Cliffside Trek - The Grand Centara Villas Phuket

We just came back from a 4D 3N stay at the Centara Villas with a group of friends. This review is a combination of good and can be improved experiences. 

Reception - we were greeted warmly but because our group of 4 couples and several other incoming guests came in all at once, we were asked to wait at the adjoining Cliff view restaurant while the reception team sorted us out. Fresh coconut drinks were provided upon arrival which was nice. However, our rooms were not ready until 2 hours later than our arrival (mind you, we arrived on time for the check-in at 2pm). Since we were not in a rush, that was fine by us but it would've been even better if we were kept informed of our situation rather than having us check with the reception every now and then. 

Since the villas are located on the cliffs, buggies (or minicars as they call it) were provided. Trust me, the trek up and down does challenge even those who are fit. The braver ones were seen huffing and puffing away. I was lazy so i made full use of the minicar service which was a load of fun because the pathways were also challenging and steep. The rooms were standard in terms of decor and facilities, but was kept very clean. Small signs of ageing which we hope management will look into soon to maintain the hotel's standards. Bathrooms were also clean and shower was strong. Nice touch was a skylight above the shower so that you can save some energy. Commendable were the housekeeping team who were very quick in turning the rooms around everyday. 

 

We manage to pamper ourselves at the spa a couple of times and each time was a great experience. The therapists were attentive to our needs and as a group, we enjoyed our "downtime" tremendously. This spa is a MUST visit. 

 

(pix taken from spacenvaree.com)

Staff overall were friendly but perhaps a little more english language training for them will be great so that our requests wouldn't need some repeating. It's really not a problem but it's good for their own development, I think and will give them a boost of confidence! Staff handling our requests to get to either Karon or Patong towns were quite efficient and ensured that we enjoyed their new vans to shuttle us where we wanted to go. 

Breakfast spread was ample enough to cater to several tastes - both local and continental. We had a couple of lunches at the hotel during our stay too which wasn't too bad at all. The food served were quite tasty and we had nothing to complain about especially when we had them facing the waves crashing against the rocks below us! Oh yes, there is an access to Karon Beach but you have to be very careful and adhere to the gate closure rules to be safe. Our friends enjoyed their morning walks. 

Pool was not very big so if the hotel's running a full house, it may not leave you with enough room to swim around. Just a good-to-know, I guess. 

Overall, we had a pleasant time there and tremendously enjoyed the view!

Frustrating - The Lanjut Golden Beach and Golf Resort

After learning that our team had to go to Rompin, my colleagues and I decided to check the place out via their website and TripAdvisor. We were NOT comforted. But because there weren't that many choices, we did lower our expectations. But unfortunately, it wasn't low enough. The entire place was not well maintained to begin with. We arrived by our charter bus late in the evening and noticed that the hotel lacked street lights. It seemed too creepy and I wouldn't want to be the one assigned to the security guard post!

There didn't seem to be anyone else save for our group at that point in time. Since it took time for them to sort our rooms out, some of us mosey-ed over to the "giftshop" area at the lobby. The displays and items on sale were a bit dusty - not a good sign either. After 10 minutes, we all received our room keys and were mostly resigned to just accept what will come our way once we enter our rooms. 

Some termite-ridden furniture - checked. Faulty water heater - checked. Faulty faucets - checked. Bedbugs - checked. Stained sheets and overused towels - checked. Noisy and leaky airconditioning - checked. Untrained staff - checked. Stale or overcooked food - checked. Aiyo...

Pool looked nice and they had probably just cleaned it but it didn't seem as if the waterpump was turned on though. We didn't stay at the chalets since we were in a huge group and found it tougher to draw up a fair room-sharing plan. It was more practical to share two-to-a-room in the main building and be closer to each other - I have to admit, more so because we were in the middle of nowhere and were scared shitless more than anything else. Haha. But gosh, we passed by the chalets and thanked our lucky stars we didn't opt to stay there! They looked dilapidated from outside. 

I heard that they had a management change-out but judging by what we had experienced, the improvements may have been made but it's not gaining us better experience. We found older pictures of the hotel with the newer ones and our sentiments' confirmed. If you don't want to take my word for it, then check out comments on Trip Advisor. Pictures are there too. The actual rooms don't even look like the official pictures posted. 

We couldn't help wonder if the new management really cared to turn this place around as it has a lot of potential. Being the only hotel in the area, they could really make a profit IF only all the abovementioned were sorted accordingly. We Malaysians felt really embarrassed when we saw (during our so-called breakfast) that there were some foreigners staying there too. They didn't seem excited and happy. No two guesses what their comments would be!

Right now, the only thing "golden" was the sunrise!

