Hotel Review: Ascott Star KLCC Kuala Lumpur (One-Bedroom Premier) - Affordable Serviced Apartment Near KLCC Suitable for Families
Back in 2020, there was an opportunity to purchase Ascott Star Rewards (ASR) Points with a 100% bonus and I obviously made the decision to take advantage of this offer - I have had some amazingly great-value stays at the Ascott Raffles Place Singapore where I paid only S$260 Nett for three nights (inclusive of the 50% discount from the 100% points bonus). Since ASR Points expire two years from the date of issue and I was still sitting on a number of points that were due to expire, I have decided to redeem them at the Ascott Star KLCC Kuala Lumpur instead of staying at my usual favourites - the Alila Bangsar and Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur.
Hotel Lobby
Ascott Star KLCC Kuala Lumpur
The Ascott Star KLCC Kuala Lumpur is located on Jalan Yap Kwan Seng which is just a very short stroll away from Avenue K and Suria KLCC. Staying around KLCC obviously has it advantages and disadvantages - you are close to the mall and offices (great for work trips) but the traffic conditions are typically quite bad during the peak hours. Ascott Star KLCC Kuala Lumpur is located in Tower 3 and it is relatively new, opening in just May 2022 as part of the whole Star Development project. My original reservation was for the One-Bedroom Premier apartment which is three categories higher than the lead-in room category and I received no further upgrades as an ASR Gold member (I used to have Platinum status and it has given me quite a number of nice upgrades at the Ascott Raffles Place Singapore where I paid only S$260 Nett for three nights).
Living Room
One-Bedroom Premier - Ascott Star KLCC Kuala Lumpur
The One-Bedroom Premier units measure 74-79 sqm in size and it comes with a separate living and dining area, a bedroom (complete with a king-size bed), as well as a fully-equipped kitchen. There is also a washing machine and dryer located within the unit which was fantastic for me since I have had a number of workouts planned during my stay in Kuala Lumpur. The property looks pretty modern but the finishing is not of the greatest quality - the main door is also pretty light so you can actually hear your neighbours outside if they are near the lift lobby but since the bedroom is tucked away inside the apartment, the noise did not actually affect my sleep at all. Aesthetically, the living room and dining area look great - they were also pretty comfortable and I really valued the abundance of space which I am sure families traveling with young children will appreciate too.
Dining Table
One-Bedroom Premier - Ascott Star KLCC Kuala Lumpur
The apartment was tastefully done up and it reminded me a little bit of the Ascott Orchard Singapore where I have stayed at previously. The design is simple and clean with subtle touches of modernity which makes it very comfortable to live in (and probably appeals to most travellers). The living room came equipped with a flatscreen television with cable channels but some channels were experiencing some kind of connectivity issues - not a big problem since I typically stream content from my laptop or iPad anyway.
Fully-equipped Kitchen
One-Bedroom Premier - Ascott Star KLCC Kuala Lumpur
The biggest difference between staying in a serviced residence versus a full-service hotel is probably the kitchenette which is highly valued by families (particularly those traveling with younger children). Even though I did not require this at all and I would ultimately prefer a hotel over a serviced apartment due to my travel habits, it was a nice feature to have during my stay since it meant being able to shop at the nearby supermarkets, and being able to whip up supper easily if required. The kitchen came with everything you would expect - an induction cooker, glassware, crockery, cutlery, utensils, a built-in microwave oven, a full-size refrigerator and even a bread toaster.
Nespresso Machine
One-Bedroom Premier - Ascott Star KLCC Kuala Lumpur
The Ascott Star KLCC Kuala Lumpur does not have an executive lounge (or an equivalent) so having a Nespresso machine in the room was fantastic - complimentary coffee capsules were provided but additional capsules are chargeable (at approximately RM 3 each which is rather reasonable). If you are craving coffee, there is also a small self-service Starbucks coffee machine (chargeable) downstairs in the lobby where you can purchase hot and iced beverages. With all that being said, housekeeping also replaced the coffee capsules (for free) in the morning when they came in to make up the room but you can always head over to the supermarket to pick up a sleeve of coffee capsules if you have a desperate need of caffeine like me.
Washing Machine and Dryer
One-Bedroom Premier - Ascott Star KLCC Kuala Lumpur
I really appreciated the fact that my apartment came equipped with a washing machine (complete with dryer functions). Even though. I was only here for three nights, I have had a number of workouts planned during the short stay and being able to launder these dirty clothes at the end of the day made a huge difference. Sure hotels typically provide a decent laundry service for a nominal fee but being able to control when you could wash them (and get them back) meant that I was able to pack less for this trip. In fact, this could be my only trip to Kuala Lumpur where I did not check a bag in since I had everything I needed in my hand-carry.
