I have only had the pleasure of staying at Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur once for a good three day trip back when I lived in Malaysia. The stay gave me the opportunity to experience this European styled hotel in an Asian city and today I will give you my insight into my long weekend break!

Booking

The stay was booked over the telephone direct with the hotel’s reservation agent. I had received a promotional voucher from the hotel when I took lunch with friends a few weeks before and the voucher gave me a complimentary upgrade to the level above the room rate I booked. I needed to stay in KL for a few days for some much needed R&R so I thought I would take advantage of the Le Meriden’s deal and decided to stay with them.

I chose their executive suite but was only going to be charged for a normal executive room at around £80 per night. The suite should have cost around £250 per night but due to the voucher I was entitled to the free upgrade. Not bad I thought!

Once all booked and confirmed over the phone I then waited for the day to come to make my way to the hotel.

Arrival

The arrival at this property may not seem as glamorous as some of my other arrivals such as MO KL and Prague etc but none the less it was still very impressive. I had driven to the hotel from my home an hour outside of KL and pulled into the hotel compound. The first thing you will notice about this property and the Hilton next door is that they take security very seriously. As a precaution they security check all vehicles when entering for bombs through a screening procedure. Once they are satisfied you are then free to proceed up to the hotel lobby area. As I pulled in the entrance area seemed smaller than the Hilton lobby, however it was much more intimate and instantly felt cosy. The valet opened the door to my car and the bellboy took my luggage, welcoming me to Le Meridien KL before driving my car off to be parked.

Check In

When I first walked into the lobby I was quite surprised as I had been expecting the standard Asian themed lobby and this certainly couldn’t have been further from it. Instead it was extremely European and completely in keeping with the Le Meriden brand and it’s French origins. Lots of white stone, interesting architecture and a real sense of European culture and service was abound. Rather than the local cultural dress the staff uniforms were very European and it made a refreshing change.

I approached the reception desk and was immediately advised that I would be checking in at the Executive Lounge on the 33rd floor. The receptionist escorted me to the lounge and left me to check in with the staff upstairs.

After I had completed the paperwork I was given my room key and took the walk to my Suite on the 34th floor. The anticipation began, what was on the other side of the door??

The Room

Le Meridien is a large hotel and has around 400 hotel rooms. They are split into three categories, Standard, Executive and Suite.

Executive and Suite rooms all come with access to the Le Meridien Royal Club lounge.

After opening the door I was very pleased with what I had booked. The Suite was large and had a good sized living and dining area, a huge master bedroom and bathroom and an outdoor terrace with sun loungers and table and chairs.

The room was also well kitted out, a TV and DVD player in each room and a complimentary broadband connection. The rooms of the suite were styled in true European fabrics and wall coverings and I felt I was in The Ritz in Paris, rather than a large hotel in Asia. It was a refreshing change and made me think fondly of home.

The bed was extremely comfortable and the sheets and duvet to a high standard giving me a pleasant nights sleep.The bathroom was designed with the finest marble and granites and had fantastic power to the shower. The toiletries were all by Givenchy and the towels made from the fluffiest Egyptian cotton.

Royal Club Lounge

A large part of any major hotel chain is now the provision of an Club Level or Executive Level where guests in these rooms are extended a variety of privileges. Those at Le Meridien included,

• Access to the club lounge where complimentary breakfast, afternoon tea and evening cocktails and canapé’s would be served.
• Full soft drinks and snack service all day
• Complimentary access to the business centre and boardroom should you need to hold a meeting or send faxes, use onsite computers etc
• A wide selection of the latest magazines, international newspapers and books.
• Complimentary internet access

The royal club rooms were on average around £30 more than the standard rooms and in my opinion are worth it even for the breakfast alone. The service in the lounge is very good and it is possibly one of the quieter lounges I have had the privilege of visiting. The surroundings are very European but the service is still Asian, understated and effective.

