Kuala Lumpur Travel Guide

JW Marriott Kuala Lumpur (bob|P-&-S, CC-BY-2.0)

1. Seasons View Hotel
2. Empire Hotel
3. Chill Inn
4. Bintang Garden Hotel
5. Hotel Zodiac
6. Hotel Blue Sky
7. Tang City Hotel
8. Cardogan Hotel
9. Nan Yeang Hotel
10. Monkey Inn Hostel
11. Swiss Inn
12. The 5 Elements Hotel
13. Garden City Hotel
14. Citin Hotel
15. Frenz Hotel
16. Hotel Nobel
17. Winsin Hotel
18. Palace Hotel
19. Macktz Comfort Inn
20. Dragon Inn
21. Traders Hotel
22. Hilton Kuala Lumpur
23. Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur
24. The Gardens Hotel
25. Federal Hotel
26. Ancasa Hotel
27. Pullman Putrajaya Lakeside

Hotels are sprouting out like mushrooms all over Kuala Lumpur, and for good reason too - after all, it is one of the most vibrant and exciting cities in Southeast Asia.

Rooms listed in this guide are categorized according to rates. A budget hotel is anything that charges between RM20-RM100; midrange RM100-RM300; top end RM300-RM900; luxury RM900 onwards.

Here's the breakdown:

a) You can expect all rooms in all price brackets, dorms excluded, to be air-conditioned and come with towels. Top-end and some midrange hotels will provide body soap and shampoo, but if you're paying less than RM100, buy your own.

b) Rates are always higher when you check-in on weekends, but this doesn't apply to four and five star establishments, for whom rates remain consistent.

c) Speaking of five star, it is best to book online for such hotels because the discounts can be jaw-dropping.

d) Always ask to see the room first, and if possible, more than one because they are not all of the same size even though they fall in the same per-night price bracket.

e) If you're staying for more than 5 or 6 days at a budget hotel, you can try sweet-talking your way into a discount (it has happened before).

f) Unless you are staying in a rat-ridden alley, any hotel within Kuala Lumpur center is a "strategically located" establishment because there are things to see and places to party almost everywhere (the latter doesn't apply to the Masjid Jamek area).

Most visitors who take the KLIA Express to reach KL Sentral from the airport just check-in at the Hilton or Le Meridien, especially if they followed (c) above. For others, the journey continues to the shopping and entertainment district of Golden Triangle, which is comprised of KLCC and Bukit Bintang. This is where hotels of the mid-range and top-end variety congregate. Federal Hotel, Traders Hotel, The Gardens Hotel and tons of others are all here. For the rest seeking budget accommodation, most head to Tunku Abdul Rahman/Chow Kit area, informally known as Little India and Chinatown, where most low budget and lower midrange hotels are situated.

Seasons View Hotel

Along food-stret Jalan Alor in Buit Bintang, Seasons View has a truly strategic location

Plenty of hotels boast having a strategic location, and while they are not incorrect, there are a handful of hotels that truly have a more bang-on location than others. Seasons View Hotel, along the famous Jalan Alor, is one of these. In addition to continental Asia's street food lined up right at its doorstep, shopping malls (Lot 10, Berjaya Times Square, Bukit Bintang Plaza) are mere minutes away. For those looking to escape the human traffic, Jalan Alor is also a residential area so it is home to many tiny, hidden gardens that are perfect for strolling through or having a non-intrusive picnic.

Rooms at Seasons View are clean and simple, if not charmingly old-fashioned, and come with an attached bathroom with hot water, air-conditioning, safety deposit box, cable television and coffee making facilities. Rates per night are RM92 for a single bed, RM110 for double and RM165 for deluxe.

Empire Hotel

Cheap but surprisingly decent for its price, Hotel Empire in Little India is one of the better budget options

One of the better budget options in Kuala Lumpur's Little India, also known as Masjid India, is Empire Hotel, which offers single and double beds for RM50 per night. All rooms are air-conditioned and come with attached bathrooms. The rooms are a tad small but otherwise clean and simply furnished. Street noise might be an issue for budget travelers who are considering Empire Hotel, but bear in mind that you'll be hard pressed to find accommodation as inexpensive as this - with the exception of dormitories, of course. Staff is friendly and speak good English, and will assist you with your travel plans. All in all, a good value-for-money hotel!

Chill Inn

Chill Inn is one of the better sleeping options in Chinatown

Chill Inn, one of the better sleeping options in Chinatown, provides mid-range rooms at budget prices. Location is pretty bang-on, too, with Masjid India, Petaling Street, Central Market and KL Tower less than 10 minutes walking distance away. Backpackers should note that the hotel provides male and female dorms from RM20. Double rooms (no singles here) come with cable channels and are chic-looking, cast in reds, whites and grays. Not all rooms have the same size, so ask to see a few before making your decision. The only real problem at Chill Inn is if you get a room with a window, traffic noise levels can reach unbearable heights in the evenings and mornings. Otherwise, this hotel satisfies the 3 Cs: clean, cozy and comfortable.

Bintang Garden Hotel

Bintang Garden Hotel at Jalan Bukit Bintang offers modern comforts at budget prices

The strategically-located Bintang Garden Hotel provides modern comforts at budget prices, making it great value for money for budget travelers. While a tad small, all rooms are nevertheless equipped with air-conditioning, cable television, free wifi and attached bath with hot and cold water. Booking rates on the website are about RM20 lower than walk-in rates. RM100 will get you a simply furnished room enough for two non-fussy travelers. Of course, it is possible to get cheaper rooms in KL but prices for everything - especially hotels - in the Bukit Bintang area are higher than usual because it is a commercial district.

Nearby attractions include Jalan Alor and shopping malls such as Bukit Bintang Plaza, Sungei Wang Plaza and Lot 10.

Hotel Zodiac

Hotel Zodiac in Bukit Bintang has small rooms but a fantastic location

Hotel Zodiac is a self-confessed budget hotel in Bukit Bintang and one of the first few you're likely to notice when walking from the direction of Pudu Raya. However, as budget hotels on this starry hill go, rates closely brush the midrange bracket. As such, the cheapest room at Hotel Zodiac costs RM98 per weekday night and RM120 on weekends and public holidays. Perhaps not the best accommodation for the solitary traveler but a good bargain for traveling families. All rooms come air-conditioned with an attached bathroom and the entire hotel is fully secured with CCTV surveillance. Other mod cons include free wifi and television. Rooms are small and sometimes windowless so, as usual, as to see a few before making your decision. Reception staff speak poor English so it would be helpful to know a few key phrases in Malay.

As Hotel Zodiac is situated along the main road in Bukit Bintang, popular malls such as Low Yat Plaza, Bukit Bintang Plaza, Sungei Wang Plaza and Lot 10 just a few minutes' walk away. Moreover, the famous hawker food street, Jalan Alor, is just behind the establishment.

Hotel Zodiac's rates are as follows (prices in brackets apply during weekends and public holidays): Standard Queen & Twin RM98 (RM120); Superior Queen RM120 (RM130); Deluxe Family Room with windows RM125 (RM135).

Hotel Blue Sky

Hotel Blue Sky is simply furnished and very affordable at RM65 per night

Rooms at Hotel Blue Sky are simply furnished, carpeted, air-conditioned and clean with comparatively large bathrooms, given a price tag of RM65. Value for money is...