FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post

Jan 16, 2024 | 12:15 am

#66

wantan

Join Date: Jun 2014

Programs: Honors Diamond, Bonvoy Gold, Accor Gold, OW Emerald, SIXT Diamond

Posts: 957

I used to have 5+ stays a year before the pandemic so easily over 100 rooms nights at this property. Stopped staying when they went from 10k points to 20k however with flight schedule changes making a working daytrip to Kuching quite difficult for the next few months, I decided to give this place another go.

Rate here are now RM480++, nearly double what they were asking a few years ago. To put it in context, the DoubleTree Shah Alam and DoubleTree Putrajaya go for around RM250 - RM280 so Hilton are really pushing the bar at this property.

Rooms were supposed to be completed by 2023, however at my stay last week was informed that only floors 2 - 6 were operating while 7 - 13 were still being worked on. Meaning Koffee Cafe at the lobby is still the temporary lounge. Swimming Pool and gym is supposed to be shut from March onwards for a few months.

As Diamond, booked a basic room and was assigned a river view room on the 2nd floor. I booked a King and was given a Twin with no option to select another room. Thought I would sort this out at check-in, and to my surprise was told it was a "Hollywood Twin" and there were no King beds available ... or I could upgrade to a suite for a top up of RM300. Perhaps it was the way it was communicated , or just how the person was trying to evade that the room type I booked was different from what was given but it just left a very poor impression. I decided to take a look at this "Hollywood Twin" and honestly is the first time I've seen something like this in a star-rated hotel.

There was only 1 bedside table, sheets that could not be tucked in (it was larger than a King) light switches and sockets were in the middle of the bed (like an 80's cruise ship?). There was also hair on the bedding and pillows which made it feel as if the sheets weren't changed or they might have mixed clean and dirty laundry in the same cart. Same went for the towels.

Called reception and they said they would send someone to change the sheets. At this point I had an online meeting to attend and thought I'll just turn off the camera when housekeeping were doing their thing. When the person actually arrived an hour later, it was with a new room key and he insisted I had to change rooms there and then (instead of waiting for my meeting to end) so they could re-sell the room

I also found that this room did not come with bathrobe / slippers despite having 2 packets of biscuits and welcome card. So they knew a Honors member was staying but are penny pinching most rooms amenities ?

Now the replacement room was a King Premium (1 level below suite, and 1 level up from the previous room) which was much larger and had a bathtub. Also came with bathrobe / slippers. Got a normal King bed thankfully. Decor wise, strangely I feel the old style was more premium, whereas the refurbished choice of materials and finishings give it a more of a Hilton Garden Inn feel (no more marble bathrooms).

The AC controls have also been updated and would turn off in the middle of the night when it thinks the room is empty. The room doesn't go below 24c at all and the mini fridge is also linked to this occupancy sensor so there is no way to get a drink cold as the fridge spends more time off than on. This is a real deal breaker for me, as the sleep was horrendous having waking up once every hour or so when it gets too hot.

The "Exec Lounge" Cocktail Hour is 5pm - 7pm, no drinks menu but all the standard Hilton drinks are there. Calsburg, Wine, Whisky, Gin, Vodka etc. But it really depends on who you ask, as there were 3 wait staff ... 2 were definitely not keen on letting on what could be served (1 of them even said there was no alcohol). Food is provided on a single plate, not sure if refills are allowed.

I had enjoyed many dinners at the hotel Steakhouse previously and was told by one of the friendly bfast chefs on a previous visit that the menu / crew are still doing their magic at the hotel coffeehouse. Food is allowed to be ordered to the "Exec Lounge" and even comes with a 25% discount so this was my best chance yet. Sadly the steak, fries and spinach were nothing like the old days. Soggy fries, tasteless spinach and a tough under seasoned steak are whats offered nowadays.

Overall, the hotel feels like it has lost it's charm. I'll wait until the renovation is fully completed for a final verdict, but I will have to say I left dissapointed this time. Cleanliness is not as good as before, warm/hot rooms and a general lackluster feel from the staff.