Kuala Lumpur Best Exec Lounge Hotels Advice please

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BB3142

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In Kl for 5 nights in Sept on a girls trip. Ideally a Exec Lounge with a terrace or balcony. Hotel location close to shopping, towers, transport. And a sunny pool. 2 out of 3 of us are SPG & Hilton Gold but not feeling bound to their options for this trip. Any tips advice greatly appreciated.
 
Hilton Gold would make the Double Tree the selection in my book, as it's pool gets reasonable sun, the lounge has a balcony and they treat Golds real well. It does not have much shopping close although it's not far from the KLCC, there is a light rail station across the road (Ampang). It's also cheap if you have points to burn.

Aloft at Sentral has a rooftop pool and bar but no lounge while the nearby Hilton and Le Med share the pool, both have in door lounges.
 
Thanks so much Markis10!! Doubletree was on our radar. Any thoughts on Westin and/or Grand Millennium?
 
Thanks so much Markis10!! Doubletree was on our radar. Any thoughts on Westin and/or Grand Millennium?

I have not stayed at either so cannot comment, I found the Westin to be expensive and I have a feeling it's because of the location. It does seem to be popular with a few here so hopefully someone can comment.
 
This would not fit in with your current hotel status and I don't know your budget but I thought this review I did in 2012 might be helpful. Certainly ticks the boxes for shopping, towers, transport & the exec lounge has wonderful views of the towers. You need to ensure you get an updated room-I think all with exec lounge access are.
http://www.australianfrequentflyer....hotel-kuala-37883.html?highlight=kuala+lumpur
 
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Westin is terrible. I vote for Doubletree for mid price range. Hilton KL good too, but less convenient. Shangri La expensive - but great
 
Westin is terrible. I vote for Doubletree for mid price range. Hilton KL good too, but less convenient. Shangri La expensive - but great

Agreed. Hilton KL is convenient to the KLIA Ekspres station, but not to other shops and the like. For a one night stay I like it, but for longer I would head to the DT.
 
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Agreed. Hilton KL is convenient to the KLIA Ekspres station, but not to other shops and the like. For a one night stay I like it, but for longer I would head to the DT.

It is still early days but need to start planning for the KUL-SIN lounge crawl next year. I think we will only stay the Saturday night in KUL and then head off to SIN on Sunday morning with everyone and then back to BKK on Sunday night via KUL.

I am Gold for now but won't have that status come June next year. I think that means no lounge access so may have to purchase executive lounge room. Is this the better of the 2 KUL hotels?
 
I am Gold for now but won't have that status come June next year. I think that means no lounge access so may have to purchase executive lounge room. Is this the better of the 2 KUL hotels?
There are actually 3 Hilton variants in KUL but the 3rd is further out of the way.
The Hilton at Sentral is much more opulent than the DT but the DT is pretty good. For a one nighter I would pay a little more for the KLH over the DT but not a lot more.
 
The Grand Hyatt has an outstanding lounge and is in a decent location. The pool is fantastic with a poolside bar, but the lounge does not have an outdoor area.
 
The Hilton at Sentral is much more opulent than the DT but the DT is pretty good.

Something must have coloured my experience at Hilton KUL because I actually felt that the DT gave me more of a true "Hilton" experience than the Hilton did.

Not to say that I found the hilton unsatisfactory, just that everything at the DT seemed better ... better room, better service, better facilities and closer to stuff I wanted to do.
 
Thank you all FF members! I must be Bad hotel ff status holder, have seen today I have let my HH gold lapse - been so focussed on my QF with the partner airline stat cred change didn't note it. Never mind - going to stay Le Merdien - as still hold SPG - enroute to LHR from Mel - and with the friends staying in KUl on return who are not as point conscious as moi - stay at Grand Millennium - they have great lounge (apparently) and good locale. Will do a trip report on both to thank you all for your feedback. Happy flying! :)
 
Traders Hotel - perfect views of the Twin Towers. Also their pool area converts into a nice chill out area for (paid) drinks at night :)
 
Loved the Hilton in KL, although being near KL Sentral is close to my office. I loved the lounge, I thought it was one of the best I've been in. It certainly had some of the best food offerings that I've had in a lounge.
 
The Shangri-la is close to the towers, great views. It has a nice lounge and a good size pool area outside.
 
