Alila Bangsar Kuala Lumpur - A Refinement of Urban Staycation

Your oasis of calm is welcoming and after a quick journey up to the reception lobby on the 41st floor, Alila Bangsar Kuala Lumpur wants you to temporarily escape the vibrant surrounding cosmopolitan neighbourhood, embrace the warmth and vitality of a modern urban retreat that fuses a haven of comfort and relaxation, a place to feel at home as well as the heart of it all – the very uniquely Alila hospitality. mylifestylenews writes.

Every Alila’s arrival experience has its own unique touch that wants you to remember the one-of-a-kind, almost bespoke hospitality by exploring the unknown or untouched lifestyle territory. Passing through the ever bustling “Little India” in Kuala Lumpur, one of the closest suburbs in the city and streets that are filled with vendors, shops, local cafes and restaurants, the vibes and colors of this unique local lifestyle in the neighbourhood are best suited for Alila’s intended goal by connecting their guests to the local sights enriched with the most exotic surroundings, traditions, culture and heritage. The destination is always at the heart of The Alila experience.

Despite our early arrival in the hotel pre-arranged limo before sunrise and still struggling to open our eyes in such wee hours, the streets were as sleepy as our weary bodies after the overnight flight from Sydney, as we arrived around 6am, the usual greeting was not evident at ground level, but this was more than made up for by Anson who was checking us in, as he exuded the warmth and personality that you come to expect from Alila’s hospitality that is well handled.

Elevated above the bustling Bangsar precinct, the moment when you step into the entrance upper lobby of Alila Bangsar Kuala Lumpur, it is only then that you can forget about the outside craziness of the city when daylight business is back to its norm. This property transcends other similar international chain hotels, especially when you are coming for an urban staycation experience ideal for young urbanites and sophisticated leisure travellers.

This boutique urban designed hotel encompasses 143 rooms and suites with sweeping city views. We were fortunate enough that a room was ready so early in the morning and we were quickly whisked away to our aerie in the sky on the 39th floor which had a different city’s view overlooking Seputeh’s lush hilly neighbourhood.

Our 59-sqm Premier Room was designed in a light colour palette of blond woods and light browns, so a bright space blessed with light flooding in from the tall windows and some smart interior design, whereby the bedroom boasts separate sitting areas and the living space is separated by a glass wall. It is what you might term a minimalistic contemporary, slick and modern interior that eschews unnecessary furnishings and subsequently lets the view speak for itself and we loved it.

The bathroom is cleverly tucked behind the bedroom to the right as you walk in and has the largest shower room with rainfall showers we have ever seen in an urban hotel – it is big enough for a party! Simple white tiles on three sides and one long glass wall to give you a feeling that while you are inside you have more space than you could ever dream of. The bathroom amenities are not at the in-house signature Alila Living standard supply that we have experienced in most of the Alila properties, the urban retreat may have a different approach for a slight disappointment in terms of expectations on this front. Other than that, plenty of wardrobe space, a very large and long vanity sink and sustainable amenities.

The king size bed is super comfortable and made with luxurious Egyptian bed linen and very plump pillows, so sleeping was heavenly and once you draw the curtains in the morning you have that amazing view of the city to mesmerize you.

After a quick nap we returned to the lobby and began to admire the interior when the day light illuminated the entire space with a clearer visual of the cozy design. Rising high above the surrounding rooftops of Kuala Lumpur, the foyer merges class and contemporary refinement, remarkable enough to appear in a design magazine, with a distinct European ethos and functionality to cater to its young brood.

Less is more, so the interior is minimalist chic to allow the view and sunlight to create a backdrop of drama that happens outside the hotel.

The view from the lobby is quite mesmerising looking out onto the locale of the hilly Bangsar at one side, as well as having a view off to the other side of the swimming pool and out beyond to KL Sentral direction, where the iconic KL Tower and KLCC Petronas Twin Towers as well as the soon to be ready tallest building in the country – The Warisan Merdeka Tower - are clearly seen from a different vantage point to enjoy the city skyline encapsulating heaps of luxury hotels, shopping malls and buildings of offices.

