The St. St. Regis Kuala Lumpur: Poor management despite a magnificent hard product

When booking my trip to Kuala Lumpur, I decided to split my stay into two different hotels. Here is the second part.

As a reminder, here is the itinerary followed:

#TypeReview
1DiaryAsian getaway in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur
2LoungeLufthansa Senator Lounge, Londres Heathrow Terminal 2
3FlightSwiss Business, Londres Heathrow – Genève Cointrin, Airbus A220-300
4LoungeSwiss First Class Lounge, Geneva Cointrin
5FlightSwiss Business, Geneva Cointrin – Zurich, Airbus A320neo
6LoungeSwiss First Class Lounge, Zurich – Gates A
7LoungeSwiss First Class Lounge, Zurich – Gates E
8FlightSwiss First, Zurich – Singapore Changi, Boeing 777-300ER
9HotelW Singapore
10LoungeSingapore Airlines SilverKris Lounge, Singapore Changi Terminal 3
11FlightSingapore Airlines Business Class, Singapour Changi – Kuala Lumpur, Airbus A350-900
12HotelW Kuala Lumpur
13FlightThe St. Regis Kuala Lumpur
14LoungePlaza Premium Lounge, Kuala Lumpur
15FlightSingapore Airlines Business, Kuala Lumpur – SIngapore Changi, Airbus A350-900
16HotelJW Marriott Singapore South Beach
17LoungeSingapore Airlines First Class Lounge, Singapore Changi Terminal 3
18FlightSwiss First, Singapore Changi – Zurich, Boeing 777-300ER
19LoungeSwiss First Class Lounge, Zurich – Gates A
20FlightSwiss Business Class , Zurich – Paris Charles-de-Gaulle, Airbus A220-300
21HotelSheraton Paris Charles-de-Gaulle (not reviewed)
22FlightBritish Airways Club Europe, Paris Charles-de-Gaulle – Londres Heathrow, Airbus Axxx (not reviewed)
Today’s itinerary

Booking

I had originally booked the Ritz-Carlton in the city for the last three nights, but theGeneral Managerof the W advised me instead to go to the St. Regis, considering the first one less modern.

So I took his advice and cancelled my reservation at the Ritz-Carlton and made another one at the St. Regis Kuala Lumpur, for an equivalent rate, i.e. close to 200 € per night for a St.. Regis Suitethe property’s entry-level suite.

Arrival

I arrive at the hotel after having made my check-out at the W, that is to say at about 14:15 after a trip in Grab from the latter.

When I arrived,there was no one to take care of my luggage, so I went alone to the reception desk.

The receptionist proceeds with the arrival formalities. Since he encodes the key without saying a word,I understand that I will not be upgraded.

I asked about this and was told that members of the Marriott loyalty program can only be upgraded to the Caroline Astor suite levelthat is to say a suite equivalent to mine with a more open viewand I am told that none of these suites are available before 6pm (it is 2:15pm).

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Having already booked a basic suite, I inquired about the possibility of being upgraded to a higher category suite, and was turned down by both the receptionist and the On-Duty Manager. Nothing is done to offer me something else, or to change my room later.

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I will send an email to the recent General Manager of the hotel to express my disappointment, and she will do nothing about it. I even came close to ending my stay immediately and going to a property where my loyalty is better recognized.

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However,it was not difficult to offer me the suite category just above, which was available and will be for my entire stay. Surely it is better to leave these suites empty than to reward the extreme loyalty of its customers. A great illustration of things that didn’t happen in Starwood’s day.

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The receptionist finalizes the check-in formalities by asking me for my credit card and to choose between my arrival benefits mentioning the breakfast. This will finish annoying me because the breakfast is included in my rate… In short, this stay starts badly.

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Room

The assigned suite, 1609, is located as its number indicates on the 16th floor of the property, in one of the corners that obviously does not have the best view.

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But I must say that the suite itself is magnificent.

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The entrance has its own toilet, allowing visitors not to access the night space which can remain private.

