kevino

LarryU, Based on your review, I would NEVER stay at this hotel, even if they paid me. It's not worth the risk. Thanks.

Motorskills

This is the kind of thread where a formal response from Hilton would be appreciated.

It isn't some malcontent whining that his pillows are too hard, Larry's posts are a highly-detailed account of basic failings for any Hilton property.

Even if it is just inexperience, that needs to be addressed.

LarryU

The new manager at the Hilton Kuching, who seems like a fairly nice and reasonable fellow, has read my report and knows about my feelings towards this place. He acknowledged that they definitely have some staffing and training issues, especially given its remote location.

However, I felt that the staff, though somewhat rough around the edges, were actually quite friendly and pleasant so that didn't really bother me at all. It was everything else about the operation of the property that was unacceptable.

I have no evidence that anything will ever change there, at least while the resident manager at Batang Ai is still commanding the ship. He has been in attendance since its exception and its many faults lie primarily in his lap. Secondarily the Hilton Kuching seems unable and unwilling to do what needs to be done to bring Batang Ai up to snuff. This could really be a nice property but the resident manager must be let go in order for that to happen.

LarryU

I am not a person who spends a lot of time sitting around at a resort given that I sit around quite effectively at home so I cannot comment on this directly. But why not look into the Damai Resort, just 40 minutes or so from Kuching.

mario33

They may have difficulties finding a replacement, other than those from nearby tribes who else in their right mind would want to be based there. And with the low room rates (and occupancy) there is no way they can justify the renumeration of a proper manager with international experience. Curious to know when was the last time the Kuching GM step foot on this resort.

opushomes

Please be aware that my perception of the place is based on one night there about 4 years ago. I would be unwilling to test the place for any improvement even if the price was still $US30 that I paid. Yes, I was then a Gold and I, after speaking with Peter, actually realized that I had been upgraded to their best room. This is the one with the bedroom upstairs via an extremely steep stair that is a hazard after dark. The walls are also extremely thin which part of the justification I have stated about it is good for honeymooners, unless you are staying in the adjacent room.

An eight hour RT in a van and another approximately hour in a boat across a reservoir is not my idea of fun more than one in a lifetime. The seat in the van was more than double the room cost at that time. It has since escalated as has the room cost. The room seems to be running almost 300 MYR (at least in January).

I found nothing to do there except spend time at the pool. The afternoon rain curtailed that. LarryU is absolutely correct that there is no wildlife in the area. "They have all been eaten" per the naturalist. I did take the nature walk in the morning and it was a nice walk up a steep slippery path and a loop back down. In fairness to the wildlife, there was one bedraggled squirrel hanging out at the hotel. Larry saw it as well.

The prices then posted for any type of "adventure" (day tour to a longhouse, fishing pole rental and similar trips) was absolutely outrageous then and have apparently increased in the intervening years. Sarawak is an extremely inexpensive destination as I am sure those who came to Kuching with me in January will verify.

My impression of the food offerings were that they were limited and expensive. Yes, it is out in the ULU, but transportation is easy using the trans-Borneo. There is no place to go other than their restaurant. Breakfast was only ok and not up to the standards of any of the other 10 Hiltons in Asia where I have stayed. You are completely captive with little to do. Additionally the quality of the cooking was IMHO subpar.

I did not think the place was particularly hospitable. The exact opposite of my feelings about the Kuching Hilton. I fully recognize that the staff is indigenous but that does not mean that they cannot be trained. I have received excellent service in some pretty obscure places in S.E. Asia staffed entirely by indigenous personnel. My view is that it is a matter of training and the management learning how to deal with the cultural differences. I believe that this was not done with the previous GMs and still there is a lake of oversight. (and perhaps, also a lack of Cultural Awareness by management)

Yes, Peter does visit but the sense of staff empowerment was lacking when I visited and when Larry visited. The conversation and some of my observations about minor things at the Kuching Hilton leads me to believe that empowerment on many levels have been curtailed. I will not go into what leads me to this conclusion other than the tenor of the conversation (about 45 minutes), my take on management style and observations of changes.

I believe that many of the changes are driven by the present business climate and marching orders from the ownership to maximize cash flow, if not profit. Not an unusual situation in the hospitality industry world-wide.

The comments here are solely my own

In fairness to the present management of the Kuching Hilton, Golds and Diamonds are still treated extremely well. The lounge staff is excellent. Breakfast in either the lounge or restaurant are very good. Upgrades outside of HHonors guidelines still occur. The people staffing the lounge in a pseudo-conceirge capacity are excellent and staff stability in those positions seems to have improved. Sorry from diverging from the intent of this tread with the last 2 paragraphs.

Don't forget neither of us have been there recently and will not go back to report on the place. In my case, even as a non-paying guest.

Keyser

wow....i think i've pretty much decided to not accompany my friends to batang ai this summer....unless someone reports that they have stayed here recently & things have changed, this resort won't be getting my business come this may-june....

Keyser

just thought i would report this....i wrote to the hilton kuching yesterday asking about the the transport options from kuching to batang ai....they wrote back to me this morning with a quote for rm155 per person for a return trip....

estnet

LarryU - thanks for saving me - I was about to book this, but thought I should check ft first thank god I did

iahphx

OK, it's been 2 years -- any recent reports?

