PARKROYAL Kuala Lumpur

I had to go to Kuala Lumpur to attend a friend's wedding in January and I chose the PARKROYAL Kuala Lumpur for two nights worth of accommodation. After touching down at 9am, I booked for a prepaid taxi at the ALM Cabs counter located in the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) arrival hall. It costed me 75 Malaysian Ringgit to get to the hotel and I was there in just under 45 minutes. 

I have chosen the Orchid Club King room for this trip. Upon reaching the hotel at approximately 10am, I proceeded directly to the check-in counter who then guided me towards the Orchid Club located on level six for check-in. Firstly, this is one of the few properties where Club guests check-in separately (and therefore do not need to queue). Secondly, I was not expecting my room to be ready and I just wanted to leave my bags at the hotel before heading out. To my surprise however, they had the room ready and the staff were more than happy to extend the club benefits for an early check-in. My Platinum status with GHA did not get me much this trip - possibly only a late check-out of 2pm. 

My room was located on the fifth floor (one level under the Orchid Club). It is worth noting that all club rooms are located in a separate wing/building from the other rooms. There is also a dedicated lift that services levels one to six for the Orchid Club rooms. The room was spacious and it had a separate working desk/seating area. There wasn't a pillow menu for the room and the pillows were too soft for my liking. There was also no coffee machine and only basic teabags/instant coffee/bottled water were provided. 

The bathroom was clean and spacious (although the bathtub was slightly smaller than what I am used to). It has a separate rain shower (which came with a seating area inside) and bath area. The toiletries were from the St. Gregory Spa and weren't too fancy. There was practically no view from any Orchid Club Rooms since the highest floor is only five levels up (but the Suites are located in the main building). 

Buffet breakfast was served from 630am to 1030am in Chatz Brasserie, located on the Lower Ground level. There was a wide selection of continental breakfast items as well as Asian flavours (which tasted really good). Personally, I think the best part of the hotel is possibly the location. It is located just across Sungei Wang and next to Lot 10 which meant that you can get pretty decent food at really good prices (approximately 10 Malaysian Ringgit). Also, you could essentially walk to the Pavilion and the Suria KLCC building in about five to fifteen minutes respectively.

Overall, a pretty good property but I probably will not pay for the Orchid Club rooms again since they were not as impressive as I thought they would be. I would rather spend the same amount of money in Grand Hyatt or the Mandarin Oriental the next time. 

PARKROYAL Kuala Lumpur
Jalan Sultan Ismail, 50250 Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 
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PARKROYAL on Pickering St

The PARKROYAL on Pickering St, a PARKROYAL Collection hotel that received the BCA Green Mark Platinum Award is a beauty and in some sense, a marvel in hotel architecture. Participating in the Global Hotel Alliance (GHA) programme, members can enjoy a range of benefits and privileges depending on membership tier.  

I made a reservation for an Orchid Club Deluxe room for my birthday and was told that I was upgraded for being a Platinum member under the GHA program. However, I realised that no upgrades in terms of room tiers were made - I probably enjoyed a room on a higher floor as a result of this "upgrade". 

Exclusive Orchid Club Lounge Privileges

• Complimentary welcome drink
• All-day refreshments
• Champagne breakfast
• Afternoon tea
• Evening cocktails (6.00pm – 8.00pm). Club guests are allowed to invite one guest up at no additional charge.
• Exclusive access to outdoor rooftop terraces

Business and Housekeeping Services

• Complimentary in-room wired and wireless Internet access
• Priority check-in and check-out
• Complimentary  local calls
• Housekeeping services (twice daily)
• Two pieces of laundry per day, accumulative during your stay
• Suit pressing (two pieces upon arrival)
• Shoe shine service available from 7.30am to 10.00pm
• Complimentary non-alcoholic executive bar
• 20% savings on all Business Centre services

Dining and Leisure

• 20% savings at Lime, the open-kitchen restaurant located at Level 1 (applicable for a la carte menu only)

As seen from the privileges above, club level guests should enjoy (i) priority check-in/check-out and a (ii) complimentary welcome drink. I did not receive both for this stay. While the architecture and design of the property have impressed me, the level of service did not. There were no clear signs or staff around to ensure that guests that were on Club level or those with GHA membership were served first. I was also not offered a welcome drink at the property despite it being listed as one of the privileges. It is worthwhile to note that it is common practice in other properties for Club level guests to check in at the executive lounge instead. 

The room was spacious and it included a extensive range of amenities. My room had a partial view of Clarke Quay which was nice. I also particularly liked the fact that the room enjoyed a lot of natural lighting. There were two automatic blinds that you could control for the bedroom - one for privacy (but still allowed light to come in) and one for sleeping. The room also comes with a Nespresso machine and ground coffee for those who prefer a French Press. There were also a wide range of ports (e.g. HDMI) that allowed you to display your videos on the TV or play music through the TV speakers. 

The sliding doors to the bathroom can be hidden to create a studio-like space (as shown in the photo above). Elemis shower amenities were provided and the bathtub had a backrest which allowed for a comfortable soak while enjoying a good read. Similar to the bedroom, the bathroom also came with two automatic blinds that were controlled separately. 

Unlike other properties that strictly enforce the no-children policy in club lounges (e.g. InterContinental), the PARKROYAL on Pickering takes a more casual approach regarding this. There were even kids in the lounge during the evening cocktail hours. Food in the club lounge was mediocre compared to other properties with similar price point in Singapore. There were very limited food offerings but the staff in the club lounge were largely attentive and enthusiastic.  

There were a number of issues that I have encountered during this stay. Firstly, I was told at check-in that a late checkout would be possible but I received contrasting news the next morning. I was told that I had to check-out by 12pm despite being in a Club room and having Platinum status. Secondly, housekeeping entered my room (while I was in the Club lounge) despite having the Do Not Disturb sign on. She also removed the key card from my room which I later had to replace on my own in the lobby.  

I would say that the property is beautiful on its own and the area surrounding the swimming pool is quite amazing. However, more needs to be done by the management to ensure a higher level of service standard. Whilst the PARKROYAL brand is largely dated in most Asian markets, this property has definitely deviated from the norm by the augmentation of exterior beauty. 

PARKROYAL on Pickering
3 Upper Pickering St, 058289
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