Alila Bangasar offers a boutique resort feel in busy Kuala Lumpur, one of Hyatt’s most creative hotels.
Location
Connected by an elevated walkway to the Kuala Lumpur metro system at the Bangasar station, the hotel is less than a mile from central KL. A nearby neighborhood, Bricktown, provides culture to the area. The journey from the airport is approximately 45 minutes with limited traffic.
Address: 58, Jalan Ang Seng, Brickfields, 50470 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Phone: +60 3-2268 3888
Property
The hotel occupies the upper floors of a high rise building. On each of the floors, a small “lounge” is offered for all guests. Cold soft drinks, water, snacks, and a premium coffee maker. It’s a nice touch for guests and an added convenience for those heading out for meetings or coming back for the day, wanting a quick snack but not enough to go to a dedicated lounge on another floor.
From the moment guests exit the lift, the pool deck is in sight. The two-level pool area is indoor/outdoor with glass partions separating swimmers from the city below. It captured a true resort feel with poolside service, an open bar, and excellent sunlight from the open roof and sides. A fitness center is in the same area.
On the first floor of the building, the hotel operates Botanica & Co. The restaurant provides room service (which can be ordered via in-room TV channels) with a variety of culinary options. Among the choices, pastries, western dishes, a full pizza menu accompany traditional Asian dishes. During my stay, I opted to try a variety of entrees mixing cuisines and was impressed by everything I had. Prices were reasonable, Botanica is highly recommended.
Suite
As a World of Hyatt Globalist member, I was upgraded to a one-bedroom suite. The suite opens to a hallway leading to the living room with a very modern bathroom to the left.
Living Room
Separated from the bedroom by a pair of pocket doors, the living room offers ample space for a small family or to host visitors. A long couch, chairs and a small dining table allow guests to stretch out during their stay. Floor-to-ceiling windows showcase Kuala Lumpur.
Bedroom
The bedroom was simply and tastefully decorated. Dark wood and gold-rimmed accessories gave the room a feel of a mid-century modern aesthetic. The bed was comfortable and featured windows on two sides.
Aligned with the simplicity of the room, a desk with a lamp and collection of branded pencils as opposed to the hotel pen. Outlets were on the wall underneath the desk, slightly inconvenient but close enough to suffice.
Bathroom
The Alila brand prides itself on giving a boutique resort experience to its guests, even in a high rise overlooking Kuala Lumpur. The bathroom accomplishes this mission. White subway tiles, bright-lit mirrors, and concrete sinks reflected the premium feel Alila customers have come to appreciate.
Upon entering, guests are greeted on the right with a waiting robe and to the left a closed-door water closet, convenient for visitors.
A shower and dressing room lead to the second access point just off the bedroom with a dressing room and safe.
Alila offers its own line of premium toiletries both for guests to enjoy during their stay and to take a memento of their experience.
World of Hyatt Service and Benefits
As a World of Hyatt Globalist, I enjoyed complimentary breakfast, late checkout, bonus points, and an upgrade to a suite.
Breakfast was offered at Entier, a french restaurant off the lobby and overlooking the pool deck on one side, the city on the other.
Breakfast was available via a menu with plated dishes focusing on the diversity of KL with Malaysian, Indian, Vegetarian, and Oriental options as well as western items. A buffet of pastries, charcuterie, fresh juices, salad, and some hot items were included with the menu items.
During my stay, I tried both the “International” (western) breakfast as well as the Oriental set. The International set was a combination of an American breakfast and a Full English breakfast. Likewise, the Oriental set featured Chinese congee, Singapore noodles and Japanese gyoza.
The hotel also greeted me with fresh fruits and some snacks as a welcome amenity for being a loyal Globalist member.
For more information on the World of Hyatt loyalty program, see this post.
Value
The Alila Bangasar is possibly the best value in the Hyatt chain. Rates have been seen as low as $80/nt, though typically rates are closer to $100-120/nt. It’s an incredible value for money, especially for Globalists.
For World of Hyatt members, the property is a Category 1! Award nights cost just 5,000/nt for a standard room – points and cash awards can be secured for as little as 2,500 points and $26. This provides a value of 2¢ to 2.6¢/point, which aligns well with Suites and Lobbies’ valuation of 2¢/point. World of Hyatt members should feel free to pay with cash or points as they see fit, just don’t redeem a Category 1-4 certificate for the stay.
What do you think? Have you stayed at the Alila Bangasar? How was your experience?
