Traveling in high season (August). Would like to be within walking distance of food hawkers and restaurants, so I'm thinking that's the Jalan Alor area, correct? I've read TripAdvisor reviews for many of the mid-range ($80 or less including taxes) hotels, and they are scary! Can anyone give us a suggestion? We don't need fancy, but clean and convenient are necessary.

August is high season in KL? That's news to me.

Anyway, my recommendations for mid-range hotels close to everything are: Dorsett Regency, Equatorial and the Federal.

I was looking for the same thing as the OP. Michael, the rates do go up in August at some of these hotels - I don't know why. Anyway, the Federal does have some questionable reviews, and the others you mention are running $100+ per night. Do you have a suggestion where the OP and me might find the rates that you were figuring on?

Swiss Garden should be around US$80, Alpha Genesis, street food nearby about US$65 ( some say breakfast not so good but for $60 range ). Dorset Regency I don't know but as Michael mentioned I looked on where we use and around $90-95. Equatorial and Federal I used too many years ago but they appear to remain popular.
I would not take Trip/A reviews too much, they are just a very small number in terms of % of people who stay, I read some pretty strange comments and often seems people simply had the wrong expectations.
If you are paying around $65 a night for something like Alpha don't raise your expectations too high and you should be fine.

Yes, Jalan Alor is the place to go for street food. Do check out Changkat Bukit Bintang nearby, just 10 mins walk away, for interesting restaurants like Frangipani, The Magnificent Fish and Chips Bar, The Green Man, Yoko's, Dusha ... I better stop; thinking about them adds calories to my brain.

RM80 for high season August IS scary. Be safe. Look for something that makes better sense.

US dollars 80. Which equals RM 256. (You are quite right - RM80 would indeed be scary for a hotel room!)

One of the top hotels in KL on Tripadvisor is Trader's part of Shangri La. You can get rooms at 60 USD per night there. Ok it is not in walking distance of all the Hawkers, but it has a fab lunch buffet all you can eat with Tempura and Sushi for 50rm plus tax. Also it has the Sky Bar on top for great views of KL but the cocktails are not fab. I live in KL and friends have stayed at Traders and highly recommended it. Never negotiate with taxi drivers here, if they will not use the meter do not get in. They can be rotten. No fare should be more than 10RM unless you are in a modern hotel taxi/suv

JSP - where you can book Traders for $60 USD per night? That would be a wonderful deal!