|
| Godiva Affogato |
When we were in JB to attend our friend's daughter's wedding, we came across TROVE JB Hotel. We instantly liked the hotel images from a travel booking site and the room rate was also affordable (below RM150 per night), so we decided to stay at the hotel for 3 nights.
|
| TROVE JB exterior |
We arrived at night around 9pm from KL and straightaway checked into the hotel. The check-in process was smooth as we booked with Agoda.com and paid upfront, and we were given our access cards less than 10minutes later.
While checking in, we could not help but admire the hotel lobby's sleek marble floors and grand ceiling. A magnificent chandelier hung from high ceiling in the lobby centre, its lights reflected from the mirror above. Wooden beam structure lined up the edges of the centrepiece - giving off the look and feel of modern contemporary.
 |
| Hotel Lobby |
While the hotel at first glance looked impressive, the housekeeping services came across as woeful. Arriving at our floor, we were greeted by vibrant-coloured striped carpets covering the hallway to the room, although the carpet could do with a good scrub and wash as it came off as stained and dirty.
When we entered our room, the first thing we noticed is the stench of stale water coming from the toilet which was rather off-putting.
 |
| The toilet lid was up and the stench permeates throughout the room |
 |
| Shower cubicle |
Since there were only two towels provided in the room, we called housekeeping to request for extra towels. To our dismay, we were told that housekeeping service was only available until 5 or 6pm, and we could only ask for one extra towel.
We were relieved to find water dispenser in our room with hot/cold water, but it was short-lived as we discovered the water dispenser actually dispensed only hot water. Luckily I had brought my own thermal flask which I then used to cool off the water (I had to cool off the water the whole night before we can drink it).
 |
| Water dispenser provided in the room |
The following day, after coming back to the hotel from our outing, we discovered that our bath mat was missing. So we requested for a replacement only to be told that they ran out of bath mat. It was disappointing to find a decent-looking hotel with this level of service.
Other than that, we quite liked our room simple yet modern decor and high-speed Internet which allowed us to watch Netflix on the hotel TV. The hotel also provides complimentary parking for guests. There was also a convenient store in the hotel building should we ever need anything, plenty of local eateries within walking distance to the hotel and a car wash just opposite the hotel.
Rating: 6/10
Hello,
It has been 2 years since we uprooted ourselves from Sarawak and how I miss Christmas visits to my friends' houses!
When I was working in Sarawak, we never failed to organise festive meal spread for our co-workers who had to work during this festive season. I always looked forward to seeing the office all decked up with Christmas tree and Christmas carolling by our Christian colleagues. Someone would up as Santa and goes around distributing candies to everyone.
My department would also organise gift exchange in the spirit of celebration, and we would dress up and pose for group photos with Santa hat on just for fun.
To all my Christian friends and family members,
Have a joyous celebration and Happy New Year!
|
Hello, readers!
It's that time of the year again - school holiday. What better way to spend it than by sampling hotels in Kuala Lumpur?
For us, hotel staycation is an annual tradition to celebrate our anniversary and the kids' birthday. We might not be able to travel far for the past two years but Kuala Lumpur has a fair share of established hotels so we did not miss traveling much.
Last year we celebrated our anniversary at Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur, but this year we wanted a more -ahem, special celebration for us and the girls alike. This is where Four Points by Sheraton KL's special deal 'Experience - Kids Stay Free' gave us the perfect solution - why pay for the kids' room when you can get it for free?
|
| Photo credit: Marriott Bonvoy |
 |
| A very good deal with breakfast for four included |
We arrived in good time as the traffic was not that congested on a weekday. Parking is provided on-site at the rate of RM10 per stay. As soon as we parked, we made our way to the hotel lobby located at 7th floor. Checking in was a breeze and only took a few minutes. The staff was courteous and efficient. Do note that guests will need to show their vaccination status before they are allowed to check in.
By the way, if you are a Marriott Bonvoy member and have downloaded their apps, you can check in earlier via the apps and request for mobile check-in. You may also request for mobile key which allows you to access the lift and the your room using your mobile phone. All you need to do is to open the apps and tap the back of your phone to the card reader. Do note that first-timers may need to approach the reception counter to configure their phone before they can use this function.
 |
| Our special numbers |
When the hotel mention 'kids-themed room', don't get your expectations too high - what your kids will get is an Ikea tent. Period. I called the reception to check on the 'Kid's Welcome Kit' stated in the package only to be told that there's only the tent. Umm. I know, it is kind of lame because we have been to other hotels that give kids' stationery and colouring book that the kids can actually bring back (p/s: if you stay at Aloft KL with kids, you will also get Ikea tent in your room). Seeing that it's a complimentary room, we are not complaining 😂
 |
| The girls deciding on which side they want to sleep on |
What I love about the hotel room is it has bright natural lighting which makes the room feels spacious.
 |
| Hallway |
While the room and the hotel in general evidently leans heavily towards contemporary design, you couldn't help noticing charming touches of local art blended to pay homage to its vibrant & historical location of Chinatown.
 |
| Chinatown traditional shophouse wall art adds unique touch to the room |
 |
| Subtle Chinese design element on the wardrobe door |
 |
| Quan's Kitchen brick walls display framed arts of Kuala Lumpur and Chinatown heritage |
 |
| This motorcycle laden with chips and local snacks parked at the entrance of Quan's Kitchen will surely remind those born in the 80s and before of an uncle selling snacks on his trusty ol' motorcycle going to one neighbourhood or kampung to another 😆 |
Since our Kids Stay Free package comes with Mini Chef Academy entrance tickets, we made our way to Quan's Kitchen at Level 8 so the girls could join the activity. The girls had a brief fun making 'chocolate lava cake' which we got to enjoy with free ice cream on the spot.
