I have only stayed there once (more than a year ago on a mattress-run to requalify for Gold
) but I do dine there regularly. The hotel lobby is usually very crowded due to the popularity of the several Asian restaurants in the hotel. The Japanese restaurant
Genji , Malay restaurant
Paya Serai and Chinese restaurant
Toh Yuen are very popular.
The hotel is old and consists of 2 wings. I believe the rooms in one wing have been refurbished, and I was informed by the Executive Lounge agent that the other wing where the Exec Lounge is located will be refurbished in 2006 (sorry I cant remember whether they call it north,south,east or west wing).
Diamond/Gold Upgrade : As a Gold I did not have any problem with upgrade to the Executive floor but that was before the devaluation of Gold last year. However I had an issue with them on my super cheap weekend rate (for locals only) when they refused to give me my stay credit, but HHonnors sorted out the problem ^ .
Executive Lounge : The lounge is OK, cosy but not fantastic. This hotel is not a highend property, hence you get a very mixed crowd there; and some are not familiar with the right etiquette when using the lounge. I have never been to a lounge where I encountered so many rude/inconsiderate guests but then it could just have been my unlucky day. Food ,however, was decent and they also serve an afternoon tea with various varieties of local cakes/snacks.
If breakfast at the ground floor restaurant
Paya Serai is an option, go for it. Very impressive buffet spread but the restaurant tends to be very crowded and noisy.
Location : As you may already know the PJ Hilton is located right next to Federal Highway which is the main road leading into KL city. There is a small town centre with some shops and restaurants next to the hotel but nothing in terms of shopping mall etc. About half a mile down Federal Highway is
Amcorp Mall which is a small shopping mall catering mainly to residents in the immediate vicinity. Another couple of miles further down the Federal Highway is
MidValley Megamall http://www.midvalley.com.my/ which is one of the largest shopping mall in Asia.
Local Tours : KL is a small place and there isnt much in terms of sightseeing. You can easily take a taxi to the Petronas Twin Towers, KL Tower, Petaling Street etc by yourself.
Alternative Hilton : If you are flying thousands of miles to get here, I suggest paying a little bit more and stay at the new KL Hilton at Sentral which is one of the best Hilton worldwide (much nicer than the overhyped new Sydney Hilton or Athens Hilton !)