Review by CHC
Made a short trip across the border for a jaunt up to KUL with the family to celebrate the end of prelim exams to take a break from the drudgery of studying for PSLE.
As expected, crossing the 2nd link was a breeze and the journey up to KUL took just short of 6hours due to various stops along the way.
As I held the Citi Prestige Mastercard, which is a world elite master card, I had decided to stay at the Park Royal Kuala Lumpur Hotel which is part of the Discovery loyalty program, as I held Black Status.
“ Your World Elite Mastercard® Credit Card (Asia Pacific cardholders) entitles you to a fast track enrollment to Black status in the DISCOVERY loyalty programme. “
The Park Royal Kuala Lumpur is located in central KL just opposite the Berjaya Times Square hotel which I had stayed in previously. Whether for first time visitors or repeat visitors, it is optimally located to the following places
- Jalan Alor Food Street 8 minutes’ walk
- Changkat Bukit Bintang Restaurants, Bars and Pubs 10 minutes’ walk
- Tun Razak Exchange (TRX) 6 minutes’ walk
- Petronas Twin Towers 10 minutes’ drive
- Aquaria KLCC 10 minutes’ drive
As there was 4 of us, we booked into the Family Suite based on what was published online, boasting 53sqm2 of space and 2 queen sized beds, a separate shower and bath and a living area.
Part of the Black privileges included early check-in, late check-out and a double upgrade where available.
However, because of my late arrival (we reached only around 9pm), I did not get to test the hypothesis of an early check in.
We attended swiftly to by the check-in staff professionally and offered to have the luggage sent up by a porter, but this was declined as we did not have very much with us. There was however no offer of a welcome drink or any explanation of the services/facilities offered by the hotel.
Our room came with complimentary breakfast for 4 as part of the suite package.
We were given a double upgrade to a Premier Family Suite which had a bigger overall layout and 2 separate rooms , 1 with a King Sized Bed and 1 with two twin beds, just nice for the family dynamics. Families with pre teens and young teenagers would benefit most from this layout. A huge bathroom with separate bath, shower stall and toilet ensured that there was no rush for the bathroom in the mornings. Complimentary bottled water, coffee and tea was readily available, along with the usual hotel amenities – room slippers, hair dryer and bath necessities.
Do note that Park Royal runs a separate Club program, so even though we were upgraded to their top tier suite, it did not afford us entry into the Club program. The Orchid Club Program offers complimentary breakfast and entry to the Orchid Club located on the 6th floor where the St Gregory Spa and swimming pool are also found. The pool was not busy when we used it on the second day, but we did not have the opportunity to use the St Gregory spa – which has been praised online for great spa services.
A look from their website suggests that for those planning a quiet stay may find the slight premium for the club rooms beneficial
- Personalised check-in and check-out services at the Orchid Club Lounge*
- A la minute western and local breakfast specialities from 6:30am to 10:30am on weekdays and from 6:30am to 11:00am on weekends and public holidays. Orchid Club residents are welcome to invite guests for breakfast and will be charged at RM30 nett per person per day
- Mid-day snacks and non-alcoholic beverages from 3:00pm to 5:00pm
- Complimentary evening cocktails and canapés from 6:00pm to 8:00pm. Orchid Club residents are welcome to invite guests for evening cocktails and will be charged at RM50 nett per person per day
- Pressing and laundry services (three pieces daily)
- Wide selection of newspapers and magazines
- In-room Internet access and at the Orchid Club Lounge
- Complimentary local calls with 03 area code
- Priority late check-out (subject to availability)
- Daily one-hour use of Lounge boardroom (subject to availability)
- 30% savings on a la carte treatments at St. Gregory spa from 10:00am to 12:00pm
* Children below the age of 12 years are not permitted into the Lounge.
Breakfast was at Chatz Brasserie, located at the basement level. It was great experience with a diverse range of food that would satisfy any palate. International, Asian, Indian, Japanese, Vegetarian cuisine were available and food topped up regularly. There was also an made to order egg station and noodle station. We stuffed ourselves silly with the local fare and would strongly recommend their Nasi Lemak, which was aromatic and not too oily.
Turn down service at night came with some inhouse chocolates and basic housekeeping. Simple, but adequate for our needs. No fruits were offered.
Check out was also quick and fuss-free as I had prepaid for the room taking advantage of a prepaid rate. I had requested for a late check out as we visited Kidzania and met up with a friend on the last day, and this was readily granted till 430pm. I believe that obtaining a 6pm check out should not be too difficult. A nice touch was that Black members also receive complimentary parking throughout the stay, otherwise, a 6 RM daily charge applies (very reasonable)
The hotel was starting to show its age, with a facelift much needed soon, but all in, it was a very comfortable stay and I would consider this property again should it be renovated on my next visit back to the Garden City of Lights .
That Time Of The Year! 