The JW Marriott Kuala Lumpur offers a very decent service but the hotel is lost in a luxury mall and has absolutely no personality.
The choice of this hotel in Kuala Lumpur was more an elimination than a choice. I took the list of those we had already tried and chose one of the only remaining Marriotts. But in general JW Marriott never disappoints us so I didn’t take a huge risk unlike the Ritz Carlton Kuala Lumpur where I stayed the week before.
You will find all the articles about this trip in Malaysia at the bottom of the page.
Booking
I booked a fortnight before my trip a standard room at 180 euros per night. A bit expensive maybe considering my previous experiences in Kuala Lumpur but it’s one of the worst periods of the year: the week just before Christmas so finally I don’t do so bad.
Location of the hotel
The hotel is located on Bukit Bintang. To make a long story short, in the middle of the city, on what is more or less the local equivalent of the Champs Elysées. Those who like to walk will be able to visit a lot of major sites from here. On this point it is better placed than the Meridien Kuala Lumpur or the St Regis Kuala Lumpur.
However, the traffic in the neighborhood is a nightmare. Whether to arrive from the KL Sentral station or to reach a restaurant a little far away, it was not complicated but long, very long.
Arrival at the hotel and check-in
I arrive at the hotel in late afternoon by Grab (the local Uber) from Sentral station. The hotel occupies a large tower.
The drop-off area in front of the hotel is overcrowded. Not only do many customers get dropped off or loaded by cabs, the valet parking is also very busy. In short, it’s complicated to get in and out and my driver will drop me off double-parking in the street so as not to waste my time.
The valet parking area with cars on standby looks more like a luxury dealership.
Je rentre dans le lobby. Or rather I enter a luxury shopping mall in the entrance of which you find the reception of the hotel.
Not too many people when I arrived but many people around waiting for I don’t know what.
If you go to the other side you will find several floors of beautiful stores.
It’s Christmas and a big tree is in the entrance
I was quickly taken care of and informed of an upgrade to a higher floor in a deluxe room. I am pleasantly surprised because the hotel’s inventory has been empty for 3 days and no more rooms are available.
The formalities are fast and professional without being especially attentive or warm. This is perfectly in line with my overall feeling during my stay and the atmosphere of this lobby.
It will always be very noisy with lots of people waiting for check-in, for a cab, for friends, for shopping.
There are hotels that have a shopping mall of varying size but here they have planted hotel above the mall and check-in in the lobby. In other words, as soon as you enter the building or get out of the elevator, you will feel like you are entering a train station during rush hour.
Very uncomfortable and not premium at all.
The room
I reach my room, located in the last floors of the hotel.
In the entrance hall a small corridor leads to the bedroom opposite and to the bathroom on the side.
The room is large with, moreover, a corner sofa and a real nice desk very comfortable to work.
A minimalist welcome pack is placed on the coffee table and an espresso machine and a kettle are available.
The whole thing looks pretty good but also looks pretty sad.
The bedding will be very nice but can be a bit hard when you arrive like me from a Ritz Carlton.
The dark tones generally give a premium look but the balance to be found is subtle to avoid that it looks sad or even old and there we tilt of little on the bad side.
On the other hand I appreciated the impressive height under ceiling, really pleasant.
The bathroom is nice with a simple basin and unfortunately a non-separated toilet.
On the side there is a bath and a shower.
And finally, here is the view from the room overlooking…the nearby shopping malls.
The night the advertising screens diffuse the matches of the soccer world cup what will allow to watch from my window then the final from the street at midnight.
A very correct room with a nice view but very neutral, without much personality and with a sad and dated look.
I leave you with the video visit.
Facilities
I won’t use the hotel spa but will go for a fast tour at the pool and use the gym.
Located on the terrace at the top of the hotel, the pool is large.
At least the view is clear but the setting is correct without more. Again, it looks old-fashioned.
Located on the same floor, the gym is very large and quite bright.
It is also well equipped.
Again this does not disguise the age of the hotel but it is clean, sufficient and pleasant.
Bars and restaurants
The hotel offers an endless list of restaurants and a lounge.
Restaurants
The promise is actually a bit misleading. A Chinese restaurant, obviously quite premium, is located in the hotel itself.
As for the rest, they are the crowd of restaurants located in the food court of the shopping center! Big, cold and impersonal, it does not give much desire.
Similarly, the hotel does not have its own bar but has a bar located in the same area. Not very inspiring and anyway at 10 or 11 pm everything was closed. I wanted a late drink one night when I came back from the restaurant, I found nothing open.
Lounge
I went to the lounge twice, once in the afternoon, once in the evening.
On my first visit I was welcomed and directed to the left of the reception area. I wonder what the whole unused area on the other side is for, maybe they only open it when there are lots of people?
The place is vast and the decoration rather pretty.
The service is worthy of a lounge…during the day. Hot and cold drinks and some sweet and savory cakes.
Pleasant and quite decent for such a place in the middle of the day.
When I come back in the evening I am directed to my right. In fact the lounge has a day part and an evening part.
The decoration is more cosy and premium.
But what about the buffet?
Already it is of imposing size.
Legumes et pickles.
Cold cuts, cheese and suchis…
Different types of hot dishes, with the usual chicken or fish curry (I couldn’t photograph everything)
A solid drink offer, you can also find draft beer.
The staff is omnipresent ready to advise, help, serve drinks to avoid us going to the buffet and especially clear the tables in record time.
Really a positive point that I will retain of this hotel.
Service and staff
If overall this hotel lacks warmth the service is no less efficient.
A special mention for the lounge staff who were above the rest.
I also used the laundry service. Having been a little optimistic in packing I had to do a little cleaning to have something to wear for my trip home.
I dropped my things off in my room at 4pm, expecting to find them the next day, but when I returned in the evening everything was already hanging in my closet.
Congratulations.
Check-out
I’ll do my check-out on the Marriott app, avoiding going through the front desk again. I will receive an invoice by email quickly…erroneous invoice because it includes only one night instead of two…Error in my favor but disadvantageous because I had just the number of nights necessary to keep my status in the loyalty program.
It will take me a little less than a week to get it corrected through email exchanges
Bottom line
The JW Marriott Kuala Lumpur offers a solid service without much to criticize but without much to make you want to return.
It is a bit old-fashioned and especially the lobby is unbearable because it is so noisy and shared with the shopping center. As for the plethora of restaurants, it is only a charmless window dressing.
All articles on this trip to Malaysia
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