Westin Kuala Lumpur – Trip Report – WOW…especially the food

After a disappointing stay at the Hilton, it was time to move on to the Westin Kuala Lumpur, a hotel that I truly loved and a great value in central KL.  This review is part eleven of my Bali / Kuala Lumpur trip report.

• United Airlines Business Class  Updated 767-300 Newark (EWR) – Houston (IAH)
• Singapore Airlines First Class 777-300ER Houston (IAH) – Moscow (DME) Part 1
• Singapore Airlines First Class 777-300ER Moscow (DME) – Singapore (SIN) & DME Transfer Lounge Part 2
• The Singapore Airlines Private Room @ SilverKris Lounge Terminal 3 & SilverKris Lounge Terminal 2 @ SIN
• Singapore Airlines Business Class 777-200 Singapore (SIN) – Bali (DPS)
• The St. Regis Bali Resort
• The W Retreat & Spa Bali
• The Brand New Sheraton Bali Kuta
• My First Experience on Air Asia A320 Bali (DPS) – Kuala Lumpur (KUL)
• The Hilton Kuala Lumpur Hotel
• The Westin Kuala Lumpur
• The Cathay Pacific Pier Lounge HKG/Day-Break Rooms, connecting flight KUL – HKG
• Cathay Pacific First Class  777-300ER Hong Kong (HKG) – Vancouver (YVR) – JFK

The Westin Kuala Lumpur is an SPG category 3 property. My options when booking were to pay $137 per night ($12 more than the Hilton), use 7,000 SPG points per night, or use 2,800 SPG points & pay $45 per night. I went with the Cash & Points option. My 2,500 SPG points for “making the green choice” while staying at the Aloft outside of Toronto back in May had only just posted and I decided to use those points to give myself an almost free night in KL.

There was a short line at check-in and when I got up to the desk, the agent mentioned that I would be staying on the executive floor and he would like to escort me upstairs to the lounge for check-in. I said I was fine getting there on my own, but he mentioned you needed a key card for the elevator and so he would take me upstairs…leaving a pretty long line of people behind. Upon reaching the lounge, I was asked for my passport and credit card and then offered the opportunity to grab a snack and some water while they prepared my registration.

I was presented with the letter below which highlighted the executive lounge perks, including breakfast, snacks and drinks throughout the day, evening drinks and hors d’oeuvres, complimentary pressing of 3 garments, shoe shining, wifi, and meeting room usage. All perks were also good for one guest except for the pressing which was for 3 total pieces of clothing.

The lounge was recently renovated and was very nice with views overlooking Jalan Bukit Bintang and of the Petronas Towers. The lounge also had an outdoor area with tables and chairs as well.

The Westin is very centrally located in KL’s Golden Triangle, across the street from the Pavilion Mall and at the start of Bukit Bintang. You truly feel like you’re in the center of everything. Tons of restaurants, bars, and malls are nearby. It’s an easy walk to any of the local malls and to the main tourist attractions including the Petronas Towers. The monorail station is also located close to the hotel. The staff right from the start were excellent, always warmly greeting me upon exiting and entering the hotel.

Once I was checked in, I headed up to my executive club room, an upgrade from the deluxe room I had booked. The rooms are spacious and clean and the bathrooms are large including a separate shower and bath. The views from my room were incredible, overlooking the city skyline, KL tower, and the Petronas Towers (even better at night). There were at least six complimentary bottles of water in the room and you could always head to the lounge if you needed additional bottles. The bed was the typical Westin Heavenly bed and was very comfortable. It was also nice to have working A/C after the previous sweltering night at the Hilton.

Happy Hour @ the lounge is from 5:30-7:30pm and includes an extensive open bar with liquor, wine, and beer. It was the first time I had actually seen people take full bottles of wine to their tables, including the English gentleman at the table next to me who seemed to be treating his new “lady friend”. She had just relocated from China in search of work and he was lonely and on business..

Food options were generous as well including mushroom quesasdillas, beef pie, made-to-order noodle and tofu curry laksa, lamb burak, kiwi trifles, tropical fruit skewers, cakes, and fruit and veggie platters.

From the outdoor section of the lounge…

As an SPG Platinum member, I was able to choose from breakfast in the lounge or downstairs at the restaurant. I snapped some quick photos of the lounge breakfast below, but the restaurant breakfast was one of the most extensive (and delicious) I’ve ever experienced in any of my hotel stays all over Asia. The lounge breakfast was definitely sufficient though and includes an omelet bar, salad station, assorted pastries, and local dishes.

Now, for the incredible breakfast downstairs at the Living Room restaurant. They call it the Breakfast Adventure and it is by far the largest selection I’ve ever seen at an Asian hotel buffet breakfast. There’s a pastry room, a fruit market, made-to-order omelets, french toast, pancakes, and waffles, a yogurt station, juice bar, and noodle station. As it was almost 11, I ended up having several of the “brunch” options including the Angus filet (excellent) and two local chicken and squid dishes. These along with the curry dishes and the very fresh watermelon were my favorites. The chicken was incredible, definitely try it out!

There was no more watermelon at the fruit station, the restaurant manager went in the back and returned with this plate for me…

The pool area is nice and the water is nice and warm. There is also a poolside restaurant and bar as well as a few games.

If your a wealthy ex-pat you can apparently rent out the children’s pool and throw your chid a birthday bash. Taline’s 12th birthday included a DJ, an ice cream vendor, a cotton candy stand, and a bbq! Taline and her family relocated to KUL from London three years ago.

I really enjoyed my stay at the Westin. The location is one of the best in all of KUL, convenient to almost everything I wanted to get to. The service in the lounge, restaurants, lobby, and at the front-desk was excellent. My room had great views and was comfortable with fast wifi. …and then there is the food. Wow, if your an executive lounge guest you’re going to have a hard time finding an appetite to dine out. The food at breakfast and throughout the day was superb. The local dishes were excellent and the chefs will actually explain to you what’s in each dish, I even saw them providing some guests with recipes.