estnet

F/u Asked to speak to the GM the next day - (of note I had the DND sign out and when I removed it he was standing outside about to call rather than knocking - I mentioned to him that I appreciated that since last pm the front desk had sent up a paper they had printed for me (the only way to print something here is to send it to the fd) and the person had knocked rather than just put it under the door (that was at 11 pm) when I had the DND sign out).

So - I explained the situation and he told me that the night FD had passed it on and they were moving me to a suite which would be ready soon. It was never clear if this was a training issue or???? I never got an answer to why the hotel showed suites available to book and I was told only 1 category ug - but the problem was solved. I also mentioned the early closing time of the pool and he said he could (?would) extend it. What I wasn't told by anyone until I discovered it by myself is that there is another pool by the spa that is open 9-9 and is available to everyone not just spa users. Now, this pool is not as pleasant as the 4th floor one b/c it is quite close to the busy road but I would have loved to have been told on arrival since I was looking forward to a relaxing swim after hours of travel.

So I was moved to a suite in the Majestic Wing - a very nice 1 bedroom suite with very "old English" style - in a good way, traditional wood floors, etc. The downside is that the road noise is very much louder here (although with inner doors closed it is not so noticeable. The jr. suite was on a high floor with much less road noise)
The view of the old railway station could make one think they are back in time looking at the architecture (if u ignore the heavy traffic noise).
Of interest is that in the suite (but not jr. suite) the mini bar is free (only soft drinks) and so are the smack bottles (peanuts and dal chips)! In addition there is unlimited free laundry!!!! (wish it was end of my trip instead of beginning )
The jr suite is more modern and a VERY large one room - if road noise is an issue you'd probably be happier with one of those on a high floor.
The breakfast buffet is amazing and offers lots of food including the best cheese I have had in SE Asia (that is ripe and flavorful unlike most of the unripe ones I have experienced elsewhere). Pastry and bread were just okay - but I didn't care much b/c they pretty much made fresh roti often (unlike other buffets where they cook and store them before service) and I have a fondness for fresh roti over old, not-so- fresh, - but that's my thing. There were many other choices, but the one thing I missed was some kind of soup (noodle or miso) that is usually found - only 2 types of porridge were available - but such a small quibble on my part.

As has already been mentioned the lounge has VERY limited service -when I arrived at 7:30 pm I asked to check in in the lounge as this is my usual experience in KL, but no one was there even after the bellman called, so after 15 minutes I suggested we go to fd -as the bm had suggested. When I arrived at the lounge the next day I was quite surprised to see about 8 staff - and mentioned to them my experience the night before. Of course I had arrived that day at change of shift and they explained that the night before they all go to dinner after cocktail hour ends at 7 pm. So perhaps some better adjustment of timing to make sure guests have at least one staff in attendance would be nice - but this is a small lounge and TBH there isn't much on offer, still staff are very nice and all tried their best to help.

The various rooms where tea is served in the area between the tower and majestic wing are beautiful to behold, esp the Orchid room - they sell orchids as well and I wish I could take one of the large ones home - (250 myr for one that would cost $200-300 usd), but alas that is not to be.

For those that care about local transport there is a new MRT stop about 5-10 minutes away (right near the GObus stop at Muzeum Negara) in addition to the shuttle service the hotel offers.

hockeyinsider

It's basically two hotels.

The modern annex, which includes a tower, gym and rooftop pool, meeting spaces and the main lobby, is the busier part.

The old wing was a little quieter for me as not as many guests stayed there. I thought it was great staying in this part of the hotel, but, to be honest, I thought parts of it looked a little shabby chic. A fresh coat of paint for the windows, hallways and stairways would have made it look better. Also, the tiles in the bathroom needed regrouting.

Even the modern annex was a little shabby on the outside, if I remember. I thought the rooftop area with the pool was great, but the exterior of the building needed a new paint job.

When I stayed there in September 2017, the breakfast was a complaint mine because it lacked oatmeal and yogurt.

It's lovely that they all eat dinner as coworkers, but there should be someone on-duty. This is one of the weaker lounges in Kuala Lumpur. YTL also manages the J.W. Marriott and the Ritz-Carlton -- they'e only one of two, maybe three, third-party management companies to manage a Ritz-Carlton -- and they do a better job at those properties. I hope drinks are served for more than just a single hour. If I remember correctly, the open bar at the executive lounge in the J.W. Marriott went until 8 or 9 p.m.

estnet

The pool in the tower is not properly maintained - the water altho not deep is so green you cannot see more than 10 feet or less while swimming. The other pool is sparkling clear even tho the water is quite (wonderfully) warm.
There is now yogurt at breakfast but no oatmeal.
Wine and beer are served 5-7 with some snacks and sandwiches (which are brought with no choices by you - when I asked for some without mayonnaise I was brought something fried with mayonnaise swirled on top and I pointed it out the staff said "oh it's tartar sauce"????) I gave up on the overly greasy hot food and tasteless sandwiches. All in all it's nice to have a lounge - but it's the worst one I've been to outside the US. Not close to any other one in SE Asia

estnet

Unless you want to pay an extra 9%!! I have never seen such an egregious DCC and according to the hotel the hotel does NOT get any extra money - all the profit goes to the bank. Shameful !!!!

barracuda93

It's rather typical, and likely not a fault of the hotel (I do not think the bank negotiates DCC rates with each merchant separately or that a merchant has a control over DCC rates). As a general rule, just never ever accept DCC. It's always a scam.

estnet

Yes DCC is not a good - ever, but all the other hotels I've stayed at in KL (and other countries as well) have usually had charges 3-5% and stated (in VERY small print on the actual receipt). This one didn't actually even state the percent charge!
When I mentioned this to the GM he had no idea that this was happening and took a photo of the receipt (no I didn't charge it was an authorization) - don't know if he'll f/u but I can imagine some very unhappy naive travelers who would blame the hotel (even tho they don't benefit).

