When you say "room with a view": review Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur

Those who read TFC often will have noticed that I always try to concentrate my stays in just two hotel chains: Hilton and Marriott. The reason is simple and we explain it very often in our articles: loyalty pays off.

That said, I am always ready to jump on bargains, and if I can combine multiple promos and get savings, I am always very happy.

Such is the case with this stay at the Mandarin Oriental in Kuala Lumpur. Finding myself two days in Malaysia, I decided to try a super-luxury sign and an ultra-low-cost sign, and I found that both are great solutions.

Reservation

Mandarin Oriental is an ultra-luxury brand, fortunately many of these facilities participate in the American Express' Fine Hotels + Resorts program, allowing them to be booked with the full package of benefits provided. If on top of that we add that the price was 25% off the rate published on the MO website, I really got bingo.

M.O. does not have a loyalty program in the traditional sense In which you earn points with your reservation. Members of Fan of M.O.. have a choice of two benefits to use during their stay.

Currently the benefits offered are:

• Early check-in
• Late check-out
• Breakfast (daily during the stay)
• Credit for spa or dinner
• Room Upgrade
• High-speed Internet
• Gift for special occasions
• Ironing service

Some benefits are included in FH+R benefits, so if you want to just choose what you want to add and you will have everything included and nothing excluded. For those who don't know, FH+R is a network of hotels bookable exclusively by Amex Platinum holders or higher and among many benefits they guarantee 4 p.m. late check-out, room upgrades, free breakfast, and a 100$ credit to spend at the facility.

One night thus cost me just under 170€., an incredible price for an M.O. facility, if you then also add all the other FH+R benefits Was almost a theft.

Location

This hotel is in a great location, not only is it "under" the Petronas towers, but it is in the heart of the city. In an area full of clubs and things to do/see. It overlooks Platinum Park, the man-made lake that is lit up every night by light displays and fountains. Perfect for all kinds of guests, from tourists to business travelers.

Check-in

I arrived at the hotel shortly after 7 p.m. My flight had landed a little less than an hour late and, as often happens in big cities, I was stuck in traffic. My luggage was immediately picked up by the hotel staff and I headed to the front desk.

There was a bit of a queue when I arrived; to make up for the wait, I was offered a glass of fresh tea.

Check-in operations were very quick, the clerk took more time to explain all the benefits of FH+R booking to me than anything else. The best news was that my basic room had become a premium room with a view of the towers, at the time of booking this room would have cost about 40€ more. 

The room

This hotel is huge, between rooms and suites it has more than 650 rooms, but the advantage of these facilities is that they are not resorts, the guests do not live inside the hotel, and so you never experience the buffet effect on a cruise.

The room was on the 16th floor, I would have liked something higher, but there was nothing available.

The room was nice, but you can feel all the almost 25 years that have passed since the hotel opened: there is nothing old or lived-in, but it is the wow effect that was not there, at least until I looked out the window of the room.

Hard to find a small room in Asia, at least in international chain hotels like this one. The king bed, with amazing topper, was super comfortable and I had a hard time getting up in the morning from how well I slept, literally wrapped in excellent sheets. In front of the window was a desk with two chairs, great for smartworking, and a two-seater sofa to relax on, enjoying the view. Unmissable the mega screen, a bit sad instead the galley inside the small bar fridge. I definitely expected something more refined and elegant.

When I am in a hotel room, especially of this category, I expect perfection. Perfection is the details that make life easier for the guest, such as having near the bed, on both sides, both power outlets and USB outlets, and here they were.

Besides that there is one thing I hate when I can't find it, which is the MASTER switch that turns off all the lights in the room. From the hallway to the bathroom, from the light inside the closet to the LEDs that are now everywhere. I hate to hunt for the last switch to turn off. and here it was, although the hand control had seen better days.

My luggage was delivered to my room less than 5 minutes after my arrival, great service. And don't forget to tip, always.

On the small table in front of the sofa is an elegant tray with two bottles of apple-orange flavored sparkling water.

In addition, as a guest Fan of M.O., I was also given an eye mask.

The bathroom is also elegant, but not modern, needing a makeover to become the benchmark again in terms of luxury and elegance. Attention to detail is also noticeable here, as throughout the rest of the facility starting with the fresh flower.

Concern for the environment

MO is very environmentally conscious and makes this clear in many ways. Fan of M.O. members can decide by default, via their account preferences, whether or not they like their sheets and towels changed daily.

There is no plastic in the room. The free water bottles for guests are glass (the water comes from Sweden, so it's definitely not carbon neutral, but that's something).

Even in the bathroom, no plastic jars, but dispensers that can be filled countless times.

The structure

The most beautiful part is definitely the ground floor, the one that in addition to the reception area houses two restaurants and the pastry shop. The marble staircase leading to the meeting room floor is a true work of art.

But the whole area is perfect, neat and clean. As is fair to expect from a hotel of this category.

Services

The pool is open until late in the evening, another bonus for such a facility. I don't understand why certain hotels, so many of them, close access to the pools early, especially when they are city facilities: in these cases, the guest does not stay in the resort but wanders around the city and, when he or she returns in the evening, would still like to take a dip before or after dinner, perhaps enjoying a cocktail and a view of the skyline.

Unfortunately, the pool does not overlook the Twin Towers, or Petronas Towers as they are better known.

Also on the same floor as the pool are the gym and spa. The negative note here is that the spa closes early in the evening (7 a.m.) and opens late in the morning (10 a.m.), this greatly reduces the possibility of using the 100$ credit attached to the FH+R reservation.

Food & Beverage

The hotel obviously has several restaurants and bars. The main one is the one where breakfast is also served and, I can say without fear of contradiction, it was one of the best offerings I have found in years both in terms of quality and variety: it ranged from continental to flavors from around the world, Asian especially.

It is not solely important what is offered, but how and in what environment. Here the buffet is huge and offers everything, the kitchens with express preparations range from eggs to noodles to ramen. There is everything for everyone.

Making everything even more unique is the ambiance, one of the finest I have seen recently. And above all, a staff that is present and ready to fulfill any request and need the guest may manifest.

The other restaurants are a brasserie with an Italian menu, one with Cantonese cuisine, and a beautiful patisserie. Then there is a poolside bar and a cigar room. In short, nothing is lacking.

In conclusion

At this time, facilities in Asia have significantly lower costs than the pre-crisis average and significantly lower when compared to peers in the West, not taking advantage of this is a shame. Sure the hotel could use a refresh, the rooms are lived in and the 2022 style is different from what was liked at the end of last millennium. However, if you book with FH+R and take advantage of all the benefits, at this cost it is worth booking 100 times over.

 

• fine hotels + resorts