Capri by Fraser in Kuala Lumpur
Aug 27, 2015, 1:53 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 1,677
Capri by Fraser in Kuala Lumpur
I have just started a small website globetrekka which I hope will store most of my trip reports as well as my not trip reviews (including food and shows and so on). Please visit my website to see the photos (it is not currently sponsored so I don't earn anything from it) [p.s. let me know if I am breaching any forum rules doing this]
I was visiting Kuala Lumpur for a school friend's wedding, and they suggested that I stay at the Capri by Fraser. It appears to be a pretty new hotel and I was reasonably impressed by the hardware. A 5* luxury hotel this is not, but for the price (especially with the Malaysian ringgit getting a pummelling) it represents pretty good value.
Unfortunately my entire stay was clouded by the terrible hotel pick-up service at the airport (and also pretty poor on leaving). I had an appointment in town and to save the pain of getting a taxi to an unfamiliar location, I requested an airport pick-up. There was no one at the arrivals hall waiting for me, and when I called the hotel, I received conflicting instructions as to where I should be. In short, I was hanging around for 30mins for the pick up. When paying 200 ringgitt for this service I would have expected the pick up to be waiting for me at arrivals (which in fact, as it turned out they did, but chose not to have a sign with my name on it)
The hotel itself is pretty nice. Don't expect any nice views though; the whole of Bangsar South is a building site, as you can see above.
The room was clean though not immaculate, but then this was a reasonably priced hotel, so I guess I could expect it to be completely spotless. For example the soap tray, and the brand new boxed soap, but when I lifted the box, the tray was dirty - slack and actually should have been spotted earlier.
Moving on to the bed, I must say it was very comfortable. However, speaking of the bed, there is something that I found hard to grasp. Now I think myself as pretty intelligent. However, when I went to bed, they made me feel like a real idiot. I couldn't work out the darn lights! I was wandering around having to switch off every single light switch --- wow what a waste of time!!! The room cleaning was very quick and efficient so there are no complaints on that front --- also they provide new toiletries every day which is an absolute must!!
What was breakfast like? Firstly, it was included in my deal, so I'm not sure how much it would have cost separately (or even if it was provided separately). Having said that it really was a standard hotel breakfast. There were a lot fruits, juices, breads and some local and western fare. Really the local food (nasi lemak - or coconut rice with chilli sauce and various condiments) was pretty poor. The rice didn't really have a coconut taste and the chillies weren't really spicy -- defeats the object of the dish really! At the same time, it was incredibly crowded.
Unfortunately, there really isn't much to do around the hotel as it's still all being built up, so you will need to go into town if you basically want to do anything - eat, go to the cinema, shop and so on.
Some might suggest taking a taxi. However, I would recommend (if it's not raining) taking the LRT from Universiti station into town (KL Sentral). In fact the hotel the staff were pretty helpful in suggesting this as an alternative to taking a taxi. It costs about RM 1.60 (about US$0.40) and is only a 10 minute walk away from the hotel. Bear in mind this is the tropics so be prepared when you walk; don't rush, take it nice and gently (both ways!) or else you will end up like a wet rag. At least the LRT trains have air-conditioning so you can recover on your way to KL Sentral.
The added advantage(?) is that you can avoid the crazy KL rush hour traffic -- that being said, rush hour on public transport is also not fun. I actually went to the mall at Sentral and all Jalan Alor. The first is just like any new mall - lots of shops, lots of offers, and lots of people! The second, I will cover in another separate review.
And at the end of the trip, I had booked a hotel car back to the airport; I was just sat around the hotel reception waiting for the car. Only after I asked did they say "oh he's waiting for you". They need to make an effort to tell you that the car has arrived, not for you to go and ask. I have downgraded their rating as a result of this --- I would not recommend anyone use the car service.
Would I come back to this hotel? Maybe. I just think that the locale needs to be developed more before it really becomes worth it. Next year???
I was visiting Kuala Lumpur for a school friend's wedding, and they suggested that I stay at the Capri by Fraser. It appears to be a pretty new hotel and I was reasonably impressed by the hardware. A 5* luxury hotel this is not, but for the price (especially with the Malaysian ringgit getting a pummelling) it represents pretty good value.
