The Royale Bintang Hotel Kuala Lumpur

I stayed in this hotel twice, once in November 2003 and again in November 2005. The first time this was still a Novotel but that changed in 2004.

I booked this hotel myself after finding information on the internet. Emails were sent and responded to quickly and transport (limousine service which is basically a luxury taxi) from the airport to the hotel was arranged through the hotel. Unfortunately when we got to the airport the limousine wasn't there and after calling the hotel we heard there had been a mix-up. We ended up arranging the transport ourselves but were re-imbursed by the hotel.
We had booked a normal hotel room for ourselves and our 15 month old daughter, but to make up for the problem with the limousine we were upgraded to a junior suite. This consisted of a small room with a single bed through which you could walk to the double room with bar fridge and coffee & tea making facilities and a luxury bathroom. The room had a beautiful view of the Petronas Twin Towers.
Breakfast was wonderful, all you can eat buffet with Malay and Western Dishes. There's one catch though: the food that you don't eat will be weighed and if it's over a certain weight you will be charged for it. A good idea to reduce wastage!
We also enjoyed the hotel pool very much which is situated on the third floor in the central open area. Because the hotel is built around it it is shaded and quite cool for most of the day.
The hotel is situated close to the city centre and you can walk safely to several tourist attractions. Or if you prefer, you can get a taxi (not so safe!) at a reasonable price. We also made use of the on-site tourist information office and boked a tour to the Batu Caves. We had a wonderful three day stay here in 2003.

When we returned in 2005 we were bringing our two daughters so we had decided to book the junior suite this time. But lo and behold, we had similar problems with the booked limousine service and were upgraded again, to an executive suite this time! This room consisted of a large sittingroom with desk and high speed internet, a large bedroom with second tv, luxury bathroom and guest (?) toilet. We had another great few days in the hotel and would definitely go again if we get the chance to return to Kuala Lumpur!

Situated strategically in the heart of Bukit Bintang, Royale Bintang Hotel is very accessible to various malls like The Pavilion, Lot 10, Metrojaya Times Square, Sg Wang Plaza, BB Plaza, etc.

That's enough shopping to make you drop! Ok, I digress. Beds are soft and comfy, rooms are neat and clean upon entering, bathrooms are spacious enough.

My only complain was the loose showerhead. It was a chore making sure the showerhead didnt fly off the hook everytime I turned it on. On the 2nd night, the showerhead dropped on my toe and cracked my nail. Ouch? Called for housekeeping to get the showerhead fixed when I was out after that. Prompt service! :)

Room service was prompt and food was just average. Could probably find better eats along the streets nearby the hotel though.

Didn't get to try the complimentary breakfast buffet because we drank everynight in the hotel that we only got up a little before noon everyday!

Just across the road from the hotel is a small store serving Wanton(Dumpling) Noodles and some other food. Heard that they're well known for their Wanton noodles so I had to try it. Pretty tasty and unique, different from the ones we get in HK or Singapore.

Also try their 'Teh C Special' (Milk Tea Special) from the same stall. The 'special' ingredient I'm guessing is Liquid Gula Melaka (Malaysian Brown Sugar) at the bottom of the drink. Loved the sweetness! :)

Hotel is also located near the Monorail station. Just a 5min walk brings us anywhere we want!

The hotel is located at the edge of a mayor shopping street. It provides a good concierge service which is convenient for tourist. A pool and fitness center are at the disposal of guests. The breakfast is excellent. The rooms are nicely decorated, but particular the bathroom has lost its shine over time. It may be opportunistic to check whether there are recently redecorated rooms available.
If you want to visit the city, the hop-on hop-off bus service is a good way to do that. The concierge can provide a map with stops.