Looking for a boutique hotel in Bukit Bintang Kuala Lumpur? Recently I stayed in the KL Journal, a new kind of boutique chic in the heart of the city. This stylish designed place with a modern retro vibe is a lovely boutique hotel if you visit Kuala Lumpur.
Location of the KL Journal boutique hotel
The location of the KL Journal is fantastic as it is right in the hub of the city. Where to stay in Kuala Lumpur just got a little easier to answer. Bukit Bintang Kuala Lumpur is the most vibrant area of the city where luxury retail shopping is mixed with local restaurants and posh nightclubs with street food stalls. KL Journal is a great boutique hotel in Bukit Bintang.
I received a warm welcome at the KL Journal upon arriving to the hotel by taxi. The Valet Parking staff member was not needed but he took my bags and guided me to the reception where two lovely girls were expecting my arrival. The very friendly and smiley girls needed my passport and some more details to complete my check-in. Before receiving my room key I was summoned to sign the terms & agreement of the hotel and I needed to pay $60 deposit. I handed them my credit card and a couple minutes later I was accompanied to my room by the hotel staff.
Best rooftop pool Bukit Bintang
To use the elevator you need to flash your room key, which makes sure not everyone can enter the hotel and keeps the rooftop pool exclusively for guests only. The pool on the 11th floor is definitely one of the main features of the hotel with great views over Bukit Bintang and great for sunrises. Unfortunately the pool bar was closed during my stay. I love roof top pools, check out my Hotels & Resorts page as I have stayed in more than 50 luxury and boutique hotels only in 2016.
Rooms in the KL Journal boutique Hotel
As the hotel is brand new, so are the rooms. There are no balconies but I did not miss it for a single second. The city facing side of the room was completely made out of glass and therefore guaranteed massive views from everywhere in the room. Laying in my bed I overlooked the bustling Bukit Bintang area. The room was spacious and came with a very relaxing sofa and a nice bathroom where I enjoyed the little seat in my shower. What I missed in the room was a directory of the hotel rules with the their services, some information, etc.
Facilities KL Journal Boutique Hotel
I never really thought I would miss a directory in my room, but this time I found out that it was pretty inconvenient. I knew the hotel had a small gym, but I had no clue where it was located. On my quest to find the gym I stumbled upon floor number 1, called the Shack. A floor dedicated to working spaces and meeting rooms. Designed in a very homey and uncomplicated atmosphere like a cozy coffee shop. Very inviting I have to admit and the next day I chose to come down and blog here for a couple hours. What I loved was the table tennis table, though unfortunately there was no one around who was willing to compete me.
If I would not have roamed around in the hotel I would have never found this floor, which is quite weird I think. A directory would have come in handy to promote this. Finally I found the gym as well and with 3 brand new cardio machines and free weights up to 25KG there is all you need for a decent workout.
Another situation where I would have looked through the directory was when I wanted to use the laundry service. As I did not know how it would work I called reception and surprisingly I found out that the hotel was not offering laundry service at all. They sent me down the road, but there was nothing; the next place they sent me to I couldn’t find either. The staff was doing there utmost best to get my laundry done, but I think a hotel like this should offer a laundry service in the first place.
The hotel staff was extremely nice and they went above and beyond to help me with everything I needed. Their buffet breakfast is lovely and with plenty of choice you will be satisfied for sure. Though very disappointing was the Wi-Fi connection. It was so slow that I never really used it in my room, I was constantly using my 3G connection which obviously was not convenient at all. Even on the first floor with all the workspaces the internet was annoyingly slow.
Upon check out I was asked to pay $0,20 for outgoing calls. First I thought it was a joke as the amount was so ridiculously low I could not believe they were asking for a couple cents. Yes I did try to call from my room to a local bar, but the calls never went through. I even reported the issue the reception staff who told me that the hotel was undergoing some problems with outgoing calls. For the inconvenience they allowed me to call at reception free of charge. Obviously I was very surprised they were now asking me for $0,20 but as my Uber Taxi was waiting for me in front of the hotel I gave them a coin!
Read about my adventures in Palaces in India, overwater bungalows in Maldives or read about the best luxury hotels in Singapore. 2016 Was a crazy year and in 2017 it got even more exciting. Keep up with Traveltomtom and my weekly adventure travel blog.
Overall review boutique hotel Kuala Lumpur: KL Journal
Still despite some issues I think the KL Journal is a great choice. I discussed some of the matter with the staff and they are all aware that there is room for improvement. They are doing there utmost best to solve these start up problems. I also stayed in the Swiss Garden Hotel Kuala Lumpur, which is comparable, but I prefer the KL Journal by far. Its eclectic vibe, great location, amazing rooftop pool and lovely breakfast all made up for it!
For their best rates check out: Kuala Lumpur Journal