Tuesday, May 03, 2016

Baby room @KLIA

Salam. Kali ni aku nak review pasal baby room @ KLIA khas buat ibubapa yang ada anak kecik di luar sana.

Setiap kali nak travel dengan anak2 kecik ni, macam-macam cobaan yang terpaksa dilalui, betul tak? Kalau kena naik flight awal pagi, nak kejutkan anak-anak, salin baju dieorang, buat susu dieorang dah satu hal. Belum lagi kalau tak sempat mandi tu, pampers pulak dah penuh / basah nak cari tempat untuk salin baju / salin pampers. Yang anak melalak nak menyusu atau tak cukup tido pun satu lagi hakikat yang kena tanggung. Sudahnya, ramai parents yang tak sanggup la hai travel dengan anak-anak kecik.

So, bila kena travel jugak, bersyukur lah bila airport tu ada sediakan bilik khas untuk anak-anak kecik. Segala macam kemudahan ada. Cuma nak buat susu formula je belum lagi disediakan di sini.

Meh aku bawakkan korang bilik bayi @ KLIA. Dalam bilik ni ada sinki tempat nak mandikan anak-anak kecik atau bersihkan badan dieorang lepas berak / kencing. Kalau anak2 yang nak menumpang baring-baring sambil menyusu atau tidur sementara tunggu flight, katil baby pun ada disediakan.

Bilik menyusukan bayi

Ada dua area sinki untuk basuh botol / mandikan anak / etc.

Tempat tukar lampin baby

Sabun tangan dan paper towel je disediakan, so korang pandai2 la bawak tuala dan sabun mandi sendiri

Parents kena supervise anak-anak kecik dalam bilik ni

Buat anak-anak yang dah potty-train pulak, ada bilik air yang kids-friendly kat dalam bilik ni. Sebabnya, dia tak perlu takut terjatuh dalam toilet bila ada toilet seat yang kecik sesuai untuk kanak-kanak. Anak lelaki pulak ada tempat khas untuk dieorang jugak.

Suasana bilik ni selesa dan comel, siap dengan kertas dinding yang menarik untuk bagi keselesaan yang lebih kepada pengguna. Sofa yang selesa pun disediakan untuk parents / adik-beradik yang menunggu. Cuma, disebabkan bilik breastfeeding tu just ditutup dengan tirai, pasti kurang selesa kalau ada lebih dari seorang pengguna yang nak guna bilik ni. Especially kalau ada kanak-kanak yang nakal yang tarik tirai masa ibu tengah breastfeed. Better la korang pakai jugak nursing cover kalau ada orang lain yang sama-sama guna bilik ni.

Aku selalu jugak guna bilik ni kalau travel dengan anak-anak sebab biasanya bila nak sampai awal di airport kami tak mandikan anak-anak di rumah. So sampai di sini, lepas check in barang (kalau ada), terus la singgah di sini untuk siapkan dieorang. Bezanya, dulu ada air panas untuk anak-anak mandi, tapi sejak kebelakangan ni aku perasan tak de air panas pulak.

Lastly, bilik baby ni terletak di departure level, kat area tengah2 (berdekatan dengan tandas lelaki & wanita). Ada dua bilik bayi ni kalau tak silap. So convenient la sebab tak perlu nak turun naik tingkat, lepas settle urusan terus pergi ke departure area.

Kalau compare dengan KLIA2, aku rasa better lagi kemudahan dalam bilik bayi di KLIA. Next time Insya Allah aku akan review KLIA2 baby room supaya korang boleh bandingkan sendiri kedua-dua baby room ni.

Monday, May 02, 2016

Seri Pacific Hotel Kuala Lumpur

Of particular late, work has been quite demanding and it was time for me to rejuvenate my mind and body away from the normal routine. What better way for me to do so than to whisk myself and my two little ones to a 5-star hotel in the middle of a metropolitan city?

This month, the hotel of choice is Seri Pacific Hotel, Kuala Lumpur. Although Seri Pacific is more associated to a business hotel, its location which is very close to an up and coming shopping mall (Putra Mall) combined with a very affordable rate makes it very attractive to me.

To get to the hotel is very easy via public transport. The girls were in the mood to travel by train all the way from KLIA2 and it was just a one interchange at Masjid Jamek Putra LRT before we reached PWTC STAR LRT station. Then it was just a few minutes walk and we made it to the hotel in good shape.

For below RM300, I managed to secure Club Double Room for a one-night stay via Booking.com, truly a good bargain for a prestigious hotel. The room comes with access to the exclusive Club Lounge and other privileges such as free WiFi, late check-out, welcoming fruits, free flow of coffee/tea/soft drinks and snacks, free ironing service and breakfast at Club Lounge.

Service at the check-in counter was rather lukewarm. The staff merely handed me the access card with no explanations on the services available for guests booking a Club room and did not even share the information on the whereabouts of the Club Lounge. The service I received here paled in comparison to the service at Shangri-La, where I also stayed at their Club room and was attended to with utmost care and thoughtful gesture by the staff there. It was such a shame because Seri Pacific is a lovely hotel, and the amenities are no less.

Still, I refused to let that small flaw dampen my holiday mood. After settling the payment, we made our way to our room on the 26th floor.

I was greeted by an elegantly decorated 32 square metres space done in white, beige and grey colors with a touch of red from the carpet. Polished wooden floor lends a grandeur to the room, combined with the right amount of use of clear glass partition, separating the room and the bathroom. Natural lighting from the floor to ceiling window makes the room appear spacious and warm.