The lounge is huge and bathed in lightthanks to itsfloor-to-ceilingwindows. Comfortable sofas and armchairs create this cosy lounge area, where a welcome serviceto my attention has been placed.

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A large trunk-shaped minibaris located in one of the corners of the lounge, near the dining table.

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A large office is also available and will allow me to work serenely.

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The night space is also huge, with a bedroom equipped with a very comfortable king sizebed, then a dressing room also huge.

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A room to receive spa treatments is also present, a first for me in a hotel room! Finally, the bathroom is also pleasant with a very large shower, a double washbasin and a Japanese toilet.

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I will use the services of the butler several times, a must in St. Regis properties.

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Every evening, the butler will come and bring some sweets.

Finally, here is the video tour:

St Regis Kuala Lumpur - St Regis Suite

Hotel facilities

The hotel is equipped with a fitness room, an outdoor pool and a spa.

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Fitness room

The fitness room is located on the6th floor of the property. It is of reasonable sizefor such a property, and has decent equipment.

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I will use it every morning of my stay.

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Pool

The outdoor pool is also located on the 6th floor of the property. It is alittle small. A second pool is available on the same platform , but it is reserved for the residents of the Residences part.

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Catering

The restaurant offer in the hotel is quite wide. I was able to try a few of the properties during my 3 night stay.

La Brasserie – Breakfast service

For breakfast on my three mornings in the hotel, I’ll have it in the property’s all-day-dining restaurant, La Brasserie.

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The welcome is very good and after taking note of my room number, I am placed at one of the tables.

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My coffee order is taken and I’ll also order a quick hot dish, the signature egg Benedict with foie gras. It was a delight.

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The buffet is very well stocked, small but with quality items. I will make a fairly simple selection.

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The service will be perfect during all my stay, very attentive, which remains quite rare at the breakfast.

Astor Bar – After dinner drink

I will enjoy the Astor Bar a few nights during my stay. The bar is smoking, and very pleasant. I will taste some cigars and cognacs and there too, the service is excellent.

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Breakfast – Room Service

One of the afternoons of my stay, I decide to order a Burger in room service: what a pleasure! It was excellent and the set up was great while I was in a meeting at the same time.

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Ushi – Dîner

On the last night of my stay, I reserved a table at Ushi, the hotel’s Japanese restaurant focusing on beef.

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I was asked if I wanted to be at the counter or in a private room, I chose the counter.

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I am installed in this beautiful room at the scheduled time, 8pm. The chef and his assistant welcome me and explain the preparation of all the dishes. Surprisingly, I will be the only customer at the counter this evening, the others having chosen a private room.

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I will drink an Asahi as a beverageand hot green tea.

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Here is the evening’s menu:

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The dishes were just more delicious than each other:

  • Barbecued beef tenderloin with sea urchins: incredibly tender
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  • Conger soup:a little bland but great finesse
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  • Flounder sashimi: excellent especially with the combination of chives and yuzu/chilli paste
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  • Sukiyaki: really surprising after breaking the egg yolk and mixing with the noodles
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  • Grilled beef: the pinnacle of the show, we would eat 2 or 3 plates of itthe highlight of the show, I would eat 2 or 3 plates
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  • Simmered beef:super tender, excellent stringy meat
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  • Fried rice with beef and sea urchins:a really decadent but perfectly balanced dish, but at this point I’m not hungry anymore despite the chef’s offer of more!
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  • Japanese tiramisu, strawberry ice cream: balanced sweetness, excellent for finishing the meal on a sweet but not sickening note
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Departure

During the night before my departure, the pro-forma invoice is sent to me. The latter is correct.

The departure formalities will be very easy since I will use the mobile check-out.

Bottom line

An excellent experience, tarnished by the arrival arrangements and lack of Marriott Bonvoy recognition at the time.

Olivier Delestre-Levai
Olivier Delestre-Levai
Olivier has been into airline blogging since 2010. First a major contributor to the FlyerTalk forum, he created the FlyerPlan website in July 2012, and writes articles with a major echo among airline specialists. He now co-runs the TravelGuys blog with Bertrand, focusing on travel experience and loyalty programs.
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