Starwood Lurker II

The hotel would like to take this opportunity to highlight the following promotion:

MEET WITH EASE

• - Minimum 2 nights' stay required
• - Complimentary daily buffet breakfast for one
• - Complimentary internet access in your room
• - Choice of one complimentary buffet lunch or dinner at Essence Restaurant (per stay)
• - Complimentary 1-hour meeting room usage
• - Complimentary parking

Rates starting from RM386++ per room per night. Offer valid from 1st February to 1 May 2013 for booking and stay periods.

Link to book

Thyetus Lee | Social Media Specialist
Starwood Customer Contact Centre (AP) Pte Ltd

Starwood Lurker II

There is currently a Breakfast & Broadband promotion at this hotel:

• Stay connected to what matters most to you with our complimentary internet access in your room
• Enjoy a hearty buffet breakfast at our Essence restaurant (for one guest per stay)

Rate starts from RM396++ per room per night. Offer valid for bookings and stay period until 31st December 2013.

Link to book

Thyetus Lee | Social Media Specialist
Starwood Customer Contact Centre (AP) Pte Ltd

ZenWorld

I always believe in giving credit when it is due, and this is a good Sheraton!

Had a stay over the weekend at Sheraton KL, and I must say the service standards delivered in KL is certainly at a very high level; Westin KL was great, Sheraton KL is definitely on par. ^

I had an excellent stay at Westin KL last year, so certainly there will be comparisons made, but Sheraton KL is certainly able to hold on its own. Very good Sheraton here, and without doubt, much better than Sheraton Towers Singapore.

Had an upgrade to a standard Suite, and while the Hotel is slightly dated, I thought it was really well-maintained, and the Suite had a cosy, homely feel to it. Very nice.

Breakfast can be in the Club Lounge or Main Cafe, and I thought it is probably one of the rare Club Lounges that serves freshly-squeezed juices (I had green apples there)!

Service is great throughout the Hotel, and even though the variety of wines is limited at the Club Lounge, I thought the sauvignon blanc served was really nice. (Just that the wine could be served colder... was not served quite at the right temperature for the white wine. But despite it not being at the right temperature, I have to say it is a very good wine, so it shows how good that is! If the temperature is right, I think it would be perfect.)

Location wise: many said that Westin's location is good, but I thought Sheraton's location is not that far off. One interesting point I thought I could raise here: if you are getting to Sungei Wang (which is linked to Bukit Bintang Monorail station), Westin is around 10 mins walk away, but as Sheraton is right next to the monorail (Medan Tuanku station - 3 stops from Bukit Bintang), the train ride will also take around 10 mins. And the journey from Sheraton to Sungei Wang is sheltered 95% of the time, with the only exception is the short walk from the Sheraton KL to the sheltered walkway to the monorail station (Medan Tuanku) that will take only 1 minute, while you need to brave the elements walking from Westin, if you visit KL during the rainy seasons.

Breakfast wise, I have no complaints as I thought it was really good. (Westin KL was really good too, both having great variety, but I thought Westin was slightly stronger in the Western section of their breakfast, and Sheraton KL slightly stronger in the Asian section. )

I must add something here: Westin KL is generally pitched at a slightly higher level (reflected in cost as well), and Westin KL delivers it, and probably exceeds my expectations anyway. Sheraton Imperial KL is not pitched at the same level as Westin, and so we cannot use the exact Westin standards on Sheraton KL, but I must add that Sheraton KL exceeds my expectations as well, and it is definitely worthy of the Category upgrade from Cat 2 to 3.

I will be staying in Le Meridien KL later this month, looks like I will have slightly higher expectations now. Hope to report very good reviews of LM KL soon too!

mario33

You reasoning here is highly flawed.

Westin is located in Bukit Bintang, and there are several malls in Bukit Bintang. The heart of Bukit Bintang have in recent years been shifted to Pavillion, and Westin is right opposite. Westin is also next to Starhill, Fahrenheit & Lot 10.

