Hotel Review: Alila Bangsar (Bangsar Suite) - Beautiful and Affordable Property Connected to Bangsar Station

The Alila Bangsar opened back in 2018 and even though it is not located in KLCC or Sentral (which are the two main areas where most internationally-branded properties can be found), it is just a short stroll away from Bangsar LRT Station, which is on the Kelana Jaya Line (KJL). Since I was traveling alone, I hopped on the KLIA Ekspres Train from the airport which took me directly to KL Sentral, and Bangsar LRT station is only one stop away from KL Sentral (you will have to change lines though).

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Hotel Lobby
Alila Bangsar

As a World of Hyatt Globalist member, I was initially assigned a Premier Room (two categories higher than the base room) prior to arrival but while checking in, I noticed that the Bangsar Suite (which is the Standard Suite for the property) was available for the whole duration of my stay. Now you may already know this, but Globalist members are eligible for complimentary room upgrades (subject to availability, of course) to the best room available (including Standard Suites) at the time of check-in. As such, I decided to try my luck by asking whether the Bangsar Suite was available for upgrade, and I was informed that it was being occupied by another Globalist member who has the room until 4:00 PM - I was happy to wait for it since I had lunch plans outside of the hotel but the hotel actually provided me with an available lead-in category room to freshen up while I waited for the suite to be made available. Even though I did not stay in the studio room for long, it was actually a really nice room - the best flexible rate for the Alila Bangsar typically starts at approximately RM 420 before taxes and it is actually lower once you factor in the member-only rate, or advance purchase rates. In fact, I was so pleasantly impressed by the lead-in room category that I actually made a separate booking for another visit even before stepping foot into the Bangsar Suite.

Living Room
Bangsar Suite - Alila Bangsar

Once I got back to the Alila Bangsar, I was informed that the Bangsar Suite was available for check-in, and a new set of keycards was quickly handed over to me - fortunately, it was located on the same floor as my previous room so I did not have to head up to the main lobby again. The Alila Bangsar occupies the top level of the building which is also home to the KL Sentral Bangsar Suites (EST) - as such, hotel guests will first have to proceed up to Level 41 before taking a different set of lifts down to their rooms. The lift situation is a minor inconvenience since you will have to take two sets of lifts (instead of one) but it is something that you will quickly get used to during your stay.

Living Room
Bangsar Suite - Alila Bangsar

There are two suite types here at the Alila Bangsar - the Bangsar Suite, as well as the Alila Suite. The Bangsar Suite is a standard suite at the Alila Bangsar (so Globalists can be upgraded into this suite type for no charge, if it is available during check-in) and it measures a generous 95 sqm in size. All of the rooms and suites here at the Alila Bangsar enjoy plenty of natural daylight with its floor-to-ceiling windows and the Bangsar Suite is no exception.

Sofa
Bangsar Suite - Alila Bangsar

Guests staying in the Bangsar Suite will be greeted by a narrow corridor which a side entrance to the bathroom but it also opens up to the massive living area which plenty of living space to lounge around and entertain. I was absolutely in love with the plush sofa in the living room which can easily accommodate 4-5 adults very comfortably. Since I got back to the property in the evening after a lunch appointment, the living space was beautifully-lit by the glow of the evening’s sunrays.

Living Room
Bangsar Suite - Alila Bangsar

Consistent with the brand standards, Alila Bangsar minimises the usage of single-use plastics as drinking water is provided in glass tumblers which can be found in the living room as well as the bathroom. One of the most unique features of the Alila Bangsar is the Alila Living Room (more on this later!) which can be found on every level where guestrooms are located on - you will also be able to refill these glass bottles using one of the filtered taps in the living room should you require more water during your stay but these bottles are also replenished in the morning when housekeeping comes in to clean your room.

Teabags
Bangsar Suite - Alila Bangsar

While you will not find a Nespresso coffee machine in your room or the Bangsar Suite, you will be able to enjoy complimentary tea and coffee using teabags and freeze-dried instant coffee sticks. I did not actually bother with these during my stay since the Alila Living Room is located just a couple of steps away from my room and there is a proper coffee machine (alongside some free snacks!) there which I can utilise.

