After an INCREDIBLE (yes all CAPS!) experience with Ritz Carlton in Koh Samui, I was really looking forward to experiencing what the brand has to offer in Kuala Lumpur, a city with a much tougher competition in the realm of luxury hotels. Arriving at the Ritz Carlton, you are greeted with the welcoming smiles of the staff who are eager to help you. It gets better — as you walk in, you will immediately notice that the lobby area smells really nice. And I am not talking cheap air freshener nice, this is the real deal. After a quick check in, I was escorted to my suite on the 11th floor during which I passed through one of the hotel’s restaurants and a cozy, moodily-lit open seating area.
The room was definitely the largest I had stayed in so far on my 1.5 month trip in Asia. In fact, it was so large that I only realized there is a second bathroom on the next day.
The hotel features 364 guest rooms, including 30 one-bedroom suites, 15 meeting rooms totaling 18,730 square feet, and five spread out restaurants. To add more comfort and luxury to the experience, all rooms at the hotel can enjoy a full butler service, and the dining options range between Asian and international food to daily dim sum lunches and delightful pastries.
You can find more details on the hotel on its website but I will list some of the ways I felt this hotel was special.
1. Location
The Ritz Carlton Kuala Lumpur is located in the heart of the city, within walking distance to the Pavilion, one of the largest shopping malls in Malaysia and arguably where you will see most people hanging out during their stay in the capital. However, the street where the hotel is located was very quiet, despite even some construction around it, and away from the hustle and bustle of the neighboring streets, which made for an excellent night sleep. Of course, the super comfortable beds helped!
2. Food
Kuala Lumpur is by far my favorite foodie city (sorry Bangkok and Istanbul, I still love you!) and there is absolutely no excuse to having a bad meal in this town. The Ritz Carlton Kuala Lumpur understands that and its chefs and staff have obviously put in many hours to ensure that guests have a great food experience even if they do not venture outside the hotel. Starting with breakfast, which offers some excellent Indian and Malaysian street food (cooked in Ritz Carlton luxury of course!), the best dessert line-up that I have EVER seen in a hotel breakfast, and a legendary fresh juice bar. 75% of the breakfast area is live cooking stations so you know you are getting the fresh real deal. Another incredible food experience at the Ritz Carlton Kuala Lumpur was the high tea hour, which features plates upon plates of savory and sweet bites and a very long list of tea selections AND live music at surprisingly affordable prices. I highly recommend this experience, even if you are not staying at the hotel.
3. Staff
Everyone working at the Ritz Carlton Kuala Lumpur is fully alert to the needs and requests of guests. I must have seen at least 15 different nationalities during my stay and the staff were engaging them (some in their local languages even) to ensure they get what they need. I asked the concierge to arrange for something which required some phone calls and follow ups, and he made sure I got what I needed with a big smile on his face. The concierge was very helpful in recommending places to see in the city especially for me on a tight schedule.
4. The Spa
The highlight of my stay at Ritz Carlton Kuala Lumpur has got to be the spa! I walked in on a Monday morning when the spa was barely open, and I was welcomed by Junah who would be my massage therapist for the day and probably my favorite person in Kuala Lumpur right now! In 90 minutes, Junah turned my body from a stiff tree log into a piece of jelly that I could literally barely walk afterwards — I just wanted a bed to sleep! I seriously hope the Ritz Carlton Kuala Lumpur takes out a big insurance on Junah’s hands because they are the hands of a magician! This is another experience I highly recommend even to non-guests.
If you would like to know more about the hotel, you can email me at [email protected] or check the hotel’s website, Facebook page, or Instagram.