Even if you want to take access to Sungei Wang Plaza in isolation, this mall is actually connected to Bukit Bintang Plaza which is just across the road from Lot 10. It's a mere 5min walk from the Westin, and if you want to be sheltered you can always walk through Lot 10 which is also linked overhead to Sungei Wang Plaza. From the SI, it would probably take you 15-20 min including the monorail ride. Trying to compare a 15-20min journey using monorail to a mere 5 min walk is just ridiculous.

While I don't disagree the SI is a fine hotel in its own way (love the grand lobby) and you did have a good stay there, you are not making a lot if sense by trying to justify its location. It's almost like those SGS loyalist trying to whitewash its semi 'red light' location.

In terms of comfort, I would rate the SI to be on par with the Westin, its just that both are different in style. Only reason why Westin commands a premium in room rate is its location.

ZenWorld

I hope you read what I written carefully before finding fault with what I have written. I never said Westin's location is bad, nor Sheraton's location is better than Westin.

I only wrote on the perspective that if someone is going to Sungei Wang from both Sheraton and Westin.

I never argued Sheraton is nearer to Pavilion or Starhill than Westin, so if you are a heavy shopper at Pavilion or Starhill, Westin is no doubt the place to be in.

However, it is not a 5 mins walk (if you run, yes) from Westin to Sungei Wang (it is around 10 mins by walking), nor does it take 20 mins from Sheraton to Sungei Wang via monorail (the monorail ride itself is under 10 mins). And there is no shelter walking from Westin to Lot 10.

I had stayed at both hotels and I like both of them, and I will not be unfair to either one. I do not know why you are bringing SGS into the picture.

mario33

Well I have stayed at both several times, and I have been in and out the vicinity of both hotels for as long as both hotels have been in existence. Infact I saw them both being built, saw Bintang Walk being built and then ripped apart.

I stand by my comments, your assessments of ease of getting to Sungai Wang Plaza is highly biased just because you had a good stay at the SI.

TRAVELSIG

Thanks for the review- I have also stayed at both hotels and appreciate this overview. I find the monorail to be a nice "curiosity" as this type of transportation system never really caught on and can be found in just a few cities around the world such as KL and Seattle. Both hotels (SI and Westin) have provided great service to me- including one time where I belatedly realized my Chinese visa had expired and they helped me get one within 72 hours to fly from KUL to PVG which is really great service. I wouldn't hesitate to stay at both of the hotels again which together with the Shangri-La and the Hilton are my four "go to" properties in the wonderful city of KL.

ZenWorld

I am sorry, but your accusations here is ludicrous.

I will state once again, it is purely based on the time taken to get to sungei wang, one based on monorail, the other on walking.

Your repeated efforts to link things that are unrelated (i.e. "SGS fanatic" - I have never been to SGS?!, "Great Stay at Sheraton Imperial thereby clouding my judgement" - I had a Great Stay at Westin KL too!!) and pushing them onto me, is totally out of line.

And in case it has been confusing, Westin's location is fantastic. Sheraton Imperial is not too bad. And if I want to get to Sungei Wang only, then in my personal opinion, Sheraton Imperial is an interesting alternative, based on reasons I stated above (nothing to do with great service of Sheraton, unless the great service includes regular helicopter service free of charge to bukit bintang area). If one wants to hang around Pavilion or Starhill, Westin is the place to be.

ZenWorld

I considered Shang Golden Circle, but felt it was not the right time to start it, and hence, it looks like I will not be staying at Shangrila anytime soon.
I will do LM KL next, but probably not Hilton, though I will surely pop by next door to take a look.