Bathroom
Bangsar Suite - Alila Bangsar

If you do love having a bathtub in your room while traveling, you should take note that none of the rooms and suites here (with the exception of the Alila Suite) come with a bathtub - all the rooms and suites have a beautiful rainshower which is honestly such a great feature to come back to after spending an afternoon out in the sweltering heat. There is only one Alila Suite on the property and this is a premium suite (or essentially, the Presidential Suite equivalent of the property), you should not expect to be upgraded into this suite for free even if you are a Globalist member.

Bathroom
Bangsar Suite - Alila Bangsar

The wardrobe of the Bangsar Suite can be found within the bathroom as it is honestly quite a large space - you will also find things like the electronic safe, laundry bags, as well as a number of large mirrors in the bathroom. While I do like having a walk-in wardrobe which is directly connected to the bathroom, the open wardrobe annoys me a little bit since I tend to take warm showers and it gets pretty moist and steamy inside this space.

Bathroom
Bangsar Suite - Alila Bangsar

Now if you follow The Shutterwhale on Instagram, you will probably notice that I like attending spin classes even when I am traveling. If you are planning to check out any one of the spin studios here in Kuala Lumpur, do note that towels are not provided and you will have to bring your own - I typically borrow one from the room and bring it back after the class. Disposable bathroom slippers are also provided here at the Alila Bangsar but they are pretty basic.

Bathroom
Bangsar Suite - Alila Bangsar

Regardless of the room or suite type here at the Alila Bangsar - the bathroom is actually pretty sizeable; mine came with two mirrors and a small dressing area on the side. Disposable toothbrushes, combs, and shavers are also provided here so you can really travel light if you do not wish to fly into Kuala Lumpur with any check-in baggage (which can take quite a fair bit of time to appear on the luggage belt).

Bath Amenities
Bangsar Suite - Alila Bangsar

Bulk-size bath amenities are provided here at the Alila Bangsar and they smell exactly the same as the ones I had in my suite at the Alila Seminyak in Bali when I was there a couple of weeks ago.

Bedroom
Bangsar Suite - Alila Bangsar

The living room of the Bangsar Suite is also connected to the bedroom via two sliding doors which can be shut to create a one-bedroom suite - partitioning of space is especially important if you are staying here for a longer period, or if you have friends over to visit. In comparison to the living space, the bedroom of the Bangsar Suite feels slightly small but it is definitely very cosy. As Bangsar Suites are all corner rooms, the bedrooms will have windows on each side which is great in the day when you leave the curtains drawn open.

Bedroom
Bangsar Suite - Alila Bangsar

There is a small work desk located within the bedroom of the Bangsar Suite but I got most of my stuff done in the living room and by the pool (more on this later) - WiFi works without a hitch but I did notice that the cellular coverage can get pretty patchy in the property, depending on where you are at. I absolutely love the king-size beds here at the Alila Bangsar as they are extremely comfortable - I am not one to sleep-in usually but these beds made it a real struggle every morning.

Bedroom
Bangsar Suite - Alila Bangsar

Most of the controls for lights can be found by the side of the bed with the exception of the standing lights, so make sure you switch them off being crawling into bed to save yourself a trip. Complimentary disinfecting wipes are also provided by the side for you to wipe down high-touch surfaces if it is required.

View from Bedroom
Bangsar Suite - Alila Bangsar

As mentioned earlier, the Alila Bangsar occupies the top levels of the building and therefore, all of the rooms and suites come with a pretty impressive view of the surroundings. On a separate visit, the Junior Suite that I stayed in came with a view of the Merdeka 118 (which is the tallest building in Malaysia right now).

Alila Living Room
Alila Bangsar

The Alila Living Room is probably one of my favourite features of the property - this lounge-like pantry area can be found on every floor (except Level 41) and hotel guests will be able to enjoy complimentary coffee and tea, as well as filtered water at anytime during they stay. Complimentary snacks are also provided on the side in huge jars and hotel guests can help themselves to it - I tend not to snack but having this just outside my room really tested my willpower. There is also a small seating area located on each floor but most guests will probably just bring their beverages and snacks back to their room.