A Bit of Getting Used To... The Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur

Everyone wants to stay at the Grand Hyatt nowadays. Only because it's posh, and still considered a novelty to many. Interesting to see in years to come if it'll remain one of KL's sought after hotels. The Hyatt caters to the discerning business traveller and it did give us the impression that a huge investment was made toward this end. 

So okay. Another company meeting. Upon being ushered into the main foyer by the well dressed and extremely helpful guest relation officers, one can't help but be awed by the skyhigh ceiling and the grand staircase. For me, it was a bit more daunting than it is welcoming though. The good impression I had of this establishment was somewhat shortlived thereafter. Only because of the hotel logistics. It starts with, you have to go up the elevators immediately to get to the reservation desk. Then you have to switch elevators to go down to the rooms. Breakfast is not at the "usual" ground floor cafe but up in the clouds, a floor below the reception / reservation floor. If you're at one of the meeting rooms, you can access the reception via the pool and back up the elevators... whaaaa'??? It can be loads of fun if you play hide and seek though!

(pix taken from hotelmanagement.net. there's no reception on the ground floor!)

Now, when you're checked in to organize an event at the hotel, it gets a little frustrating with all the "ups and downs" but if you're on holiday, it won't matter much. Being right on the edge of the KLCC Park, the hotel rate commensurate with the address. Rooms are expectedly well appointed but nothing that would really "wow" me for the hefty price we paid. Having said that, the overall decor screamed "new" and modern with beds and pillows that were fluffy for a thoroughly good sleep. Like I said, it's expected of a five star and they delivered. I wish I could say to my friends, "OMG, you have got to stay at the Hyatt!" but hmm... I dunno. I would definitely recommend it but wouldn't be all bright eyed and tail-wagging about it. 

The restaurant at the ground floor (I think it was called the JP Teres?) has a nice outdoor seating and provides a nice ambiance especially at night. Food there is quite good too. Good place to chill with a bunch of friends with a pretty good menu selection. We especially loved the oyster-filled omelette. 

Staff are eager to please unless of course when they're inundated with groups of guests - then they become a tad robotic and sometimes a little flustered. But that's understandable. Can't say much good about the staff at the lounge though. We went there for aperitifs and waited for one of them (there were three!) to approach us with the menu. We waited for a good 10 minutes (fairly long enough, I think, especially when they were just a "backhand smack" away) until one of my colleagues couldn't stand it anymore. It would've been fine if they were tied up with something but the three ladies were just chatting with each other. They did smile to guests who came out of the elevators but that was about it. Maybe we were tired from a long day of meetings to be patient but really? 

On the other hand, I'd like to compliment the maintenance team. We only found out later in the evening that the shower drain in our room was a tad clogged but we didn't have to wait long at all for them to come fix it in a jiffy. They were courteous and mindful of the time taken to rectify the problem (it was already quite late at night).  

The meeting rooms were clustered on a different floor and had a cool concept to it. Apart from the Grand Ballroom, there's the Grand Salon and Grand Residences. We had the Grand Residences cluster. The decor was refreshing and facilities were up to snuff. The refreshment spread was pretty good too. If you're planning for some group "away day" you may want to consider this. 


(pix taken from rakuten.com)

My overall sentiment of the hotel is one that is mixed. It's far from bad but it's not awesome either. It is quite convenient and one can access both the Suria KLCC and the Pavilion via the Convention Center and covered walkways. Since it's currently more expensive than the Mandarin Oriental neighbor, one would've expected the feeling of luxury with higher level of attentiveness than most hotels but not really when compared. All in, we don't mind going back but it's not going to be top on our list - we can't get past the price! 

If you've got a lot of moolah to splurge then, as I've said many times before, go for it. But remember, it takes getting used to - you have to go up, in order to go down. Or you can go down, across and go up again. Or was it the other way around? (Suddenly "Do the Hokey Pokey" and "Get Down On It" comes to mind. hmmm). 

Otherwise, until Mandarin Oriental revise their room rates, you may want to reconsider as MOKL's proximity to the Twin Towers and KLCC is still hard to beat and levels of service and rooms there are maintained so far. 

New Kid on the Block - ALoft, KL Sentral

We were at the Aloft for yet another company event for a couple of days / nights a few months back. We found out that it had just recently opened and decided to try it out. We were not disappointed and generally find it hard to fault anything.

The staff / talents (entrance, lobby reception, housekeeping, and event/banquet) were all cool and friendly. They engaged us in pleasant conversation whenever they could but were also sensitive enough to know their boundaries. These people can carry a conversation. One of the banquet staff (unfortunately not the one in the picture though) approached me to ask if I needed some help on my break. Told him I didn't need one and that I just came out from the meeting for a 15 minute breather. He immediately offered me coffee and gave me a spiel on what's recommended on the refreshment counter and went so far as to get them for me since balancing coffee, my clutch, iPhone and a plate of food on 4 inch heels could mean he might have to do some "carpet clean up!" He kept me company and we talked about the hotel, what's going in KL and the like and politely wished me a good day when I told him it was time to go back inside. Pleasant conversation, I must say. 