 |
| Package comes with 2 tickets to join Mini Chef Academy activity |
 |
| Ingredients prepared ahead of time by the chef |
In the evening, we decided to make use of the hotel's swimming pool. Thankfully there were no other guests swimming so we get to enjoy the pool to ourselves.
 |
| Swimming pool located at Level 8, next to the hotel gym |
Since it was raining at night, we decided to get room service and ordered nasi goreng for dinner. To be honest, food at Quan's Kitchen comes across as average. While they provide a good selection of breakfast spread consisting of continental and local Malaysian fares, even coming up with kopitiam station serving 'roti bakar' and 'kopi tarik' reminiscent of kopitiam culture, the food was hardly memorable. My husband who is not a coffee lover was also disappointed that there was no tea or 'teh tarik' served at breakfast.
 |
| Nasi goreng from Quan's Kitchen |
On another note, Instagram-addicts will be happy to know that this chic hotel has quite a number of Instagram-worthy spots (for instance, the lobby lounge boasts vibrant coloured walls with local decor) but the one that I like best is at the outdoor deck area overlooking KL's iconic landmarks of KLCC, KL Tower and the soon-to-be completed The Exchange 106 skyscraper which once completed will be the third tallest building in Malaysia and 21st tallest building in the world.
 |
| Someone said this photo looks as if I was in NY not KL |
A little tips if you are staying at the hotel to celebrate your anniversary - if you mention it in your reservation, the hotel will arrange for a simple decoration and a complimentary piece of cake to commemorate the special event. I forgot to inform this during reservation and only mentioned it during check-in, but to my pleasant surprise the staff made a note to send cakes to our room - how lovely is that?
 |
| Complimentary cakes from the hotel to celebrate our special day |
Overall, we enjoyed our stay at Four Points by Sheraton KL with its' family-friendly package, warm hospitality and luxurious room, and we would not hesitate to repeat our stay here. So if you are looking for the perfect vacation with a little privacy in getting separate room for the kids at no extra cost, look no further than Four Points by Sheraton KL, Chinatown.
Rating: 9/10
Salam semua,
Rasanya dah lama aku tak kena flu. Sejak aku ambik vaksin influenza 2 tahun lepas sekalipun aku tak kena selsema. Alhamdulillah vaksin tu memang serasi dengan aku. Bayangkan kalau sebelum ni setiap kali dekat dengan orang lain selsema aku pun selsema jugak. Pernah sekali kawan satu office bersin di hujung office esoknya aku pulak yang selsema.
Nak dijadikan cerita sebab last sekali aku ambik flu shot ni ialah 2 tahun lepas, so bila anak aku baru-baru ni kena selsema & sakit tekak, aku pun mulalah ada simptom-simptom tak sedap badan jugak.
Musim sekarang lepas pandemik ni, kalau kena selsema adalah perasaan risau menjelma takut kena Covid. So apa lagi aku pun cepat-cepat beli test kit & buat test semalam untuk aku & Khayla. Syukur Alhamdulillah result negatif.
Pagi tadi aku bangun efek selsema lebih terasa dari semalam. Tekak dah mula sakit, hidung pulak berair. Tak lama kemudian aku mula bersin-bersin. Alahai kenapalah semalam tak beli ubat selsema jugak? Terpaksalah mintak tolong Suami Terchenta belikan di farmasi terdekat. Sementara tu, teringat mak ada beli Redoxon. Apa lagi, pagi-pagi lagi minum air Redoxon dengan harapan cepatlah antibodiku kuat semula melawan virus influenza!
Bila selsema ni teringin la pulak nak makan sup. Memandangkan lauk semua dah habis so aku pun bukak aplikasi Grab. Order ayam segar, tulang kambing & bahan-bahan untuk masak sup. Maka terhasillah sup tulang kambing:
 |
| Resipi sup tulang aku ambik dari Aziekitchen. |
Sup ni memang sesuai untuk orang yang kurang sihat sebab pertama, mudah nak masak dalam keadaan aku tak sihat dan kedua, sup ialah lauk 2-in-1 sebab aku campak sekali sayur-sayuran dalam sup - carrot, batang celery, tomato & kentang.
Yang lecehnya bila masak pakai pressure cooker elektrik ni lama nau nak tunggu 'de-pressurized'. Kalau yang manual atas stove tu kita angkat je lah tombol atas tu buang angin cepat.
So ni sedikit perkongsian apa yang kita patut buat bila kena selsema:
- Rehat secukupnya
- Minum air secukupnya untuk 'flush out' toksin & virus
- Jaga kebersihan mulut, hidung, tangan. Kerap berkumur & basuh tangan.
- Ambik ubat selsema untuk melegakan simptom.
- Ambik lozenge untuk sakit tekak / minum air dicampur dengan lemon & madu
- Kalau hidung tersumbat boleh titikkan minyak kayu putih dalam air panas, tunggu sekejap & perlahan-lahan sedut wap (jangan sedut keras sebab minyak kayu putih ni tajam baunya)
- Elakkan keluar rumah & bergaul dengan orang lain
Tu je lah yang aku boleh ingat. No. 7 ni sangat penting ye. Stay safe everyone.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)