5 Things I Loved About the Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur

I recently stayed 2 nights at the Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur, and boy, was it an amazing hotel. While Grand Hyatt properties are luxury hotels, they’re typically not the best of the best. However, the Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur far exceeded my expectations and is one of the nicest Hyatt hotels I’ve stayed in worldwide.

Here are 5 things I really loved about this hotel that would make me return in a heartbeat.

1. Central Location

Kuala Lumpur is a massive city, and public transit doesn’t easily reach all points. Because of this, it’s tough to say that any hotel is in the “right” location. Still, the Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur is just steps away from the famed Petronas Towers, so it’s a well-located hotel for tourist attractions.

It’s situated just off KLCC Park, which is a green space like Central Park that you can walk around in. Just off this park is the KLCC Suria shopping center, one of the largest malls in Kuala Lumpur. You can generally find some great deals on high-end goods in Kuala Lumpur, so if you’re into shopping, the Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur is situated perfectly for this. On top of this mall are the Petronas Towers, and you can purchase a ticket to the top for a stunning view for miles on end.

From the hotel, I walked to a nearby ticketing desk to purchase a hop-on-hop-off bus tour and also explored some other nearby sites. This hotel is a Category 3 World of Hyatt property, which costs 12,000 World of Hyatt points per night. While I paid cash for my stay, I easily rack up World of Hyatt points thanks to the The World of Hyatt Credit Card.

2. Grand Club Lounge

I had access to the Grand Club lounge thanks to my Globalist status.

Guests without Globalist status could purchase access for around $50 on top of the room rate, which is well worth it. After arriving at the hotel and heading to the front desk, I was told that I could instead check in at the Grand Club, and was escorted directly there — that was a nice touch.

The Grand Club staff were phenomenal, from check-in to the servers and the folks answering questions on touristy things to do. The staff memorized each guest’s name and were proactive in using names each time the guest entered the lounge.

Of course, no Grand Club lounge would be complete without stunning views, and this lounge didn’t disappoint. There were sweeping views of the entire city below, including the Petronas Towers.

The best part of the lounge was the food. Like many foreign lounges, the Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur’s lounge was far superior to U.S. club lounges, with a well-deserved reputation for terrific food and beverage service.

A full breakfast was offered in the club each morning, but Grand Club guests could eat breakfast in the main hotel restaurant if they wanted. Most guests (like myself) chose to eat in the restaurant since the offerings there were much more extensive than in the club, but there was a much quieter atmosphere and a wide variety of options to choose from in the club.

In the afternoon, a tea service was offered with cake and some light canapes. We were welcome to enjoy tea or coffee, and other non-alcoholic options, including sodas, sparkling waters, and juices, were also available.

In the evening, the club offered a full dinner service. Unlike some hotels that only advertise evening appetizers, this Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur specifically mentioned it was a dinner service. It was absolutely incredible and included a carving station, fish, rice, pasta, chicken, cheeses, salads, and more. There was also a dessert station with small pastries, fruit, and cakes. You could certainly make a full dinner out of the spread, and servers were rotating around, offering beer, wine, and alcoholic drinks upon request.

3. Upgrades

If you look in online forums, you’ll find that upgrades at this hotel are plentiful for elite members. I was fortunate to receive a Globalist upgrade. I booked an entry-level King room and was upgraded to a Grand Executive suite before my stay. The upgrade was complimentary without the use of a suite upgrade award.

This suite is considered premium, and the Grand Club representative who spoke with me emphasized that this was a real treat of a room that shouldn’t necessarily be expected in the future.

The 1,636 square-foot room featured an enormous living room, separate dining room, guest bathroom, and full bedroom complete with a stand-up shower, bathtub, walk-in closet, and double vanity.

This suite was certainly large enough for a big dinner party or to entertain multiple guests. I felt overwhelmed as a solo traveler! While I wouldn’t count on getting this suite again, I’m very impressed by how proactive the hotel was in offering upgrades and accommodating guests.

4. Breakfast

THIRTY8, the hotel’s restaurant, was the place to go for breakfast. I could have had breakfast in the Grand Club, but I wanted a more substantial breakfast, so I headed to the restaurant each morning. It sure didn’t disappoint.

The breakfast buffet was divided into multiple stations, with cheeses, meats, juices, coffees, Western options, Asian options, Indian, and much, much more! There was even a dedicated station to order egg dishes, which I took advantage of each morning. It was truly an international buffet, catering to many foreign travelers visiting the hotel.

5. Service

I think Grand Hyatt hotels are very nice, but don’t normally think of them as impeccable. The Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur seems to set a new standard for luxury for the Hyatt portfolio under the Grand Hyatt name. If I didn’t know this was a Grand Hyatt, I’d probably assume it was a Park Hyatt, or even something nicer.

The hotel staff were so well trained, and seeing this in action was so refreshing. Here are some examples of the wonderful service I received:

• After arriving at the front desk, I was immediately whisked off to the Grand Club to elevate my check-in experience.
• Throughout my stay, staff referred to me by name, which seemed impossible given the number of guests coming and going.
• Entering and exiting the hotel, I felt like I was being greeted and welcomed into a fine hotel.
• Housekeeping staff did a nightly turndown of the room, lowering shades and placing water by the bed.
• The service in the Grand Club felt like a fine restaurant, with staff proactively offering drinks and assisting with getting food.

The service was terrific, and that’s one of the reasons I’d return to the Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur without hesitation.

What I Didn’t Like About the Grand Hyatt

While I loved the Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur, there were 2 downsides worth mentioning.

First, because the hotel was at the top of the building, I always had to take 2 elevators to get to my room. First, I’d take an express elevator from the ground floor to the top-floor lobby, then a second elevator down to my room. It was quite counterintuitive. The mandatory elevator transfer was annoying (and confusing to many guests, from what I saw).

The other major downside of this hotel was its distance from the airport. Kuala Lumpur International Airport is about 37 miles from the hotel. It took me about an hour and a half to reach the hotel in a taxi from the airport. Even without traffic, it’s about a 50-minute trip.

There is a train from the airport to Kuala Lumpur’s central train station, but this train station is not near the hotel and still requires you to take a taxi from there to the hotel. Almost any option to and from the hotel is highly inconvenient. Be sure to allow plenty of time to get to the airport before your flight departs.

Final Thoughts

Having stayed at many Hyatt properties throughout the world, I can safely say that the Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur is one of the best. The service rivals any other fine hotel, and the rooms were well-appointed with a phenomenal club lounge. While a Park Hyatt is opening in Kuala Lumpur, I may very well continue to stay at the Grand Hyatt thanks to the great experience I had.