 

(pixes courtesy of starwoodssoutheastasia)

The hotel gives a fun vibe and has small details such as awesome music videos in the elevators instead of the boring old-school elevator music and even their staff have a more smart-casual-ish style of uniforms. The overall decor is fresh, fun, young and funky-quirky that appeals to a younger crowd and the young at heart. 

  

The Nook coffee house, though small has a differentiating decor and food there is not too bad for fussy eaters like us. Though it caters for a smaller crowd, the buffet menu tries to impress with sarawak laksa in the list, for instance - not usual for any hotel - which was quite nice. 

The room is standard in size with enough room for two. Good sized shower and well designed dressing area. We really loved the colorful hotel concept that was brought in to the room as well. We found out that there are several clusters of rooms with different headboards - they had funny caricatures depicting typical Malaysian / foreigner's experiences in Malaysia. Quite funny and true! Beds were really nice too.

 

The Ballroom and the Meeting Rooms were also equally well appointed and we loved the decor there as well. We had very minimal hiccups. The lighting and sound system were in good order and the technicians were always on standby to cater to our AV needs. 

All in, Aloft is a good stay and we certainly won't mind staying there again and organizing future events with them. Keep up the good work and hospitality standards, guys! We think you beat some five star big boys in that department and you're certainly more hip!! 

Oh, did we mention that it's easy to get there since it's right smack in Sentral KL where you can access it via cabs, the airport ERL or the city LRT, if not by car? Awesome!

Colonial Luxe - The Majestic Malacca

(picture courtesy of gomelaka.my)

You know, reading my posts again, I must say that I have been extremely lucky. Work takes me everywhere and oftentimes, I get to stay in nice places. So here's another one. 

Checked into the Majestic for a brief stay on business. We had stayed at another YTL property (the Tanjung Jara Resort in Kuala Terengganu - previously posted) and we must say that the level of service and hospitality were consistent, if not better at the Majestic. 

My colleague and I were excited. We've heard so much about this hotel and when we arrived, we were duly impressed. They greeted my colleague and me by name (wah, akin to the Four Seasons!). Before we could even put our elbows on the counter, cold towels and a welcome drink were served to us by a lovely lady dressed in a nyonya kebaya. A gentlemen dressed in a colonial outfit stepped in with perfect diction to ask our permission if he could attend to our luggage (alamak, I knew I shouldn't have packed my clothes in the tattered carry on. Since I was so malu I politely declined). You see, their level of attentiveness had made us feel like we should have made extra effort ourselves to dress better than the slippers, jeans and old t-shirts we came trotting in because they truly deserved it. I should also point out though that there were no double standards in terms of their service. Throughout our stay, we noticed that they treated all guests equally. This is Malaysian Hospitality. Not MAS' - if I have time, I'll post my final experience onboard the MAS which swore me off the airline and resulted in me cutting up my Enrich loyalty card and posting it back to them. 

So anyway, my room. It was well appointed and so beautifully decorated. There's extremely little reason for anyone to complain save the "thin" walls where one can hear noise if the neighbor turns the tap / shower on. But that is a minor issue, really. Details in the room were beautiful. The essence of Melaka and its Baba Nyonya heritage were captured not just by art pieces but also other fixtures amidst a "modernized" colonial feel. The standalone clawfoot bathtub and the poster bed made the room felt even more luxurious and romantic (it was hard to keep reminding ourselves that we were there for work!). Crisp bed linen and supersoft towels.... niiiiiice... why can't my own room be like this?

(this pix doesn't even do justice)

Breakfast spread is generous enough for those who prefer a heavy meal and caters for healthful options as well. Buffet includes you ordering from the menu and having your order served at your table. Wonderful! Gym is also well equipped and a dipping pool (it's quite small) is just enough for you to jump in and cool off after a hot day of sight seeing. 

Didn't try the spa as work was priority but we'll definitely give it a shot on a return visit soon! Purely judging by the overall experience, we have every reason to believe that you'd be on cloud nine under the skillful hands of the therapists. (I'll make a note to post this if I ever visit their spa). 

 

To the Majestic Team, well done. Oh, by the way, free internet access in rooms are wired only which is okay since we had laptops, but guys, WiFi in the near future would be better!

If you're visiting Melaka, there is no doubt that the Majestic should be the first choice if you want affordable luxe.