Potreroflyr

ashkale

Just completed one night stay here, have to say is a very weak property. All glitter but no real substance, parking charges are a true reflection of this ytl managed property. Only ytl can win in any business they do.

airoli

Can we make this a wiki thread? I wanted to add property email addresses:

[email protected] and [email protected]

estnet

First the good - clean, historic hotel with some lovely areas and some excellent staff. so why won't I stay here again?

What appears to be a complete lack of management oversight and training as well as a complete disregard for customers comfort - some examples

1) If you have status with Marriott (Bonvoy) you have to argue for the benefits the program describes (I had the exact same experience a year ago - no improvement and REALLY hard to get a manager) Definitely not a good way to start a stay.

2) People who answer the phone don't have an adequate understanding of English. e.g. I need someone to help with the electric outlet......response "you mean you have a problem with the wash basin?"....no, repeat original request..... "you mean there is water on the floor"..............................

3) Staff stand around talking to each other and completely ignore guests in the executive lounge. There is no apparent oversight.

4) Tried to swim in spa pool which I was told on check in was fine. Staff said I could not use it (b/c not in majestic wing) and denied even when I told them I was expressly told I had access. On asking at front desk for a manager (a regular staff was sent), again was told that yes access was allowed and an apology was offered. NO OFFER TO EDUCATE STAFF OR follow up (when I asked twice that it be passed to higher level for training -apathy)
When made to feel so unwelcome and refused use of facility I was entitled to this is NOT a place I want to return.

There were many other issues - absolutely no f/u - not even a call or note from management to say sorry and verify that training would be implemented.

It really is a shame b/c many staff are very caring and attentive while others are in dire need of customer service training.
Apparently management doesn't care about their customers (at least foreign ones) since issues I brought up last year were not followed up and when suggested again it was a "new discovery" (like putting the timetable for the shuttle on the website instead of every 30 minutes indicate location of stops and timing eg "from station outside kliaexpress arrivals at :55 and :25 past the hour"
What a shame

[The "tasty" food in the lounge consists of stale sandwiches which are the same every day and 2 ?hot apps (mostly inedible) - in response to a previous review. Also the same ug nonsense about 1 category and having ask for manager and show them the rules.]

est-gratuite

This thread hasn't been updated in over 3 years.
Any recent stays ?

ElevatorEnthusiast

I'm quite surprised - I went in to my KL trip with the expectation that the Majestic would be my least favorite property, but it ended up being one of the better properties I have tried in KL. While it retains some of the negatives of other YTL hotels in KL, it builds on a lot of the positives, and while not perfect, I quite enjoyed my time at the Majestic. Here are my pros, cons, and photos:

Pros:

• While it didn't show up in app (of course, it didn't as a YTL hotel), I was upgraded to a Junior Suite - I bet there were higher suite types, but I liked my special-shaped window, and the room design worked for me
• I liked the room design - felt historic and warm, even in the Tower
• Bed was decent - while the mattress was classic YTL-firm, this one seemed more comfortable than Hotel Stripes, pillows were vastly more plush, and covers remained decently plush - the four-poster frame is fun, too
• Shower pressure from the rainfall head was great
• Nice view - it's a pretty part of town (though, horribly non-walkable)
• Nice box of macarons as a welcome gift
• Comfortable furniture - including the couch and desk chair
• The general look of the property is quite - including the historic Majestic Wing
• No lounge - but there is an "evening snack" for Elites in the Writers' Room off of the Colonial Cafe in the Majestic Wing from 5 to 7
  • This ended up being really tasty
  • Small drink menu - I got the tequila sunrise
  • Delivered a plate of quite tasty appetizers and a plate of really tasty desserts (yum on that chocolate cake)
  • Oddly, I was the only one in the entire "lounge" side - very exclusive...
• Elite breakfast was actually quite tasty - one of the better ones I have had in KL
  • The cheese omelets were oh so good - I had two
  • An actual barista that made tasty drinks vs. just a machine
  • The roti was divine
  • The waffles were actually pretty good
  • They still had the YTL red velvet muffins
• Shuttle to Sentral is every 30 minutes - took this and then walked to the St. Regis from Sentral

Neutral:

• They mentioned I was allowed a 24-hour stay - I'm unsure if that means that I was only allowed 3 PM late checkout as I checked in at 3:05 - regardless, I asked for 3, and that was granted - not sure what they would have said had I checked in early

Cons:

• Like Hotel Stripes, the WiFi captive portal was flaky, especially at night, which led to the need for several reconnects per session
• No Internet streaming capabilities on the TV
• No bedside outlets - but plenty on the desk

Overall, I would return to the Majestic - the location is the biggest downside.

Photos:

Isochronous

May try this out in a month or so - will report back. Hope it's a good experience!