Friday, December 24, 2021

Four Points by Sheraton KL, Chinatown

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