Senses of Malaysia – July 18, 2019

city life

Sunway

Staycation

IS THE FRESHLY REFURBISHED SUNWAY

PUTRA HOTEL THE BEST VALUE IN THE CITY?

WE CHECKED IN TO CHECK IT OUT AND

FOUND A LOT TO LIKE IN THIS CONTEMPORARY

KUALA LUMPUR HOTEL.

W

hen it comes to high-end hotels, the
Malaysian capital boasts virtually
all the well-known international
brands. And though hotel rates in
Kuala Lumpur are, on the whole, more
competitive than in neighbouring
Southeast Asian capitals, those big brands nevertheless tend
come with a premium price tag.

That’s where homegrown iconic brand Sunway comes in.
Widely known for its hotel, retail, entertainment, education, and
shopping ventures – including the renowned Sunway Pyramid
mall – the Sunway Group is a brand that has few peers in the
regional market, and both their deep pockets and forward-looking
brand ethos were behind a dramatic overhaul of the venerable
Sunway Putra Hotel, which wrapped up a comprehensive – and
impressive – RM123 million refurbishment effort in 2016.

Today, the beautiful hotel showcases its new look starting with
the magnificent ninth-floor lobby. All the five-star touches are
there: a dedicated concierge, a grand, sweeping staircase under a
dramatic atrium dome, beautiful design, comfortable furnishings,
and plenty of space.

The hotel soars 35 floors above the surrounding cityscape and
boasts six different room types, each attractively redesigned and
fitted with conveniences and amenities to ensure a comfortable,
premier stay in the city. Directly connected to the award-winning
Sunway Putra Mall, guests have a wide range of shopping and
dining options close at hand, and the hotel is also conveniently
located a short distance from leisure and tourist attractions like
KLCC, Bukit Bintang, KL Tower and Bukit Nanas, the impressive
Istana Budaya theatre, and more. For jaunts outside of the area,
Sunway Putra Hotel provides a complimentary scheduled shuttle
service that stops at a number of popular destinations. Indeed, a
range of transportation options are available, but if you choose to
drive, as we did, it’s nice to know that the hotel offers its guests
complimentary parking.

Beyond its convenient location, Sunway Putra Hotel’s club rooms
and suites might just offer some of Kuala Lumpur’s best hotel
stay values. Not only are the rooms comfortable and spacious,
they include complimentary Wi-Fi, smart TVs, mini-fridge, and
more. We particularly liked the well-designed bathrooms. But
it’s the access to the 34th-floor Club Lounge that makes these
rooms extra appealing. With gorgeous views of the city skyline,

the sprawling 272-sqm lounge offers guests an elegant, exclusive

sanctuary for dining, relaxing, and even holding meetings in the

lounge’s dedicated boardroom. Catering equally well to business

and leisure guests, the beautiful lounge offers a bespoke daily

breakfast, complimentary non-alcoholic beverages throughout

the day, and evening cocktails and canapés. Club guests also

enjoy such privileges as personalised check-in and check-out,

complimentary local calls, clothes pressing, and late check-out.

We found the inviting Club Lounge to be one of our favourite

places in the hotel. The excellent layout and design, friendly

service, and premium offerings ticked all the boxes, and the best

available rates for Club Rooms and even the 72-sqm Club Suite

were a pleasant surprise, delivering truly remarkable value.

Another good offering at the hotel is Gen Japanese Restaurant.

Located on level 10, this appealing restaurant offers à la carte,

buffet, and set meal options. The teppanyaki sets here are a

great value, and we found the quality of the food and the stylish

ambiance to both be outstanding. Whether you’re a guest in

the hotel or not, Gen is a great place to check out if you like fresh,

authentic Japanese cuisine.

For us, it was a great KL city staycation, and when taking

everything into account – comfort, convenience, location, service,

premier perks like the Club Lounge, and the cost – we found

Sunway Putra Hotel to really be a winning choice. It was a great

weekend stay: we enjoyed the mall, took in a show at nearby

Istana Budaya, swam in the pool, and spent some enjoyable time

just relaxing and indulging in the upscale delights of one of Kuala

Lumpur’s hidden hotel treasures.

To book your room or learn more about the hotel, visit putra.

sunwayhotels.com or drop an email to spkl.reservations@

sunwayhotels.com.

BY CHAD MERCHANT

Club Suite

The Club Lounge