During September 2024, I was planning a short getaway to celebrate a special occasion and considered the possibilities. It is always fun to fly, and I thought of heading to Kuala Lumpur for the weekend.
I researched the various hotel options and saw that Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur stood out. From the various pictures online, it was clear that this hotel offers some of the best views of Petronas Twin Towers. I did a quick search for rooms with such a view and decided on the Tower View Deluxe room. I booked the flights and accommodation for one night in September 2024.
TL:DR
One of the best views of the Petronas Twin Towers
Poor afternoon tea experience at Thirty8 restaurant
Tired-looking rooms
Beautiful ambience at the swimming pool
Service:
We arrived at the hotel around 2 pm. After arriving at the check-in counter, we were informed that the room was not ready as the housekeeping staff were still in the midst of cleaning the room and that we would be informed once the room was ready. As check-in time was 3 pm, we had planned to have lunch at Thirty8 already. The checking-in process took a little while, although we were unsure what it was about. We were also not informed about the hotel amenities or benefits of staying at this hotel. I would have thought they would highlight the various food options or tell us where the swimming pool or gym are, but nothing.
We were also not informed about our breakfast options for the next morning, and I totally forgot about it until that evening, when I was thinking about what to eat for breakfast. I checked and found that, in fact, our room rate included breakfast.
After check-in, we made our way to the hotel’s main restaurant. After a short while, we were soon brought to our seats. Unfortunately, this is where the real horror began. We ordered the afternoon set for both of us, and our drinks soon came, with two starters arriving in less than ten minutes. After another twenty minutes, the hot food options arrived. After waiting for yet another twenty minutes, the rest of the food had not arrived yet. By now, other guests who had arrived later than us were enjoying their afternoon tea set. I tried to ask a server, who mentioned she would check for us. She did not get back to us, and I tried asking another server, who said she would check for us. By this time, I was naturally getting impatient and decided to head to an area where all the servers were gathered. Surprisingly, before I could finish my question, one of the servers brushed me off and simply asked me to head to my seat. She mumbled something, pointed to the kitchen, and walked there. The other servers, instead of helping, dispersed and moved away. One server who looked like the supervisor suddenly appeared busy checking things on the POS system. Immediately, the server who walked to the kitchen area re-appeared with the afternoon tea stand and brought it to my table.
At this point, I tried asking if that stand belonged to us or if it was another guest’s stand who had the misfortune of seeing his food delayed. The server repeated that it was our food, although I was unsure if she understood what I was trying to say.
By now, the poor service had made us lose our appetite. While the delay was frustrating, the fact that we were brushed off and given no answers was the catalyst that made us no longer want to have our meal there. The poor attitude and service in the afternoon left us disappointed. I paid for afternoon tea, and we headed to Suria KLCC for lunch at Burger & Lobster, where the service was top-notch.
Having mentioned the above, I must provide a balanced view as well and highlight the excellent service and attitude of the staff at Poolhouse. We had our final meal at the poolside restaurant and enjoyed the superb service by the staff on duty. She was polite and personable and seemed to really enjoy her work. We had a small chat, and she always smiled whenever she came to our table.
After our stay, we were sent the standard feedback survey, and I sent our honest feedback to the hotel. While I mentioned the episode at afternoon tea, I also made sure to give high marks for our meal at Poolhouse. Although we mentioned we had no issue being contacted by the hotel, we did not receive any response from Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur. This is all the more disappointing as it would have been a great learning point for them.
Hotel Facilities:
Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur has the standard facilities available at a five-star hotel. A gym and swimming pool are located in the hotel, and most travellers should be satisfied with these facilities. As we were at the hotel for a special occasion, we did not have the opportunity to head to the gym, even if it was to check it out for research purposes. We do have a picture provided by Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur of how the gym looks.
Instead, we spent some time at the swimming pool, although it was mainly to have lunch after checking out. While we were at Poolhouse, the poolside restaurant, the swimming pool was empty, although it might have to do with the fact that it was drizzling. The pool still looked amazing, though. The hotel is in the middle of the city, evident in the many skyscrapers surrounding the pool. However, Instagram lovers should enjoy this swimming pool, as there are so many IG-friendly spots to take pictures with Petronas Twin Towers as the backdrop. This is one of the more beautiful swimming pools we have seen.
Food:
During our stay at Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur, we had three meals in the hotel restaurants: twice at THIRTY8 and once at Poolhouse.
THIRTY8
As mentioned earlier in the article, we had a terrible afternoon tea experience at THIRTY8. It got to the point where we no longer had the appetite to continue our meal there. Having said that, we must acknowledge the taste of the food. Giving credit to the chefs, the food that we managed to enjoy during afternoon tea was delicious. We enjoyed the two starters (Chicken Mousse & Black Truffle, Tasmanian Petuna Trout Confit) and hot food selections (Steamed Seabass Fillet, Crispy Chicken Kataifi Roll, Cameron Highlands White Corn Custard). My favourite was the steamed seabass fillet, which is unique for an afternoon tea dish, while my partner loved the two starters.