Unfortunately my entire stay was clouded by the terrible hotel pick-up service at the airport (and also pretty poor on leaving). I had an appointment in town and to save the pain of getting a taxi to an unfamiliar location, I requested an airport pick-up. There was no one at the arrivals hall waiting for me, and when I called the hotel, I received conflicting instructions as to where I should be. In short, I was hanging around for 30mins for the pick up. When paying 200 ringgitt for this service I would have expected the pick up to be waiting for me at arrivals (which in fact, as it turned out they did, but chose not to have a sign with my name on it)
The hotel itself is pretty nice. Don't expect any nice views though; the whole of Bangsar South is a building site, as you can see above.
The room was clean though not immaculate, but then this was a reasonably priced hotel, so I guess I could expect it to be completely spotless. For example the soap tray, and the brand new boxed soap, but when I lifted the box, the tray was dirty - slack and actually should have been spotted earlier.
Moving on to the bed, I must say it was very comfortable. However, speaking of the bed, there is something that I found hard to grasp. Now I think myself as pretty intelligent. However, when I went to bed, they made me feel like a real idiot. I couldn't work out the darn lights! I was wandering around having to switch off every single light switch --- wow what a waste of time!!! The room cleaning was very quick and efficient so there are no complaints on that front --- also they provide new toiletries every day which is an absolute must!!
What was breakfast like? Firstly, it was included in my deal, so I'm not sure how much it would have cost separately (or even if it was provided separately). Having said that it really was a standard hotel breakfast. There were a lot fruits, juices, breads and some local and western fare. Really the local food (nasi lemak - or coconut rice with chilli sauce and various condiments) was pretty poor. The rice didn't really have a coconut taste and the chillies weren't really spicy -- defeats the object of the dish really! At the same time, it was incredibly crowded.
Unfortunately, there really isn't much to do around the hotel as it's still all being built up, so you will need to go into town if you basically want to do anything - eat, go to the cinema, shop and so on.
Some might suggest taking a taxi. However, I would recommend (if it's not raining) taking the LRT from Universiti station into town (KL Sentral). In fact the hotel the staff were pretty helpful in suggesting this as an alternative to taking a taxi. It costs about RM 1.60 (about US$0.40) and is only a 10 minute walk away from the hotel. Bear in mind this is the tropics so be prepared when you walk; don't rush, take it nice and gently (both ways!) or else you will end up like a wet rag. At least the LRT trains have air-conditioning so you can recover on your way to KL Sentral.
The added advantage(?) is that you can avoid the crazy KL rush hour traffic -- that being said, rush hour on public transport is also not fun. I actually went to the mall at Sentral and all Jalan Alor. The first is just like any new mall - lots of shops, lots of offers, and lots of people! The second, I will cover in another separate review.
And at the end of the trip, I had booked a hotel car back to the airport; I was just sat around the hotel reception waiting for the car. Only after I asked did they say "oh he's waiting for you". They need to make an effort to tell you that the car has arrived, not for you to go and ask. I have downgraded their rating as a result of this --- I would not recommend anyone use the car service.
Would I come back to this hotel? Maybe. I just think that the locale needs to be developed more before it really becomes worth it. Next year???
Aug 27, 2015, 11:01 am
#2
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Karachi, Pakistan
Programs: Emirates Skywards Blue, Etihad Guest
Posts: 25
Interesting review. I had planned to stay at the same property during my visit to Kuala Lumpur in March, 2015 but then I got to know of the opening of Fraser's latest property in Kuala Lumpur called Fraser Residence. You should try staying there the next time, it's just 5 minutes walk from KLCC and the room rates are very reasonable as well.
Sep 2, 2015, 1:24 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 1,677
Interesting review. I had planned to stay at the same property during my visit to Kuala Lumpur in March, 2015 but then I got to know of the opening of Fraser's latest property in Kuala Lumpur called Fraser Residence. You should try staying there the next time, it's just 5 minutes walk from KLCC and the room rates are very reasonable as well.