About 15 years ago, I went to Borneo and stayed at a tourist-oriented longhouse. We had a good time. I'm planning on taking the kids to Malaysia next x-mas time and would like to give them a comparable experience. Since I have plenty of HHonors points, and am Gold, logic would suggest this property would be a good choice. I think the place is now a Cat. 1 -- 5000 points on the new redemption chart! Could it possibly not be worth it at that price? The latest tripadvisor reviews aren't bad. I sure would appreciate some guidance. Thanks.

manneca

I was there in November. We rented a car and drove (we used the car to drive to several places from Kuching). A bit harrowing, but do-able. We stayed two nights, I think.

Hmmm, it's not a long house experience. We did a day trip to a "real" long house. I noticed that there was a large blackboard with dates for stays at this long house. I recognized the booking agencies from names in Kuching. If you want a long house experience, I'd check with tour agencies in Kuching and book a real one. The only thing that is long house about this is the design of the rooms.

We did the nature walk, too. Not much there. I liked getting out there. There is a nice pool. The food is OK.

iahphx

Thanks. Do they have trips to "real" longhouses at the Hilton?

Rockhopper24

Besides the fact that I don't prefer driving on Sarawak, what are my options to get to Batang Ai Longhouse from Kuching?
What kind of day-trips does the B Ai Longhouse offer?

iahphx

Yeah, I would also appreciate more recent information about this property -- not sure if it exists though!

I am wondering what the cost of day trips "up the river" from the hotel are, and whether you have to pay "captive audience" prices (and what those might be).

iahphx

I've returned from a pleasant 2-night stay at this hotel, and I'd like to clear up some of the mystery -- and misconceptions -- about this property.

First, you should know the hotel offers what I'd characterize as 3 1/2 star comfort. It was undoubtedly 4-star when it opened in 1995, but it's a little past it's prime. That said, rooms are facilities are still quite comfortable -- especially given its very remote location. The faux longhouse construction of the hotel is visually interesting, and the property sits in a very scenic location along the lake and across a river from Indonesia.

As a family of 5, we rented a car and drove to the ferry dock. It's an easy (if you've ever driven in a developing country) 3 1/2 hour drive from Kuching. The hotel also offers a daily van ride from the Kuching Hilton, at a cost of about $50 per person. Car rental in Kuching is about $50/day, so it might be cheaper for couples to take the hotel van. But I think it's more fun, and faster, to drive.

As an HHonors gold, this hotel offered exceptional value as a Cat. 1 property. 5000 points/night (aka "basically free") got us upgraded (in advance) to duplex suites (about 700 square feet, with 2 bathrooms and a living room) and free buffet breakfast (above average for a nice Malaysian hotel, especially in their willingness to cater to Western tastes).

There are a limited number of things to do at the hotel, so I would suggest only a 2 or 3 night stay unless all you want to do is sit by the pool and relax. You should also be aware that there is only dial up internet service at the hotel (which means there's basically no internet service).

We did the half-day longhouse tour that actually turned into a 6 hour tour because our boatmen enjoyed the longhouse hospitality (Iban food and rice wine) a bit too much. Honestly, I think we made the right call staying at the faux Hilton longhouse and just visiting a real longhouse because the Hilton is way more comfortable. The tour costs about $40 per person (kids 12 and under are half price), which is a little expensive, but I doubt you could arrange a longhouse boat tour for less elsewhere. It's definitely an interesting cultural experience, and the longboat ride is fun. There does not seem to be a way to organize tours independently from the hotel (no local boatmen will pick you up on the dock).

There's a nice guided "nature walk" up a steep hill behind the hotel that features a creaky wooden canopy walk. A nice soft adventure, for which they charge about $2. They offer other half-day trekking trips which we did not do but which might be fairly adventurous (I was told the guides use machetes to clear the path).

I was concerned about the "captive audience" pricing in the Hilton restaurant, but my concerns were unfounded. We didn't eat lunch (who can after a breakfast buffet?), but dinner was both inexpensive and delicious. Avoid the 75 ringgit buffet and order the delicious local dishes for about 25 ringgits (US$8) each. Honestly, the food was among the best we had on the trip because while you might be able to eat these dishes for less at "local" restaurants, the quality of the ingredients (like boneless chicken and giant prawns) and the preparation was better at the Hilton. Alcohol is a bit expensive at the hotel (in general, alcohol isn't cheap in muslim Malaysia), so bring your own and consume it in your room, and just drink the restaurant's inexpensive bottled water.

There is no wildlife to see at the hotel, although I was told you might see orangutans if you went trekking.

So, all in all, a relaxing and enjoyable stay. My only reluctance in recommending this hotel is the drive. There are many other neat things to see in Sarawak that are much closer to Kuching (in particular, try to get to Bako national park), so if you have only a limited time (like 2 or 3 days) in Kuching, perhaps it's better to skip the Hilton. But if you have 5 days and have Hilton status, you should make your way to Batang Ai.