Restaurant/Bar

The hotel has four restaurants and one bar. I have only ever experienced the bar but shall give you an insight into all of the venues.

Latest Recipe is the international buffet offering of the hotel. Providing an international selection of food to cater for a variety of needs. The surroundings are beautiful and the restaurant always seems so busy that I expect it to be of a good standard.

Prime is new to Le Meridien and is their steak restaurant. Steaks are imported from the best farms across the world and served with the finest wines. From what my friends tell me this is arguably the finest steak restaurant in KL today.

Conservatory is the lobby lounge which serves afternoon tea and a selection of cocktails and drinks in the evening. The atmosphere is pleasant with a good crowd of individuals. You always feel relaxed here, particularly in the evening with the pianist playing whilst you take in the atrium surrounding you with it’s high ceilings and magnificent architecture.

Patio restaurant and bar provides an al fresco dining experience, situated next to the pool area. The menu is a standard hotel menu of western and eastern dishes but provides brilliant views over the parklands beneath, you can take a drink or even enjoy a few puffs on a traditional shisha pipe should you wish.

Finally there used to be a Lebanese restaurant that was extremely nice but it appears it has been closed and an Italian is to replace this. Favola will open on 1st December. As soon as I find out more about it I shall update my review!

Facilities

As a large scale hotel it has the capacity to host events and conferences and has a selection of rooms and one ballroom. I have attended an event in the main ballroom and although it is quite small compared to some of the other rooms available in KL it is still of a great size to cater for the needs of anyone wanting to throw a party or two!

The hotel itself does not have it’s own gymnasium, but instead it shares this with it’s sister the Hilton hotel next door. Le Meridien guests can walk through to the Hilton and enjoy their full gym facilities, spa and Jacuzzi, steam room etc, which are all extremely impressive.

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Guests can enjoy the largest freeform pool in Kuala Lumpur that again is shared with the Hilton. The pool stretches the entire width of the property and allows for plenty of room for relaxation. There are plenty of sun loungers around the pool and servers are on hand with towels and iced water to keep you hydrated.

Guests can also visit the flower shop that is situated on the ground floor where some of KL’s best floristry can be found. A way to surprise your loved one should you wish!

All Le Meridien guests can also visit the restaurants, bars and facilities of the Hilton next door. The hotels are joined together through a walkway and all items can be charged back to your room in Le Meridien should you wish.

Finally there is a large car park in the basement of the hotel. Free for in-house guests or around £1 each time you ask for the valet to park your car.

Breakfast

I took breakfast every day in the club lounge. The selection was fantastic with both continental and western ranges, supported by more traditional Asian dishes such as nasi lemak or noodles etc. Service was buffet but if you wanted a western dish this would be prepared for you in the back kitchen, nice and fresh rather than something that has been sat around in a buffet for a while. Breakfast left me feeling full and the lounge is a great place to wake up and take in the views of KL all around you.

Check out

After my three days were up it was time to drive home to Semenyih and time to check out. I returned to the club lounge settled my bill and returned to the lobby to find my car waiting for me. It had been a pleasant weekend with Le Meridien and it certainly was a fantastic addition to KL’s ever expanding hotel selection.

Summary

Le Meridien is a different style to the typical hotel you find in Asia and this is probably why it never feels quite as busy. From what I understand the occupancy is always higher at the neighbouring Hilton property however I would not say this mean the service or product there is any better, merely different.

Le Meridien provides a calm European styled stay where as Hilton has its technology packed contemporary themed rooms that fulfill completely different needs. Service is excellent in both properties and you get to use the facilities of both properties then how do you make a choice?

It really comes down to personal preference. If you want technology packed modern rooms then go to Hilton. If you want something that delivers an excellent hotel stay with some European glamour then choose Le Meridien.

Either way you will find it hard to be disappointed!

Stay completed January 2007. Booked via the hotel direct or you can look at www.lemeridien.com and book online.

Enjoy your stay!