Sunday, April 03, 2016

Vistana Hotel Kuala Lumpur

Hello peeps!

By this time, you all know that I'm a sucker for hotel stays, right? Well, this post is no exception so bear with me. 

This time around, I had a training at Vistana Hotel which is within walking distance from Titiwangsa LRT Station. The room rate is about RM250++ so it wasn't that bad.

The hotel caters mostly to business travellers since many training programs are conducted here. I am happy to say that checking in was a breeze and done under 10 minutes, and then we were on our way to our room.

Th room appears to be dark but cozy. We had to switch on all the lights in the room to make it look brighter. The decor is pretty much standard with rich brown feature wall and the rest of the furniture as expected in a standard hotel room. 

We got a queen-sized bed with really comfy pillows

Brown seems to be the dominant color

A plasma TV enclosed in a tv cabinet

Standard choice of instant coffee and tea

There's a mini fridge provided without beverages

The bathroom has been done in modern contemporary style with clean edges. The lighting behind the vanity mirror lends the bathroom a brighter look. Sadly, no bathtub is installed in the bathroom, although a glass partition separates the toilet and the shower area.

The spacious sink area

Shower area comes with hand-held shower and a rain shower

Simple toiletries are provided consisting of a shower cap and toothbrush/toothpaste

Our room comes with buffet breakfast for two. Although the options are not as grand a five-star hotel (or even 4-star for that matter), the choice are pretty decent (with the staple nasi lemak on the menu, pancakes, bread and jam, fried rice, eggs station, and a few other selections).

Overall, it wasn't a bad experience, although hardly worth shouting out for. It meets the expectation without the wow factor, so maybe they ought to think of a way to really stand out from other hotels within its category.

What I like about the hotel is its proximity to an LRT station, and the warm smiles worn by their staff whenever we saw them. Other than that, everything about it falls back and is very much forgettable.

Verdict: 8/10

Update 2023: Vistana Hotel has since been re-branded as AC Hotel which is now part of the Marriott Bonvoy hotels.

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Saturday, April 02, 2016

Tune Hotel @ KLIA2

Have you ever had to pay for a full-service hotel yet all you wanted is just a place to nap for a few hours because you are rushing to go somewhere else the next day? Even worse when you are catching an early morning flight but airport hotels are world-famous for being on the steep end when it comes to hotel rates. Take for example, Sama-Sama Hotel in KLIA which charges not less than RM200 per night, yet all you want is just a comfortable place to spend the night without worrying for your and your belonging's safety.

Like us, I'm sure many travellers heaved a sigh of relief when AirAsia Group decided to launch Tune Hotels back in 2009 and have one nearby KLIA / KLIA2. Although recently another alternative, Capsule by Container Hotel breaks into the scene of airport budget accommodation, Tune Hotels is still a relevant choice for travellers traveling with family or in group (a family can't stay together in Capsule by Container Hotel because they separate men and women sleeping bunks, and you have to share bathroom as well).

A couple of months ago, we had the opportunity to sample Tune Hotels at KLIA2 as we were en-route to Bintulu early the next morning. Following the 'no-frills' concept of its sister airline business, Tune Hotels operate limited service where you pay only for the amenities that you want to use. 

It's pretty easy to book a room via its website (tunehotels.com) and visitors are given options from basic (room + shower + ceiling fan only) to full service including breakfast. The price is quite affordable too, since we only wanted to sleep for a few hours before we boarded our early morning flight.

We picked the option with full amenities excluding breakfast. Upon checking in, we were given a room key card which we have to slot in the card slot to activate our amenities of choice.

Our room comes with a queen size bed and an en-suite bathroom with shower.

View from the hallway

The room design is clean and follows minimalist concept in red, black and white. It makes the 11sqm room appears a bit more spacious than it really is.

Flat TV hung from the wall across the bed

A power shower allows you to choose hot or cold shower depending on your preference. Simple toiletries (shower gel and shampoo with conditioner) are also provided.

Shower area is adorned with white, rectangular tiles

The bathroom is rather tiny and only one person can squeeze in the bathroom at a time. The hotel cleverly manipulates a vanity mirror in front of the sink to give the bathroom a larger appearance.

Hair dryer is also provided at the sink area

The toilet area

I must say it was worth every ringgit we paid for to stay in a clean, comfortable room with super-comfy bed.

Among the add-ons that Tune Hotels provide is early check-in (11am) which I'm sure many travellers are grateful for since we always hate having to wait until 2pm before we can check in. So, the next time we have to catch an early morning, we definitely will book a room with Tune Hotels KLIA2.

Verdict: 9/10

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