under 10 minutes) from Bukit Bintang β KL's equivalent of the Ginza shopping district. There is a shopping mall directly across the street with an AEON supermarket in the basement, making it very convenient for dining and shopping.
The KL Monorail running in front of the hotel provides easy access to Bukit Bintang and KL Sentral.
Opened in 1997 and refurbished in 2018, the hotel has 38 floors and 358 rooms.
Address: Jalan Sultan Ismail Kuala Lumpur 50250 Malaysia
Telephone: +60-3-27179900
2 nights total: 583.99 MYR (approximately 14,600 yen / Β£110) booked via hotels.com
Nearby Dining and Shopping
The mall across the street, viewed from the main entrance. The rail above the road is the monorail line.
Quill City Mall is directly opposite, housing restaurants, cafes, and shops, with a Japanese-run AEON supermarket in the basement β very handy.
Getting There from the Airport
By taxi from the airport: approximately 150 ringgit. Alternatively, take the train or bus to KL Sentral and then a taxi from there.
Paid limousine service available β pre-booking with the hotel required. 195 ringgit one way.
Hotel Entrance and Lobby
Just inside the entrance on the right is a beautiful staircase.
As the staircase continues further back, you feel as though you are inside a palace.
Partway up the staircase is a lounge where afternoon tea is served. In the evening, a bar counter at the far end opens for drinks.
Reception
From the Lobby to the Room
Classic, elegantly understated interiors with calm, sophisticated colours.
The Room
Club Floor on the 37th floor.
Sheraton Club Room, king-size bed, 42 m2. The room consists of three separate areas: the bedroom, the bathroom, and the wardrobe.
The wardrobe includes a safe and plenty of drawers, making it very convenient for longer stays. Having space to put away clothing in the wardrobe means the bedroom stays tidy.
Across from the wardrobe is the drinks corner. Two bottles of mineral water "Spritzer" are replenished daily.
View from the Window
A typical central KL skyline of towering skyscrapers. Our room had no tall buildings directly opposite, so the views were excellent.
The KL Tower is clearly visible to the right. At its base, surrounded by trees, is a subtropical botanical garden.
The night views were truly stunning!
Bed
A super king-size bed, 200cm wide.
The room is elegantly decorated in calm tones. The linens are high-quality Egyptian cotton with a lustrous, smooth feel. The duvet is quite thick β perhaps the room is designed to be kept cool for sleeping.
Beside the bed is a chaise longue sofa β top of the wish list for a sofa to have at home.
There is also a slightly larger table and chair nearby, useful for a spot of work.
How about stretching out on this gorgeous blue sofa with a drink and a good book, while enjoying the view through the window beside it?
Room Facilities, Air Conditioning Comfort, and Wi-Fi Speed
The air conditioning was quiet and effective. Wi-Fi was fast and comfortable.
Shower, Bathroom, Amenities, and Cleanliness
The bathroom is marble throughout, with a separate bathtub and shower.
The shower is an overhead rain shower, so stepping inside automatically means washing your hair (laughs).
A classic freestanding bathtub β we could relax in a long, leisurely soak.
The amenities are the original "le grand bain" range created exclusively for Sheraton by Swedish fragrance brand "Byredo" founder Ben Gorham. Not overpowering in scent, and very pleasant to use.
Very clean and in excellent condition β a thoroughly comfortable experience.
Club Lounge
The Club Lounge is on the 38th floor.
Normally the lounge would be full of guests. It is a spacious lounge, but when we stayed β right at the beginning of when the coronavirus was spreading rapidly β the hotel had very few guests.
Cocktail hour runs from 6:30pm to 8:30pm. The selection was fairly extensive and we enjoyed it thoroughly.
Pool, Gym, and Spa
We can't recall exactly which floor (probably around the 5th to 7th), but there is a pool, gym, and spa.
A space where you can unwind in the middle of the city.
We were puzzled to see an Italian-style building in the middle of KL's skyline β it turned out to be Villa Danieli, an Italian restaurant.
The entrance to the gym and spa.
Breakfast
Breakfast is served in "Essence" on the first floor (second floor in Japanese counting). The entrance area is open-plan with skylights, making the space very bright and airy.
A wide variety of continental and Asian options are laid out. For those of us (in particular) who love Asian noodles, having noodles first thing in the morning was a delight. You could choose from egg noodles, pho (rice noodles), and regular wheat noodles, plus laksa (curry-flavoured) or chicken broth.
With a chef right there in front of you, dishes are replenished as soon as they run out, so everything is freshly prepared.
Malaysia's most iconic dish has to be Nasi Lemak.
Rice cooked in coconut milk, served with sambal sauce, peanuts, fried anchovies, cucumber, and a boiled egg, along with a choice of side dishes. The rice has a faint coconut fragrance and is deliciously moist. Sambal sauce is a mildly spicy condiment used on everything β the Malaysian equivalent of soy sauce.
Staff and Service
Everyone was cheerful and attentive. The traditionally dressed elderly doorman at the main entrance in his Malaysian national costume was particularly distinguished and charming.
Our Rating for This Hotel
Our rating for this hotel is β 9.
(10 = Absolutely loved it, would definitely stay again β 1 = worst, never coming back)
This visit came during the early days of the coronavirus crisis, as we were transiting on our way back to London. As a result, there were very few guests, and the hotel felt wonderfully quiet and spacious.
We would love to stay here again if given the chance! Kuala Lumpur β where you can stay at 5-star hotels at bargain prices and eat fantastic food at very reasonable cost β is a place we could happily live in forever.
Other books you might like
You're welcome to take a look.
EAST TO WEST: The Heart of Haiku, the Light of Scripture
The unexpected stillness of a nearly empty hotel during an uncertain time β the kind of quiet this collection finds through haiku. This was my father-in-law's final work.
View on AmazonCataract Surgery-A Memoir: Double cataract surgery in Osaka, Japan
Another new experience at 66 β an honest account of the cataract surgery I went through.
View on AmazonSushi Business in Britain: the complete four-volume series
A novel series following thirty-five years in the British sushi trade, from apprentice to factory manager to a small sushi school.
View on Amazon
