Overall rating
Service: ★★
Room: ★★★★
Location: ★★★★★
Food: N/A
Price: ★★★
GHA Discovery Membership Recognition: ★
Tips
Parkroyal Collection Kuala Lumpur is one of three Parkroyal Collection Hotels in the world with the other two are located in Singapore (Parkroyal Collection Pickering and Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay). This hotel is formerly known as Parkroyal Kuala Lumpur but it was closed down during the pandemic to give way to major renovation and refurbishments. After two years of renovations, Parkroyal Kuala Lumpur is rebranded as Parkroyal Collection Kuala Lumpur and they opened their doors to public in June 2022.
If you are wondering, Parkroyal Collection Hotels are well-known for their eco-conscious themes and policies which can be seen from the design of their hotels.
Location
This hotel is strategically located in the heart of vibrant Bukit Bintang which can be easily accessible by KL Monorail (Bukit Bintang Station) or KL MRT (Bukit Bintang Station). For those shopaholics and nightlife lovers, this hotel is just few minutes walk from major shopping malls such as Pavilion KL, Berjaya Times Square, Lot 10, Sungei Wang Plaza, Fahrenheit Mall, Starhill Gallery as well as night clubs and bars.
Check in
The first impression of the hotel was excellent until check in. The opposite experience started here but before we dive deeper, lets talk about the design of lobby. Lobby was spacious with ample seating area. I was impressed with the glass paneling behind the check in counter with some greeneries that added the calm and "eco-conscious" vibe of the hotel.
I straight away went to the counter to get myself checked in. The receptionist who attended me was serious and no smiles were given which made me feel unwelcomed but I tried to stay positive and proceeded with check in. I politely asked the receptionist if I could get a complimentary upgrade since I'm a Gold GHA Discovery Member but my request was declined and I was told that their hotel was fully booked until end of the year. At that moment I was so surprised by the way the receptionist responded to me. Does it mean that no one can book the hotel for December this year because your hotel is fully booked???! While he was busy checking me in, I went to their website and found that there were rooms available for upgrade but I did not want to create a scene so I just went silent.
After 30 minutes, the receptionist told me that my room has been cleaned but he needed 2 minutes since the room supervisor was doing a final check in my room. 15 minutes has passed and I went to the counter again to ask about my room key but I was told that the room was not ready. Lets cut it short, the process took slightly over one hour from checking in and receiving my room key card.
Room
Room was spacious and clean. Our room was on the 13th floor overlooking the Bukit Bintang city. The design of the room was inspired by nature and the wood paneling on the wall enhanced the vibe. However, I noticed that the room was "too minimalist". This is a LIFESTYLE room but I did not get any lifestyle vibes while staying in the room. You can be eco-conscious without sacrificing the luxury furniture or amenities in the room.
I stayed at other luxury hotel brands in the past (especially in Kuala Lumpur) but I have to say that this room did not give me the same luxury vibes compared to other brands such as Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt and etc.
Lets talk about the bathroom. It was clean and basic amenities were provided but.........................the quality of their shampoo and body wash was terrible! The smell from those amenities reminded me of chinese herbal medicine or something which was unpleasant. They really need to consider to change their bath amenities, like seriously. You can try it yourself when you stay there.
The bathroom was quite small but functional except the toilet bowl. Here is a funny thing! During my stay, I noticed that the toilet bowl was acting funny. After using the bowl, I flushed but I was so surprised when I went to the bathroom one hour later. Guess what? All the poop and urine reappears. At first I thought I might have forgotten to flush them but this kept happening during my entire stay which told me that something was wrong with the toilet bowl. Disgusting!
Facilities
During our stay, the pool was closed for maintenance which was visible from my room. On the second day, I called the reception (TEN TIMES!) before they answered me. It was not during check in/out period but I was not sure why it was so difficult for them to pick up a call! I asked the reception about the pool and she told me that the pool has been reopened today and the maintenance was completed a day before. I was so happy and I went down for a quick dip just to find out that the pool was STILL UNDER MAINTENANCE.
The security guard told me that I can use the pool in Pan Pacific Service Suite which is located next door but I told him that the receptionist told me that the pool has been reopened. Nahhhh, second disappointment (or maybe second lies!). But worry not, I managed to take few photos of the pool. It looks inviting!
You can also find gym and poolside bar on the same floor.
Food
I did not manage to get to try their food. Here's why! During check in, I asked the receptionist about the price for breakfast. He told me that in house guest are eligible for 30% off from the normal rate (NP RM70++) but I have to pay at the restaurant since they don't collect the money for breakfast. The next day, I called the restaurant (Thyme Restaurant) to ask about the in house guest breakfast rate but it was shocking to know that the discount was not 30% but 20%. I told the lady that I was promised with 30% off during check in but she insisted that it was only 20% (THIRD LIES!). How could a reputable hotel like this could messed up so badly during my stay.
I definitely can pay the original price for breakfast but it was the quality of service that really saddened me.
Overall, it was a bad stay at Parkroyal Collection Kuala Lumpur. For the first time ever, I can't wait to check out from a 5-stars hotel during my stay. If you ask me, will I be back? My answer would be DEFINITELY NO. I could get better quality of service and benefits if I stay at other hotels.
This would be my first and last visit to Parkroyal Collection Kuala Lumpur. Thank you.
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