Interiors
Botanica+Co - Alila Bangsar

Breakfast at Alila Bangsar is served on the ground floor at Botanica + Co and Globalists will be able to enjoy the continental spread as well as a choice from the a la carte menu here. The breakfast sets are typically priced at RM48 nett per person, but Globalists will be able to enjoy this for free as part of their benefits. Since Botanica + Co is located on the ground level, you will have to take the lift up to the main hotel lobby (located on Level 41) first before proceeding down for breakfast.

Alila Breakfast
Botanica+Co - Alila Bangsar

Apart from the small continental spread (mostly pastries, some sliced fruits and coffee/tea) which is part of the breakfast buffet, guests enjoying breakfast at Botanica + Co can also select an item from the breakfast menu - there are five options (including one meat-free option) available. The Alila Breakfast is probably your safest bet if you do not wish to try anything too extraordinary - it comes with pancakes, two fresh eggs done the way you like, chicken sausage, as well as a yoghurt on the side.

The Brickfields Experience
Botanica+Co - Alila Bangsar

Since I was staying at the Alila Bangsar for quite a number of nights, I took the opportunity to try all the items on the breakfast menu each day - The Brickfields Experience pays homage to the area in which the Alila Bangsar is located. It comes with putu mayam (served with brown sugar and grated coconut), roti canai, curry chicken, a cauliflower curry, as well as spiced potato dahl. Honestly, breakfast at Botanica + Co is pretty forgettable and if your room rate does not come with breakfast, just save that RM 48 per person and go somewhere else instead - it is not terrible but you can obviously get much better quality food for less in the area. There are plenty of great local restaurants in the area where you can get something similar for a third of the price and they will probably taste a lot more authentic too.

Swimming Pool
Alila Bangsar

There is a swimming pool and a small but functional gym located on Level 40 of the Alila Bangsar - the swimming pool is pretty atypical and at first glance, it looks a lot more like a water feature than an actual swimming pool. Do note that there is an extremely popular French restaurant (opens for lunch and dinner) located on level 41 of the property which looks down to pool so it does getting pretty awkward for swims if you do not like being watched from above (as I would expect most people to). I took a dip in this pool one afternoon (while the restaurant is closed) and the water is actually pretty cold so I would probably just skip the whole swimming experience the next time I am here. There is a small fitness centre located by the side and you will find some free weights, three treadmills and a small selection of cardio and mixed resistance machines inside - nothing phenomenal but it gets the job done.

Wellness Level
Alila Bangsar

Level 40 of the Alila Bangsar also doubles as a wellness level with plenty of spaces for fresh air (but hotel guests tend to gather here for a smoke which is annoying) - I love sitting by the pool during the day to work on my laptop and you can even order food and drinks via the phone which is located on the same level. There used to be a Pool Bar here but it is currently not in operation - I am not sure whether it will reopen once things start to settle down but the prices are pretty reasonable once you have done the necessary currency conversions from MYR to SGD (or whichever home currency is more suitable).

Bedroom
Bangsar Suite - Alila Bangsar

Since I was in Kuala Lumpur for four nights, I also took advantage of the fourth-night free benefit from my Citi Prestige Card. Even though it has definitely gotten a lot more difficult to book an eligible rate (since full prepayment is required) via the Citi Prestige Concierge, I managed to book the flexible rate via the Concierge and was able to enjoy a statement credit of S$133.03 for this stay. This took the total cost of my stay down from S$569.83 to S$436.80 which works out to just S$109.20 per night which is an absolute steal. While I do like the Alila Bangsar a lot, there are very limited restaurants and cafes in the immediate area of the property (it is not Bukit Bintang after all). However, as I have mentioned above, it is conveniently connected to Bangsar LRT Station via a sheltered walkway which makes it extremely easy to get around. Traffic around Kuala Lumpur can get quite bad during peak hours so traveling on trains is always a great idea. If you are a World of Hyatt member, the Alila Bangsar is a Category 1 property which means you will only need 3,500 points per night here if you are traveling during an off-peak period - this is a great price to pay if you are looking to clear some points and to clock some nights for qualification purposes.

Alila Bangsar
58, Jalan Ang Seng, Brickfields, 50470 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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