Review: Alila Bangsar Kuala Lumpur (Bangsar Suite)

Nightly rate	3,500 points (worth US$53) (2,489 points with Hyatt’s promo)
Length of stay	3 nights
Date of stay	March 2022
Membership level	Globalist (World of Hyatt)

What benefits to expect when you stay at Alila Bangsar Kuala Lumpur as a World of Hyatt Globalist member?

Alila Bangsar Kuala Lumpur opened in 2018 with a total of 143 rooms. Rooms are only located between the 35th and 40th floors of the building.

Best time to stay

It is a Category 1 World of Hyatt property requiring 3,500 to 6,500 points per night. Staying in this property is one of the best ways to redeem your Hyatt points.

Related: Sweet Spots: Best ways to redeem World of Hyatt points

If you do not have Hyatt points, you’ll be happy to know that purchasing the points is cheaper than paying the usual cash rate, regardless of membership status!

Aim for “off-peak” nights to stay in this property for just 3,500 points. The easiest way to find those off-peak nights is by looking at the points calendar of Alila Bangsar.

Location

The hotel is located in central Kuala Lumpur. It is close to an LRT station but there is nothing much around the area.

• 5 mins walk to Bangsar train station
• 15 mins drive to Petronas Twin Towers
• 45 mins drive to Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL)

Arrival

The entrance of the hotel wasn’t obvious from the outside and the main entrance had big wooden doors that were closed at all times. There were no hotel staff, bellman or security guard to assist guests with luggages.

I had booked the base room and was pre-upgraded to the Bangsar Suite, as a Globalist member benefit, a day before arrival!

Upon entering the wooden door, there were no clear signs on where hotel guests should go. I just made a guess and turned right to the 2 lifts at the far end.

That’s when I found out that the lobby is located on the 41st floor.

The lobby looked great and very Alila-like. I was upgraded to the Bangsar Suite one day prior to arrival!

Bangsar Suite

Room 3724 is 95sqm / 1,025sqft in size.

The suite was beautiful and consistent to the design language that I am used to at other Alila properties.

Check out the video tour of this room on our Instagram page.

Bath products were not offered in Alila Living single-use containers but, unlike what I had at Alila SCBD Jakarta, they smelled like the real thing from Sensatia Botanicals.

Internet speed

The internet speed was just alright for web browsing purposes.

Breakfast

Breakfast is complimentary for Globalist members and was served through an à la carte menu at Botanica + Co restaurant on the ground floor. I was told that this was a temporary Pandemic arrangement.

The breakfast menu didn’t have many options but I always preferred it this way. Unlike what I usually get in buffets, à la carte food tastes better/fresher and has better plating. Plus, your body will thank you for not overeating! 😛

The set menus covered a nice range of local cuisines/flavours. My partner and I enjoyed every one of them!

My only complaint was the minimal selection of pastries from the self-service station and also the lack of fresh fruit juices. Guests can get coffee on their own through the coffee machine.

Other facilities

The swimming pool is located on the 40th floor with great views of the city

The gym was large enough for a property of this size and offers a lovely view of the city. However, the glass windows were heavily tinted and most of it were blocked by vertical wooden bars to fit the “Alila look”. What a pity!

The hotel placed coffee machines at the lift lobbies of every floor, along with take-away cups. Guests can get complimentary coffee from freshly grounded beans all day long!

The hotel really didn’t have to offer this free benefit and I think this “extra mile” made it more special to me.

Guests can also get drinkable water from the tap right next to the coffee machine.

My ratings

This is how I am rating my stay, considering what I paid:

Breakfast	9/10
Service	9/10
Location	8/10
Room furnishing	10/10
View (from the room)	10/10
Peace & quiet	10/10
Facilities	10/10
Elite member recognition	10/10
Value	10/10

Bottom line

I’ve always had trouble understanding the appeal of Alila hotels, based on the five properties that I’ve stayed in in Indonesia. I get, and love, the minimal design language, however, the ones that I’ve visited tend to have poor quality hardware and were grossly overpriced. It felt like the brand always tries to sell “authenticity” while taking massive shortcuts with built quality.

Alila Bangsar was a refreshing shift from that impression. Despite having better hardware, the hotel typically has fair cash rates and offers outstanding value when redeeming Hyatt points, especially on off-peak nights.