The open-roof swimming pool is located one floor below adjacent to the lobby and can be accessed directly via the lift but the most likable way to many is walking down via the concrete steps by making the grand entrance embracing the photogenic well designed landscaping adorned with multiple tall tropical traveller palms and courtyard trees that creates an urban home garden ambience that is becoming the hotel favorite spots for Instagram photo delights.

With the perspective from either direction, the sky view adorned by the seemingly large swimming pool is the best hang out in the hotel.

While the actual swimming area is not that big but enjoyable, it seems to have been designed in the brutalist concrete style, which is not entirely conducive to the Alila luxury approach. It also is scheduled for a renovation without any signages nor prior notice to in-house staying guests, so hopefully they will address this point.

The pool side bar was not available nor in-use during our time of stay yet the hotel has a proper gym with up-to-date training equipment for working out adjacent to the pool area.

Breakfast is served at Bontanica + CO on the street level to the left of the entrance and the mini botanic garden feel interior is delightful. There is a set menu with a underwhelming mini buffet spread featuring an uninspiring selection of fruits which consist of only watermelon and honey dew (the same for the consecutive three days during our stay), industrial standard of bland and soggy croissants and Danish pastries, a self-service coffee machine with no tea offer but to order from the wait staff and cereals which was a little uninviting.

You can choose between an Asian or Western set breakfast which were delicious and appetising that came with a great presentation, if decidedly awkward for the staff to deliver to your table – a very long and heavy tray setting, but once sat in front of you it is very appealing. The breakfast experience needs some rethinking, as it is such a wonderful space that is under-used and a larger quality buffet would really create the uniquely Alila touch. Despite we somehow muddled through it to arrive at the end point of having everything we needed, the service was not on point and disoriented, quite often lost in translation that training needs a new focus to get things right.

A special “Check-out Day” big western style breakfast can be arranged and it was organized. Expect a delay of the delivery as this will possibly take a longer time for the kitchen to prepare and to be sent to your room if your insist to enjoy an in-room dining experience.

Complimentary shuttle service is also available on a first-come-first-served basis to take you to the nearest malls – The Mid Valley Mega Mall and Bangsar Village as well as to KL Sentral for your on-ward metro lines connection. The first time we used it everything was perfect, although the driver had no customer engagement skills but mute. Thereafter, it fell apart and we were kept waiting with no explanation on multiple times, so we ended up using other means, which was rather disappointing when such a service is offered to in-house guests that is not delivered promptly and completely resulting in unnecessarily disappointment. This is not any Alila experiences we have had in the past whereby all requests have been looked into diligently for its unique and most sought-after hospitality.

We brought this up to the management team and they realise that a better and more efficient communication method needs to be done to improve this. Alternatively, the metro line right outside the door over a connecting footbridge is also easily accessible, so that is a great bonus for anyone who wants to explore the city on their own initiative.

Being pampered is never a question to be asked when you choose to stay in any Alila properties and Alila Bangsar Kuala Lumpur mostly gets it right, but some tweaking is in order to refine the service that any Alila aficionados would expect. Some team members really go out of their way to create a very welcoming and pampering environment, but this is not consistent yet. We tested the service on many fronts when in our room and every request was promptly dealt with to our satisfaction, at least this is reassuring.

Our departure was marred by the lack of the promised shuttle service once more, so we had to think quickly and sort it ourselves in order to beat the morning traffic and not to miss our connecting flight. Nevertheless, we can see that with some more refined attention to detail, this can be a wonderful urban Alila property that can possibly set the tone for others to follow.

 

At least, a self-pamper staycation is what you are in search for after all together with their already lauded Entier French dining restaurant to consider which is always busy with local clientele and received lots of positive reviews since its opening that works the magic just to make your stay a much more delicious one.

Tried & Tested:

Location: 4/5

Design & Decor: 4.5/5

Room Amenities: 4/5

Housekeeping: 4/5

Food & Beverages: 3.5/5

Service: 3/5

Value For Money: 4/5

Experience: 4/5

 

Alila Bangsar Kuala Lumpur

Level 41 at Alila Bangsar,

58, Jalan Ang Seng, Brickfields,

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Tel: +6 03 2268 3888

Reviews are based on actual day of visit and experience. mylifestylenews reserves the right of final decision in case of any disputes. All images are photographed by mylifestylenews team without any photoshop enhancement and are the property owned by mylifestylenews unless otherwise stated.