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-   -   Kuala Lumpur Hotels (https://www.fodors.com/community/asia/kuala-lumpur-hotels-745096/)

christo Oct 26th, 2007 07:45 PM

Kuala Lumpur Hotels
 
Hi Folks;

I will be in KL this winter and am looking for hotels near the Sentral Station so when I come in via the express rail line from the airport I won't have to walk too far.

I have found that the Hilton and Le Meridien are very close but am asking if anyone has knowledge of other nearby hotels within walking distance or at least if they are easily accessible by commuter rail ?

Also does anyone know of a good web site that shows the transportation system and hotel locations.

Thanks.

TravelTwiddle Oct 26th, 2007 08:06 PM

From Sentral, Hilton and Le Meridien are too far for walking with luggage on tow. If it rains, your travel story can turn bad very fast because KL walkways are uncovered and very basic; locals don't walk very much. The weather is either too wet or too warm.

There are taxis and convenient city rail to get you to anywhere you want. A rail ride from Sentral to Bukit Bintang shopping hub (and lots of good hotels) is just 15mins. Here are some useful links ....

http://www.hotels.org.my/index.php
http://www.kiat.net/malaysia/KL/transit.html
http://www.klia.com.my/index.php?ch=...=3&ac=1688

Cheers.

Kathie Oct 26th, 2007 08:19 PM

TravelTwaddle, I thought the new Hilton was connected to the train station?

Nonetheless, I think you'd be better off in the Bukit Bintang area. It's a short and inexpensive cab ride.

christo Oct 26th, 2007 08:26 PM

Thanks TT.

I am surprised about Hilton and Le Meridien being a long walk as they are advertised as being right by Sentral.

As for airport do you think taxi is the best option as we will be arriving at Low Cost Terminal. It seems it is not served by the Expres train and is far from KLIA.

Christo

JamesA Oct 27th, 2007 01:46 AM

If there are 2 of you getting a taxi is a reasonable option costwise, then stay in whichever area of KL you wish. Even for 1 it's not expensive. Though the train is 'fast' at Rm 35 each way per person ....

All thre low cost terminal options are here:

http://www.klia.com.my/LCCTerminal/L...-terminal.html

JamesA Oct 27th, 2007 01:48 AM

Christo, look at the message Taxi vs train, has lots of details there.

TravelTwiddle Oct 28th, 2007 07:11 PM

Kathie and Christo,

Names can be deceiving. There are two Hiltons in KL. The one near Sentral is a wannabe, locals call PJ Hilton. PJ stands for "Petaling Jaya". There's another KL Hilton, the real one (associated with US Hilton), right next to Sultan Ismail city rail station and it's near Bukit Bintang shopping hub.

Still, PJ Hilton is pretty posh, 5 star, but you'll pop some leg tendons walking there. It's roughly 4-5km of open bare Federal Highway from Sentral to PJ Hilton.

Is KL Hilton going to sue PJ Hilton? I guess not. PJ Hilton's logo is blue and looks very different from KL Hilton. Not enough to claim as a "passing off" case.

I agree, spend a wee bit more on taxi and stay at Jalan Sultan Ismail or Bukit Bintang area.

Arriving at LCCT, I think it's best to take a direct taxi your hotel. Saves you the trouble and fare to Sentral en route hotel.

Kathie Oct 28th, 2007 07:14 PM

Travel Twaddle, Thanks so much for that info. I was in KL right before the "Hilton" was opening. The buzz was that it was connected to Sentral and that was to be very modern and posh. I guess one of the pieces of info was right, one was wrong.

MichaelBKK Oct 28th, 2007 09:09 PM

I believe TravelTwiddle is wrong. The PJ Hilton is in PJ, which is no where near Sentral. The PJ dates from when there was "Hilton International" which was different from Hilton hotels in the US. The two separate groups were re-joined last year, and many hotels left the Hilton brand because they didn't want to come up to standard.

The Hilton and Le Meridien at Sentral are by most accounts quite posh and definitely 5 star.

That said, I agree with the comments that staying near Sentral to avoid using a taxi is flawed logic. You'll end up having to take a taxi everywhere else, since there's not much around Sentral. If you're traveling light, you can use the LRT or monorail instead of a taxi.

TravelTwiddle Oct 29th, 2007 07:22 AM

Micheal, I did mentioned that PJ stands for "Petaling Jaya" and that one will pop some tendons walking there - meaning walking from Sentral is not possible, it's too far.

Ah, but I missed out the Hilton right next to Le Meridien. Sorry, if my writing caused any confusion.

christo Oct 31st, 2007 08:13 PM

Thanks - I guess!

So it seems that the consensus is that there is some sort of Hilton and Le Meridien at or at least near to Sentral but that it does not make sense to stay there because nothing is nearby therefore necessitating the use of a taxi to access anything.

Anyways I do appreciate the input as it does help. In the meantime and after having considered the information I have decided to stay closer to the airport this night at the Jawadene B&B. They offer an airport pickup service too. I will let you know what it is like with a trip report next spring.

Also on this trip I will stay at the Swiss Garden and Traders as our itinerary brings us in and out of KL several times over the winter. We will come in from Sing after Philippines, go to Cameron Highlands, Langkawi, then Thailand, back to see Taman Negara, then KL to Macau, to Hong Kong, to London,to Madeira, then back home to Canada!
Got to get away from the cold and snow !

Christo





Cilla_Tey Oct 31st, 2007 10:16 PM

If there are 2 of you then it's better to get a taxi from the counter after you exit customs on the right (before you see the throng outside, don't go for the "pirate" taxis outside) Only problem with that is if you hit peak hour traffic in the CBD. If you still prefer the train then the Mandarin Oriental in KLCC is the easiest if you don't have a lot of luggage. At Sentral (after some walking) you hop onto an MRT line to get you to KLCC, MO is part of the complex where the Twin Towers are. If I travel alone and am staying in the Ritz or Marriott etc, then I use the VIP Express service. They'll be there waiting with your name before baggage claim, porters will help you with your bag to the trains and accompany you to Sentral. At Sentral your Mercedes Benz will be waiting to take you to the hotel, quite seamless.

https://www.vipservice.com.my/


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