Hello, holiday. Love the warm and cosy ambience in this room.

The room is appointed with double beds, a chic reading chair, a working table with ergonomic swivel chair for the business travellers who wish to work from the comfort of their room, a 42-inch TV hung from the wall alongside other modern day comforts such as a rain shower, a bathtub, coffee-making facilities and so on. I fell into instant liking on the room decor for its successful incorporation of modern yet elegant design.

The double bed is spacious but a bit firm to my liking

Worthy to highlight is its ingenious use of space to 'hide' certain amenities that do not fit the overall decor of the room. You can find the minibar and coffee making facilities cleverly stowed in the wall cabinet behind the work area, and the iron and ironing board across the bed nearest to the window. A discreet label that could easily be mistaken with a panel on the wall allows you to locate the minibar and the ironing station, but not without first wondering whether the hotel forgot to make these amenities available!

Great attention to details to the room aesthetic

View of the hallway

A marble working table fit for business executive

The bathtub and the shower areas are in separate cubicle so two guests can get ready at the same time

The toiletries are something that you can find in any ordinary hotel

The bathtub is spacious and equipped with hot and cold water. A hand-held shower is also provided

Amenities in the cupboard

The minibar is stocked with soft drinks and beer and some selection of snacks are available for sale

As it was raining in the afternoon, we were not in a rush to head over to the shopping mall just across the street. Rather, we headed to the Club Lounge to spend a quiet time enjoying the sights of KL from the height of 30 floors above the street. Unlike the description of free flow of drinks and snacks available at Club Lounge, we arrived to find afternoon tea almost finished (yet there was hardly anybody around). We were around for some time before the staff greeted and served us drinks. In the end, we left feeling unimpressed by the Club Lounge.

The Club Lounge overlooking KL city centre

When it comes to breakfast, Seri Pacific Hotel did not disappoint. The hotel offers a decent selection of Continental and local breakfast dishes such as the popular egg station and pastries station, to the normal Malaysian breakfast of nasi lemak, rice porridge with condiments and mee rebus. My little ones enjoyed their breakfast of cereal and pancakes with maple syrup, while I started with porridge and ended with omelette, sausage, baked beans and grilled tomato.

Still, despite a few hiccups in its service, Seri Pacific Hotel is certainly worth the money spent if you are looking for a stay-cation in a city. There is no doubt that if ever I felt like staying in a 5-star hotel while paying for a 4-star rate, I will repeat this experience again. Perhaps to sample its spa service, who knows?

Verdict: 8/10

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.

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

Monday, March 14, 2016

My Experience of Booking Accommodation using Airbnb

- Note: This is not a paid review -

One of the things that I was worried about when planning our Osaka trip was to find a reasonable place to stay. After all, I can't stress enough that Japan is not a cheap country to travel to, and accommodation does take up a large chunk of our budget for this trip. I would never consider going to Japan if my sister wasn't studying here but lucky we are that she does, and that helped us to save up on accommodation for the first few days while we were in Fukui area. BUT. We still had to fork out our moolah for accommodation when we were in Osaka city.

Enter Airbnb. Offering an alternative to hotel stays, Airbnb has helped me tremendously with my budget since its rate is much cheaper than renting two hotel rooms to fit 3 adults and 2 kids. How does it work? Basically Airbnb helps to connect travellers with local hosts who list their home or property (even igloos and tipis apparently) for short-term rentals. Travellers can choose to rent either rooms or the whole unit depending on their needs.

Source: Airbnb.com

The cool thing about using Airbnb is of course cheaper if you are traveling in a group. For a three-night stay, we paid less than RM2k and got ourselves a spacious apartment with a private bathroom, a kitchenette and living area. Of course you can get that rate or cheaper if you stay in a hotel but you will have to sleep on bunk-beds and share bathroom with other guests, which is inconvenient for a family trip. Also, we get to prepare our own food so more savings on food. The downside is there is no daily cleaning service but considering that we spent most of the time outside, cleanliness wasn't an issue.

We stayed in an apartment not far from Namba area (10mins by train) which is very accessible by train (10 mins walk from Hanshin Line Dekijima).

I love the apartment which was renovated to incorporate Japanese style and design. At first I was rather uncomfortable about its location in a quiet neighborhood because we definitely will have to walk in some dark areas to reach the apartment during nightfall, but my sister reassured me that it is very safe in Japan and there's nothing to worry about.

Below are some of the snapshots of the apartment we stayed in:

Spacious bedroom that can fit four pax. No heater in this room though but the comforters keep us warm as toasts

The hallway

A sofa bed in the living room which is adjacent to the kitchenette (equipped with electric kettle, cooker, mini-fridge and a microwave to heat up our food

A family room complete with tatami where Le Hubby sleeps in - futons are kept in the cupboard behind the room, and this room has heater (lucky hubby!)

Our host thoughtfully provided a small amount of detergent to do our laundry

A spacious bathroom with a bathtub - after spending the whole day sightseeing on foot, the best way to relax and unwind is to soak in a hot bath

Love the idea of a small sink on top of the toilet tank which optimizes water usage - every time we flush, water will come out of the tap and goes into the toilet tank so no wastage.

Another plus point for this apartment is that it comes with a portable wifi that we can bring outside so we can have Internet access on the go. We had to make sure it's fully charged though because it runs out of battery quite fast.

So the next time you are thinking about accommodation, do try out Airbnb.com. The service is fast, easy and hassle-free so you don't have to spend too much time on planning but more time on enjoying your trip!