Staycation at DoubleTree by Hilton Kuala Lumpur during MCO

Since March 2020, Malaysia has been put in and out of lockdowns, or locally known as the Movement Control Order (MCO). In January this year, following a surge of new Covid cases, we had another round of MCO, during which no interstate or inter-district travels were permitted.

In fact, people were not allowed to travel beyond a 10-kilometre radius from their homes, except with official letters from employers, doctors, etc. But most businesses remained open, and that included restaurants, retail stores, supermarkets, and even hotels.

So in February, after a month of staying put at home, I decided to give myself a break by checking into a hotel in my area.

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DoubleTree by Hilton Kuala Lumpur - Location

The Hilton DoubleTree is located within an upscale shopping center — The Intermark on Jalan Ampang.

It’s easily accessible by public transports, with frequent buses and a pedestrian bridge that connects it to the Ampang Park LRT station, which is one station away from KLCC (Petronas Twin Towers).

Although there’s nothing much in its immediate vicinity apart from the Intermark itself and a few banks and office buildings in the area, its proximity to the LRT station means you can easily get to any location in Kuala Lumpur.

I walked there from the Twin Towers and it took me more or less 15 minutes.

Room Rate at DoubleTree by Hilton Kuala Lumpur

During the pandemic, most hotels slash their prices to encourage domestic travel, since they’re not getting any international tourists. Some are even offering day rates for those who wish to work from hotel rooms during the day instead of at home.

For my stay in a Double Room at DoubleTree by Hilton Kuala Lumpur, I paid RM180 (room rate) + RM18 (taxes) = RM198.

I’m not sure how much the discount was or if there was any, but for a weekend stay and a last-minute booking at that (I booked just a few minutes before check-in time), I think it was quite a good deal — cheaper than similar hotels in the same location.

Click here to book.

Check-in

Since the hotel is inside a mall, you actually have to go through the mall to get to the reception. There’s no separate entrance.

The reception is located one level up from the main entrance of the mall. It’s on the same level as the pedestrian bridge from Ampang Park LRT station.

Due to its location, the hotel lobby is rather small — only a narrow walkway with a few settees and coffee tables lined up along it.

But the check-in process went smoothly. I paid by card and wasn’t asked for any deposit. Despite several reviews I had read that said the service could do with some improvement, I found no fault in it whatsoever. Shalinda, who attended to me, was very polite and helpful.

The Free Cookies!

The service may be great, but the best way to my heart is through my stomach, and it seemed like this hotel knew my weak point.

If other hotels had welcome drinks, the DoubleTree offered something different: welcome cookies! Apparently, this is a long-standing tradition at the DoubleTree hotels worldwide, with over 30 million cookies consumed every year. But since this was my first time being their guest, it was a pleasant surprise.

And best of all, the cookies were still warm to the touch, like they just came out of the oven.

DoubleTree by Hilton Kuala Lumpur — The DoubleTree’s signature welcome cookie.

The cookies (yes I’m still raving about the cookies) are the crunchy type, with generous chunks of chocolate chips and chopped walnuts. I liked that they were not too sweet and the size made each one of them quite a substantial snack.

I can imagine myself arriving at the hotel tired and hungry after a long flight, and being presented with this gloriously warm cookie at check-in. What a thoughtful gesture, really! I think I’d go for cookies over drinks anytime.

Double Room at DoubleTree by Hilton Kuala Lumpur

I was assigned Room 1719 on the 17th floor.

The Double Room, although the cheapest, was quite spacious, with a king-size bed, a desk with a proper office chair, and a sofa by the windows.

The fridge was empty (which made me wonder if the days of hotel minibars were really long gone), but there was a kettle and a selection of teas and coffee available.

The bathroom contained a walk-in shower with a rain shower head, and the toilet was right next to it. There was no bathtub, which was fine by me, because I’m not fond of long baths anyway.

But what pleased me the most were the toiletries: Crabtree & Evelyn with the refreshing scents of verbena and lavender. This, to me, was considered a luxury, as my toiletries at home were usually the cheapest ones I could find at the dollar store.

Doubletree by Hilton Kuala Lumpur toiletries — Crabtree & Evelyn toiletries.

After a good shower, I spent the rest of the day watching Nat Geo and FOX Movies, and making use of the free WiFi to get some work done on my laptop.

It felt good to be sitting on an ergonomic chair at a proper desk, after so long working from home (which typically involved lying down on my bed with a cardboard box as a makeshift laptop stand).

Dining

I booked a room without breakfast, although if I wanted one, I could have it for an additional amount of RM64. Due to the MCO, the buffet breakfast was unavailable, but replaced with an ala-carte one instead, served at their Makan Kitchen restaurant between 6 a.m. and 11 a.m.

This, however, was the least of my concerns as I never wake up early enough for breakfast.

In-room dining was also available from 6 a.m. – 11 p.m. daily. However, with the premium pricing, I would rather just go down to the various restaurants and cafes at the shopping mall, or order a delivery.

List of restaurants at the DoubleTree Kuala Lumpur:

Makan Kitchen (Level 11): open for breakfast, 6 a.m. – 11 a.m.*
Tosca – Italian Restaurant (Level 10): open for dinner, 5 p.m. – 10 p.m.*
The Food Store and Axis Lounge (Level 1): open for lunch and refreshments, 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. on weekdays, 3 p.m. – 8 p.m. on weekends.*

*Subject to change, depending on government regulations.

Safety Measures at Hilton Hotels during Covid-19 Pandemic

Doubletree by Hilton Kuala Lumpur room — Hilton CleanStay room seal at the door.

As guests’s safety is their top priority, Hilton has partnered with RB, the producer of hygiene products — including Lysol and Dettol — to create the Hilton CleanStay program.

Through this program, the hotel chain promises to build on their already rigorous cleaning standards to help deliver an even cleaner stay for their guests.

This was evident from the Hilton CleanStay Room Seal, focused disinfection of high-touch surfaces in the guest room, as well as the notices in common areas reminding guests to maintain a safe distance from one another.

On top of that, they have also increased the scheduled cleaning of public spaces and introduced some changes to their amenities and services.

Here are some other things to keep in mind if you plan to stay at the DoubleTree by Hilton KL during the pandemic:

Face masks are required to be worn in all public areas, including restaurants and the hotel lobby.
The gym on level 10 is operational, allowing a maximum of 8 guests at a time.
The swimming pool, sauna, and steam room are closed.
All guests must be registered with valid identification at the Front Desk, for contact tracing purposes.
The number of guests in the room at any one time cannot exceed the maximum occupancy of the room. Unregistered visitors are not permitted to visit the rooms.

Hilton CleanStay at DoubleTree KL — Face masks are required in all public areas.

Final Thoughts on the DoubleTree by Hilton Kuala Lumpur

When I travel abroad, I tend to avoid big hotel chains — firstly because of the price, and secondly because they all start to look the same after a while. I prefer something that exudes more character.

But with no international travel for the past one year and probably none in the near future, I suddenly felt in the mood for some 5-star treatment in my own city. And I didn’t regret choosing the DoubleTree Kuala Lumpur.

Although I must say that it’s not much different from any other 5-star hotel in the city, what really got me hooked was the cookie at check-in. And the fact that the Front Desk officer actually took the time to check in on me through text messages.