The Grand Hyatt has an outstanding lounge and is in a decent location. The pool is fantastic with a poolside bar, but the lounge does not have an outdoor area.

Not exactly addressing the OP's question but answering on KL hotels generally in case it's useful for anyone:

+1 to the Grand Hyatt recommendation. It is close to brand new, modern, great location, good service, the view from the lobby is spectacular... and certainly one of the best options out of any hotel in KL.

I stayed at Le Meridien for the first time last night and didn't mind it. Good lobby, great breakfast, with really surprisingly polished service.

KL hotels are generally a bit old and sad in my view - mostly built back in the glory days pre-1998 I suppose. I would definitely steer clear of the Westin, Traders, and the Intercontinental.

Another one worth looking at is The Majestic. It is owned by a very, very wealthy Malaysian and has by far the best 'hard product' in KL - the design, furniture etc is spectacular, the historical vibe is great (kind of like Raffles in Singapore but even more tastefully renovated) and it often has crazy low rates given how good it is. Location is a bit out of the way but I don't mind it. It's great being able to go for a run in the Botanical Gardens which are just behind the hotel, and also there are some interesting sights with great architecture just nearby.
 
Agreed. Hilton KL is convenient to the KLIA Ekspres station, but not to other shops and the like. For a one night stay I like it, but for longer I would head to the DT.

I might comment that the mall opposite Sentral - Nu Sentral opened in March which actually means some shopping is closer and the connection to the Monorail which delivers you into Bukit Bintang is much easier to get to.
(improves the location of the Hilton, LeMeridien and aloft)(and the St Regis which is scheduled for a late 2015 opening).

That said like many of the comments above I prefer the Doubletree in KL
 
ajca- Why wouldn't you recommend Traders? Last time we went to KL was back in early 2000 and stayed at the MO. Looking at the rooms now they are so old looking and need to be updated. I am looking at Traders and Shangri-La as alternatives.
 
ajca- Why wouldn't you recommend Traders? Last time we went to KL was back in early 2000 and stayed at the MO. Looking at the rooms now they are so old looking and need to be updated. I am looking at Traders and Shangri-La as alternatives.

The MO is one of the few decent hotels in KL that I haven't stayed at, largely because as you say the rooms looks like they desperately need a renovation. Some of the rooms still have those disgusting bedspreads! Yuck. Unbelievable for an MO.

According to the MO GM's comments on TripAdvisor they are now in planning stages of full revamp of all the rooms. I had lunch at the lobby bar last week and it was excellent and the public areas of the hotel looked like they had recently been renovated and are in great shape.

I would choose the Shangri-la over the Traders any day.

Traders is more modern (conceptually) but everything about it seemed quite dated to me, the furniture / fitout etc feels really cheap, and the service is mediocre. It feels kind of like a 15 year old W Hotel that was designed and built on the cheap and hasn't been renovated since it was built - kind of sad.

Having said that Traders has an advantage in views and also location if you want to be near KLCC.

The Shangri-la on the other hand is elegant, tasteful, very well maintained and has excellent service. I would say the SL is a real luxury hotel (or as close as you'll find to one in KL!) whereas the Traders is a pretty average business hotel.

Just my 0.2myr...

As an aside, hilariously in a response to a TripAdvisor comment the MO's GM mentions the 'exclusive light show' at KLCC. Not sure how that's exclusive to the MO as anybody can walk up and see it. It is indeed fantastic as long as you like having your dinner interrupted by an extremely loud instrumental version of Celine Dion's My Heart Will Go On, accompanied by truly the lamest collection of lights and fountain squirts. The whole thing is totally inexplicable. Only in Malaysia would such a thing be considered anything other than a practical joke.

As another aside - I'm kind of surprised by all the interest in KL as a tourist destination. I sometimes joke "the best way to see the sights of KL is from a speeding Uber as it races towards KLIA". Surely if you're interested in big Asian cities Bangkok or Saigon or Hong Kong or Singapore or even Jakarta are more interesting? Maybe it's just me.
 
ajca- Thanks for the insight. This will be part of bigger trip. as you say to Singapore, Hong Kong, Macau, Bangkok, and then KL for 2 days before heading home. I already have the hotels sorted out for the other destinations just wasn't certain on KL.
 
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