In review : the Epic & Enchanting W Kuala Lumpur

Visiting Kuala Lumpur

I have just come back from my first visit to Malaysia. I started this incredible Asian journey in Kuala Lumpur. It will not come as a surprise to you that I chose to stay in the superb W Kuala Lumpur hotel, for the first part, which was full of cultural discoveries, design and fun.

Prime Location

This chain of hotels, which I particularly like as I have stayed in many of them, like the W South Beach, W Maldives, W Amsterdam, W San Francisco, W Barcelona and W The Palm in Dubai, is well known for its trendy and relaxed atmosphere and its ultra-design signature, always specific to each place.

In my opinion, Kuala Lumpur is a boundless and undeniable mix of new and old, colours and sounds, a festival for the senses!

The W Kuala Lumpur is perfectly set in this dynamic, positioning itself at the cutting edge of Design, Fashion, Music and the energy emanating from the city, therefore offering a totally unique experience to its clientele.

Having spent a most enjoyable city break there, I will describe my favourite aspects and experiences

The entrance of the building is incredible! The W sculpture majestically welcomes us in the lobby and the luxurious and surrounding vegetation puts us at the heart of a city oasis; a shady and cool retreat during the day, it becomes a pleasant shelter in the evening.

The Artsy Lobby

As we enter the Lobby, situated on the ground floor, we immediately feel this transcendent and incredible energy flowing through a design that is both contemporary and dotted with traditional elements (wood items and batik motifs). We cannot miss the superb bamboo lighting above the reception desk!

If you look up, a pixelated ceiling blends seamlessly with the walls, lit with ever changing colourful led lights. It is truly magical

In the centre of the lobby you will find a gigantic sculptural sofa, and opposite the lifts stands a masterpiece of the iconic W, created especially for the W Kuala Lumpur by the French artist Hert. I was totally mesmerised by these two monuments and I could not resist the temptation to commit them to memory

The Welcome Desk

Let’s move to the 8th floor where the Welcome Desk is a pure joy to the eyes!

Here are some elements that particularly caught my attention:

• Impressive LED panels resembling rain drops hang from the ceiling;
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• Motifs on the rugs and on the ceiling look like ripples on the water;
• Chandeliers hang from the ceiling reminding us of a spinning top, a traditional Malaysian game;
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• My crush in this space was the Whatever/Whenever desk, above which is suspended an incredible pink fluorescent artwork; simply sublime!
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Dining at W Kuala Lumpur

As I like to sample some of the food and experience new flavours, I tested the restaurants of the W Kuala Lumpur, which, in my view, perfectly combine design, trendy atmosphere and excellent food.

I will start with the ‘Flock’ restaurant. The modern Australian cuisine served there wants to adhere to a movement of sustainable gastronomy with its audacious and organic products. We enjoyed some delicious dishes there

It is decorated with many, but subtle, light suspensions giving a feeling of intimate space, mixed with a cheerful touch, given by an alignment of colourful bread baskets on the shelves.

The second restaurant, where I also had a very enjoyable evening, is the ‘Yen’, situated on the eleventh floor of the building. In this incredible space with a very imperial feel, this restaurant offers Cantonese cuisine with revisited traditional recipes, as well as a large selection of seafood. I particularly liked the delicious Chinese tea!

Epic Accommodations

The bedroom we stayed in was from the ‘Spectacular’ category, one of the many offered by the W Kuala Lumpur.

It was spacious, with cutting edge technology and cleverly arranged with an incredible view over the Petronas Twin Towers

Confluence is the word I would use to describe its decoration. Here are some elements that I would like to highlight:

• The suspension lights on one side of the bed, a signature design item, represent one of the Malaysian national symbols of the kite called ‘wau’;
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• Two beautiful cushions, shaped like yam leaves and called ‘leaves of joy’ are delicately placed on the bed;
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• The dots on the rugs and walls reflect the concept of confluence:
• The discrete batik motifs on the headboard in their neon tints give a colourful and cheerful feel to the place.

This is a perfect and successful design for me, mixing local and ultra-contemporary styles!

Amazing Pool

Now for the pool, situated on the 12th floor of the W Kuala Lumpur, where we enjoyed some very pleasant moments, day and night!

It is beautifully arranged and constitutes an ideal spot to catch some sun or dance to the rhythm of the resident DJs’ tunes

The views from there are just breath-taking: on the iconic Petronas Twin Towers and on the tree tops of the town. We could look at them forever!!

The design is an ode to nature, with rustic rattan furniture and large light suspensions above the bar area, which look like birds’ nests.

At the end of the day, this vibrant and colourful place turns into a trendy rooftop with festive atmosphere

Our Spa Treatments

Towards the end of my stay, I wanted to make of most of a little relaxing time in the Away Spa of the W Kuala Lumpur, as I like to do during each of my trips.

An ideal place to recharge your batteries, the Away Spa is decorated with harmony, serene lines and wooden features throughout. Five rooms are available for guests to fully indulge in made-to-measure treatments. My daughter, who was with me, and myself have fond memories of our treatments in a room just for us

I really had an enchanting stay at the W Kuala Lumpur; this place is a real gem

I must highlight the kindness and professionalism of all the staff, the reception attendant, who organised our cultural visits (Batu caves, Petronas Towers, etc.), the staff at the different restaurants and at the sublime pool.

Finally, I would say that the W Kuala Lumpur is for those who want a well designed, trendy and relaxed oasis in the middle of the vibrant and amazing city of Kuala Lumpur.