At the newly refurbished Swiss-Garden Hotel Bukit Bintang, Loong Wai Ting enjoys its comfortable accommodation and prime location in central KL
IF I didn’t know anything about its history, I wouldn’t be able to tell that this is the same Swiss-Garden Hotel Bukit Bintang that has been standing at the meeting point of two busy roads- Jalan Pudu and Jalan Bukit Bintang for decades.
Located right smack in the city centre between the entertainment hub of Bukit Bintang and colourful Chinatown, the four star hotel recently underwent an extensive renovation and is now equipped with many modern facilities.
Its expansive lobby now is of polished marble and gets plenty of natural lighting from the large picture windows from ceiling to floor.
Since I’ll be staying with my family, I’ve checked into a Family Room, which can easily fit five people. The window on my fifth floor room overlooks the swimming pool.
As I am staying on a lower floor of the hotel, there isn’t much of a view except for the row of shophouses across the street and a sliver of Bukit Bintang in the background.
The big room has a king-sized and two super single beds, both are divided by the mini bar counter. I like the open concept so that it’s easy to keep an eye out on the kids. The en suite bathroom is quite big, too. A glass panel separates the shower and toilet areas.
The hotel generously provides its guests with bathroom amenities that come in those small bottles. However, I think it would be great if it could reduce its single plastic use by providing its bath essentials in refillable bottles that are mounted on the walls.
But the hotel makes up for it with the numerous hot and cold filtered water dispensers that are strategically placed in the hotel. Instead of asking for more bottled mineral water, guests can opt to fill their empty bottles at these water dispensing units. Sometimes, these are the little gestures that make a hotel great.
Breakfast is served buffet style at the hotel’s only restaurant, The Garden Terrace on Level 1. However, there’s nothing extraordinary about its breakfast buffet, as I had hoped for a more extensive spread.
Instead, the choices are quite standard: Cereals, bread, DIY noodle in chicken broth and plain porridge with condiments.
There are also the usual fare such as nasi lemak, fried rice and noodles as well as the American-style breakfast.
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
I love the hotel’s prime location. From the lobby, Chinatown or Petaling Street is just a 10-minute walk along covered walkways. My dad, who would rather drive than walk to the nearest mini mart near our home, enjoys the walk from the hotel to Chinatown for his favourite plate of greasy Hokkien Mee.
Even my mum enjoys her Christmas shopping near Chinatown. As for me, I prefer the air-conditioned shopping malls such as Pavilion Kuala Lumpur and Fahrenheit KL, which are, thankfully, also within walking distance.
All we have to do is cross the road from our hotel and follow the covered pathway that takes us to Jalan Bukit Bintang. Even the Bukit Bintang MRT station and its strategic exits are located within the area. From here, it’s a matter of choosing which mall to “conquer” first.
For foodies, the hotel is also surrounded by a good majority of restaurants and cafes.
Of course, if you have lived in KL for most of your life, you’ll know where all the hidden gems are. My favourite is Sek Yuen Restaurant in Jalan Pudu, which is less than 10 minutes drive away. Even the food haven in Jalan Alor is just opposite the hotel.
For supper, my favourite haunt is the curry chee cheong fun in Pudu Wai Sek Kai in Jalan Sayur, opposite Sek Yuen Restaurant.
There are also various cafes and watering holes behind the hotel -all within walking distance.
Depending on where you come from, the hotel is also easily accessible via public transport. You can choose to arrive via the Light Rail Transit (LRT) — alight at Plaza Rakyat station — and follow the covered
walkway past the UTC Pudu to get to the hotel.
If you’re commuting via Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), you can choose to alight either at Merdeka station (follow the same path as Plaza Rakyat station) or Bukit Bintang station (take Exit A).
FAST FACTS
SWISS-GARDEN HOTEL BUKIT BINTANG
WHERE 117, Jalan Pudu, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
TEL 03-2141 3333
EMAIL reservation@shbb.swissgarden.com
WEBSITE https://www.swissgarden.com/kuala-lumpur/
STAY Located in the heart of bustling Kuala Lumpur, the newly-refurbished hotel has 325 upgraded rooms including Family and Executive Suite. All of the rooms are equipped with modern facilities such as USB charging ports, LCD TV, free WiFi, bathroom amenities and satellite channels. The rooms are in warm hues and a contemporary design, while its en suite bathrooms features a powerful rain shower.
EAT Free daily buffet breakfast at The Garden Terrace, the hotel’s only restaurant. The choices may be limited but it’s enough to fill you up. You can also order a la carte menu from the restaurant or have it sent to your room.
DO Swimming at the saltwater pools — a perfect way to ease sore muscles from all your shopping trips.
GO Shopping spree at Bukit Bintang, of course! And if you’refeeling adventurous, you can also walk all the way to KLCC via the covered, air-conditioned pedestrian walkway.
HIGH The centralised location.
LOW Err... the breakfast buffet, maybe.
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