Hotel Review: Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur

During my last trip to Kuala Lumpur, I stayed at one of the luxurious Grand Suites of the Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur and was thoroughly impressed with the standard of that suite. The room looked out to both the iconic Petronas Twin Towers as well as the Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur - at which point I decided that a stay at the Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur was to be planned. 

Click HERE to check out the Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur!

Hotel Lobby
Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur

After arriving on SQ118 from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, I took one of the prepaid taxis from the airport for approximately S$25 - it's a flat fee so just tell them where you want to go and your destination will be printed on the ticket stub. The hotel can also organise a hotel limo for MYR 350 (approximately S$115) each way if you feel like indulging a little. After arriving at the Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur, I was shown to the exclusive Oriental Club for an express check-in. 

Club Deluxe City View Room
Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur

I stayed in a Club Deluxe City View room at the Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur.when I visited in September 2015 and since I arrived pretty late (approximately 9PM), my room was already turned down for the night. The first thing you would probably notice about the room is that the decor is slightly dated but fret not because the hotel is actually going through a refurbishment process so the rooms are going to be spanking new in no time. With that being said, the quality of product is still not being compromised. 

The Club Deluxe City View rooms feature floor-to-ceiling windows which look out to either Kuala Lumpur's impressive skyline or the beautiful swimming pool. For those of you that do not know this, the Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur has the closest proximity to the iconic Petronas Towers. You will also find a plush bed here that comes with goose down bedding for your personal enjoyment.

Bathroom - Club Deluxe City View Room
Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur

The en-suite marble bathroom comes with a separate bathtub as well as a walk-in shower (always a good sign). Bath amenities are provided by an in-house brand which is strange considering how the Club Rooms at the Mandarin Oriental, Singapore provides spa-grade amenities from Aromatherapy Associates while the opulent Mandarin Oriental, Taipei provides amenities from the French luxury brand, Diptyque. They were however really generous with the bath amenities so I decided to treat myself to an amazing bath. 

Club Deluxe City View Room
Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur

Since I got in pretty late in the evening and my room was already turned down, I didn't actually draw the curtains until the next morning when I woke up to see where my room was actually facing. 

View from the Club Deluxe City View Room
Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur

The room that I got looks out to ONE KL which is a 35-storey luxury residential condominium. The blue areas you see in the condominum are actually private swimming pools for each apartment - not bad at all! 

Newspapers and Welcome Amenities - Club Deluxe City View Room
Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur

One of the many things I love about the Mandarin Oriental is that they do not charge you ridiculous amount of money for high-speed internet so long you book with them. Research has also shown that people who book directly with hotels and a higher-tier room are more likely to get upgraded. Apart from the New York Times (which I have selected at check-in), I also received a welcome fruit platter and some chocolates. Coffee can be made easily with the Nespresso machine in room but since I stayed in a Club Room, I had the privilege of going up to the exclusive Oriental Club for a bunch of other benefits (more on this later!). 

Full Buffet Breakfast at Mosaic
Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur

As an Oriental Club guest, breakfast is included in my room rate and I also had the option of having my breakfast in the club lounge or enjoy a full buffet breakfast at Mosaic downstairs. Since I was spending a couple of nights at the Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur, I've decided to check out the full breakfast at Mosaic (6AM to 1030AM) on the first morning. 

Oriental Club
Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur

After breakfast, I decided it was time to check out the Oriental Club in the day - especially since I have only seen the entrance of the Oriental Club during check-in the previous night. When I got there I was pleasantly surprised at how large the club lounge actually is but more importantly how much natural daylight it actually gets! The floor-to-ceiling windows are truly impressive and they offer an panoramic view of the city's famous skyline and a close up look at the Petronas Towers. 

Oriental Club
Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur

If you are looking for a quieter and more exclusive dining experience, breakfast is also served at the Oriental Club even though you do have to give up variety over quality. 

Oriental Club
Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur

The Oriental Club offers a range of different seating configurations and most of the tables are spaced comfortably apart (so you do not have to worry about people listening to your conversations. As an Oriental Club guest you will receive the following privileges:

• Breakfast, weekday lunch, afternoon tea and evening cocktails
• Use of Club Floor boardroom for two hours per day
• Five pieces of dry cleaning per day
• Broadband and wireless internet access
• 20% savings for spa treatments at The Spa

View of the Petronas Towers from Oriental Club
Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur

My favourite seats however were the ones by the window that faces out to the Petronas Towers directly. These seats fill up really quickly in the evening so be sure to drop by earlier (before evening cocktails start) to secure them. 

Evening Cocktails at the Oriental Club
Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur

Swimming Pool
Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur

No stay at the Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur is complete without having a drip at the beautiful freeform swimming pool. What I love most about the swimming pool is how open it feels and how idyllic it looks. 

Swimming Pool
Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur

The swimming pool is primarily the reason I chose to stay at the Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur. Well that and my awesome experiences at the Mandarin Oriental, Singapore and the Mandarin Oriental, Taipei too. 

Gym
Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur

Those of you looking to workout, the gym at the Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur has just been given a pretty massive facelift and I love how clean the walkway to the gym looks. The gym is also located on the same level as the swimming pool and the spa so you can basically spend an entire afternoon here. Drop by the relatively new Aqua Restaurant and Bar when you are done for some delicious pizzas and drinks. 

Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur

My stay at the Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur was a truly pleasant one and I've spent a great weekend in the city catching up with some friends. If you are visiting this beautiful property, be sure to drop by Lai Po Heen for some of the best Chinese food ever - to be covered in a separate post!

Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur City Centre, 50088 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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