TRAVELSIG

Hmmm... between the two (LM and Hilton) I prefer the Hilton- location of course is identical. The Hilton has a very good Exec lounge and a great Japanese restaurant as well as a wonderful breakfast. Decor is much more contemporary than the LM which is more traditional inside.

mario33

The Westin has always been able to command a premium in room rate over the SI. No it's not because the Westin has been pitched to be a superior property; on the contrary, the SI was supposed to be Starwoods jewel in SE Asia. The SI was a luxury collection property right from day one (until recently), its where Starwood regional HQ is located, it was to be rebranded as the first St Regis in SE Asia (called off last minute) and it had a major renovation not too long ago (none so far at the Westin). So despite all that, not only did it fail to match the Westins room rates, it lagged behind many similar class hotels in KL. And anyone who has lived in or spent enough time in KL can tell you why. LOCATION.

If I were to give the Westin an 8 (out of 10), the SI will only get a 4 from me. While its at the edge of the CBD, that part of town is considered dodgy. Even with the restaurants and night clubs sprouting up nearby and the monorail station, its still regarded as a secondary location. Having a monorail station to bring you to Bukit Bintang is not the same as being smack in the heart of BB. At the Westin, if my room is not ready I can just walk across the road to the Pavillion, slurp some noodles at the food court and come back to collect my room key. I can't do that at the SI.

And if you use accessibility by monorail to Sungai Wang (not sure why anyone would do that) as a measure for location; then all those undesirable parts of town where the monorail runs would now be prime properties And from the SI its unrealistic to allow anything less than 15-20min to get to Sg Wang using the monorail, while its possible to do the 200m walk from the Westin in slightly more than 5 min. You may also want to know that the JW Marriott and Starhill are one building, the promenade in front of Fahrenheit (formerly KL Plaza) is under a canopy, Lot 10 is linked to Sg Wang by overhead bridge, leaving only short streches without cover. And KL does not rain 95% of the time.

So no, you have not discovered something new that everyone is unaware of. No matter how you try to justify the SI location, the room rates speak for themselves.

ZenWorld

I have no objection that you view Sheraton Imperial's location to be extremely bad, because that is your view, and you are entitled to to give your viewpoint.
(SI does not work for you? fine. Westin is great? Sure.
Just state so. No need to make unnecessary suggestions about me.)

I have stated my viewpoint clearly. And if you want me to add, properties right next to a train station (if not directly connected to a train station) is valuable. And if you insist Sungei Wang is only 200m away from Westin, KL never rains, SI is 20 mins traveling time, then it just shows that you are not only unwilling to listen to alternative views, you are distorting reality to justify your reasonings. (just like the the points about SGS, SI earlier.. which are not only irrelevant, but out of point.)

In Singapore, many people prefer to stay at Fairmont, as it is right next to the train station, and it is a 10 mins train ride to Ion Orchard, the journey is fully sheltered. St Regis Singapore is in Orchard vicinity, and also 10 mins walk away, but mostly unsheltered. Quite a few people like Fairmont's location better than St Regis, as such people view distance as time taken to travel, and also comfort level. But there are people who thinks absolute distance is the key. It's 2 sides of a coin, but both takes 10 mins. (What I did here is to give an alternative viewpoint on Sheraton Imperial's relative distance, but never did i suggest SI is in a better location than Westin. I my personal opinion, it is not bad really. You can disagree, but let's agree to disagree and leave it as that.)

And yes, location is an important factor for room rates, but so is the level that the hotel is pitched at. (In Singapore, St Regis is at a higher room rate, but Marriott Singapore has a much better location. St Regis of course, is pitched at a higher level. Just to clarify this point as well.)

ZenWorld

Thanks! Would check Hilton out as well when I am there.

TRAVELSIG

The two hotels are connected together at Lobby level and as such you can move back and forth without going outside even.

mario33

I actually like SI rooms better than Westin, and as I have mentioned before I also love the grand lobby and public areas. But no way am I going to make a fool of myself by saying the location is almost as good as the Westin.

And it's not me alone who decides SI location is poor, anyone who knows KL can tell you that. And as I have explained the room rates speak for themselves despite the SI superior rooms. Real estate prices around the SI is generally only a third or less than those around the Westin. Similarly the SI and Westin changed hands a few years ago at those proportions.

But who am I to argue with this "tourist" who has been to KL a couple of times but seem to know something about KL that everyone here don't even know