View from Living Room
One-Bedroom Premier - Ascott Star KLCC Kuala Lumpur
The apartment that I was in looked out to the famous Le Nouvel KLCC which is designed by Pritzker Prize winner Jean Nouvel - there was also a partial view of the Petronas Twin Towers (photo below) but nothing beats seeing the real thing from the ground. Over the last couple of years, I have had rooms that looked out to the Twin Towers from the W Kuala Lumpur, Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur and the Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur but honestly, it looks the best from the ground where you can take in just how big these towers are.
Guest Room
One-Bedroom Premier - Ascott Star KLCC Kuala Lumpur
There is a small guest room in the One-Bedroom Premier apartment that I was in and this is great for a young child, or a domestic helper that is traveling with you. It comes with a small study area as well as dedicated air-conditioning settings but I do not think that the bedding can be further extended and converted into a full-size bed. To be very honest, I did not spend anytime in this room at all - this is where I left my bags and shopping each day.
Master Bedroom
One-Bedroom Premier - Ascott Star KLCC Kuala Lumpur
The One-Bedroom Premier apartment at the Ascott Star KLCC Kuala Lumpur comes with a sizeable master bedroom and a king-size bed with reasonable bedding. It is not the most comfortable bed around but it should suffice for most on a short stay. I am personally not a fan of having cushions on the sheets since I am skeptical about the frequency in which these are laundered properly but that is a personal preference. Located on the side of the bed is where you with find a small wardrobe where you can hang up your clothes and store your important belongings in an electronic safe if required.
Bedside Controls
One-Bedroom Premier - Ascott Star KLCC Kuala Lumpur
USB charging ports as well as universal power outlets can be found throughout the apartment and this is something that hotels and serviced residences in Kuala Lumpur do pretty well. Even certain luxury hotels in Singapore (including newer ones that have been built in the last five years) do not have a universal power outlet (shocking!) so this is no longer something that I take for granted. Most of the lights can be switched off bedside but some of the standing lamps outside have to be switched off manually.
Bathroom with Bathtub
One-Bedroom Premier - Ascott Star KLCC Kuala Lumpur
Most of the room types here at the Ascott Star KLCC Kuala Lumpur come with a bathtub - the only exception that I know of is the lead-in room category, Studio Executive. The bathroom is pretty spacious with a single sink and I like that the dry and wet areas are separated distinctly. There is also a separate shower area (complete with a rainshower head) that is located next to the bathtub. Basic personal amenities like cotton buds, toothbrushes, as well as toothpaste are also provided if you have forgotten to pack yours on this trip.
Bathtub
One-Bedroom Premier - Ascott Star KLCC Kuala Lumpur
The bathroom can be accessed from the master bedroom as well as the living area so in the event that you do have guests over in your apartment, they do not actually need to enter your bedroom in order to access the bathroom.
Bath Amenities
One-Bedroom Premier - Ascott Star KLCC Kuala Lumpur
Bulk-size bath amenities from APPELLES are provided in the bathroom and I like that they are not too harsh but the fragrance might not appeal to everyone in my opinion. If I am not mistaken, most of the Ascott-branded properties around the world offer these amenities as they are the same ones that I had over at the Ascott Raffles Place Singapore.
Dining Room
One-Bedroom Premier - Ascott Star KLCC Kuala Lumpur
I visited the Ascott Star KLCC Kuala Lumpur back in August 2022 and I had breakfast included for two adults as part of my room rate. With that being said, the main restaurant was not open during my stay and therefore, breakfast was delivered to my room daily at a stipulated time. While there was some variety on a day-to-day basis, the quality of food was pretty poor so it ended up going to waste since the food was typically served cold and it looked pretty sad.
Self-prepared Breakfast
One-Bedroom Premier - Ascott Star KLCC Kuala Lumpur
With that in mind, I have decided to whip up something simple on the one day that I did not have breakfast plans and it was a whole lot better than anything I have eaten from the hotel on that trip. I try to have a light breakfast at the club lounge or the restaurant when I travel usually so simple things like fresh fruits, coffee, and eggs made-to-order are pretty important to me. This is another reason why I tend to pick hotels over serviced apartments as they suit my travel preferences a lot better. Being able to pop into a restaurant in a given window (as opposed to having food delivered at a fixed timing) allows flexibility in my schedule and this is very much appreciated, especially when traveling abroad.
View from Living Room
One-Bedroom Premier - Ascott Star KLCC Kuala Lumpur
With all that being said, the Ascott Star KLCC Kuala Lumpur is a decent serviced residence for short- and long-term stay guests. There is a small but nice pool located on the highest floor which comes with a great view of the surrounding area, the apartments are well-furnished, and the location of the property is actually quite good if KLCC is where you need to be. While serviced apartments are not personally for me, I can see how they may cater to those staying for a longer duration, or those traveling with children.
Ascott Star KLCC Kuala Lumpur
1, Jalan Yap Kwan Seng, Kampung Baru, 50450 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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The JW Marriott Auckland is still refurbishing its guest rooms and suites (with an expected completion date in November 2024). I stayed in a Deluxe Room (non-refurbished) and have found the experience to be lacking of a typical JW Marriott property.