The funny thing is that before our stay at Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur, I had already made a reservation for dinner at the same restaurant. Although we did not enjoy the service at afternoon tea, we decided to keep our reservation and focus on the food for dinner.
Thankfully, the service during dinner was much better. I had no idea if the service staff differed, although I assumed so. Everything was perfect, and the service was fantastic. As steak lovers, we each ordered one. We had an asparagus risotto and sauteed mushrooms to share. I was tempted to order more, but the server helpfully suggested that it was more than enough. Of course, the server was correct, as we were properly filled by the time we finished the dishes. We also had a special pre-ordered dessert, a perfect chocolate dessert. Unfortunately, there are no pictures of the dessert as it was for a special occasion!
Poolhouse:
The next day, after checking out, we decided to have a light brunch at Poolhouse. We chose to sleep in and skip breakfast at the hotel. After relaxing in the room and admiring the views of Petronas Twin Towers, we checked out and headed to Poolhouse for a light meal.
We ordered a simple hotdog bun as we were catching a flight soon and did not want to be too full. It was perfect as the restaurant soon smelled of caramelised onions and fresh beef sausages being grilled. When it was served to us, it looked perfect. Fried shallots and yellow mustard covered the top of the hotdog bun, and it was delicious. Although unnecessary, the pickled cucumbers complemented the hotdog bun and made it tastier. We then had fresh coconuts to complement the hotdog bun. This is what a perfect lunch looks like to me, and both of us enjoyed this meal thoroughly.
Although we were filled by now, the server convinced us to enjoy a dessert to end the meal. We compromised and ordered fruits instead to satisfy a sweet ending to the meal while trying to remain healthy. We enjoyed the plate of watermelon, honeydew, jackfruits, and dragonfruits. By this time, my tummy was bulging out, and I took a walk around the swimming pool to try to digest the food. It helped a little. The service was perfect, and we received the best service in Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur at Poolhouse. It was a nice way to end a stay in this hotel.
Room:
Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur’s Tower View Deluxe rooms, also known as the 1 King Bed with Tower View Deluxe, measure 65 square metres. They are huge for a non-club room and larger than many other hotels’ junior suites.
When you first enter the room, you are greeted with a beautiful bathroom with floor-to-ceiling windows that show Petronas Twin Towers in all its glory. You will be tempted to drop your luggage and walk to the bathroom immediately. Instead, take some time to put your luggage down first before wandering around the 65-square-metre room.
The bathroom looks beautiful, and the marble tiles make it inviting. The design is also very evergreen, helping to make the bathroom look new and clean. There is a bathtub and a standing shower, and both options allow you to look at Petronas Twin Towers while cleaning yourself. Bathroom toiletries are provided by Balmain, while other disposable toiletries like dental kits and cotton pads are available as well. There is only one vanity sink, but the large bathroom more than makes up for it. There is a small makeup table in one corner, and this is a great place to relax. Equipped with a hairdryer, it can be a great excuse to sit here and admire the tallest buildings in Malaysia.
Unfortunately, the rest of the room looks tired, and the wood/brown-coloured theme is starting to show its age. The flooring is parquet, and you feel the room is getting old for some reason. The wardrobe has many hangers and comes with an iron and ironing board.
The minibar comes fully equipped with many types of beverages, from beers to mineral water to soft drinks, while many snacks are offered, from potato chips and instant noodles to chocolate bars. Guests will not stay hungry in the middle of the night. Caffeine options come in the form of Nespresso capsules, multiple Nescafe sachets, and Jing tea sachets.
There is a beautiful glass workstation that looks executive and has a highly comfortable chair. It faces the television and has excellent views of the city and Petronas Twin Towers. This is a great place to work while your partner relaxes on the bed.
The King-sized bed has an all-important view of Petronas Twin Towers, and it should be fun to wake up and look at the towers. It is comfortable and faces the television, although it is incredibly small for the size of the room. The TV malfunctioned a few times during our stay until we gave up and went to bed instead. It might be helpful if the hotel upgraded the hotel rooms’ televisions!
Overall, the room still looks beautiful, and it delivers on its promise of giving hotel guests the best views of Petronas Twin Towers. It can be tempting to stay in the room the entire time you are there, but an alternative is to hang out at THIRTY8. We liked the hotel room, and travellers should consider booking this room if the view is a priority.
Views from the room:
A key reason travellers might want to consider booking a room at Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur is the views of Petronas Twin Towers it offers. When you first step into the lobby, you face the best views. Walk around the 360-degree lobby, and you can see the entire city. We managed to snap quite a few pictures of Kuala Lumpur and its famous skyscrapers. We hope you will enjoy them and help you decide whether to book a room at Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur!
Overall, we had a decent stay at the Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur. However, poor service standards at the beginning of our stay set the tone for the rest of our stay. Even though we had excellent service for dinner at THIRTY8 and even better service for lunch at Poolhouse, the damage was done.
Click here to find out more about Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur!
Cost of 1 King Bed with Tower View Deluxe: RM1,319.50 (approximately S$421.94) a night - stayed over a weekend in September 2024
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