HOTEL REVIEW - NIKKO KUALA LUMPUR

HOTEL REVIEW - NIKKO KUALA LUMPUR

A FINE DIMENSION IN LUXURY AND ELEGANCE

Thanks to the graciousness of Hotel Nikko Kuala Lumpur’s Director of Communications Ms Kattie Hoo and Communications Executive Ms Jamie Tan, Photographer Veronica and myself got an opportunity to sample the 5 star business class hotel’s tradition of exemplary service amidst the cityscape of vibrant Kuala Lumpur.

images by Veronica Ng and Nikko Hotel

Located along Jalan Ampang, at the heart of Kuala Lumpur’s Golden Triangle, the 30 storey high building is a portal to the commercial, social and cultural hub of Kuala Lumpur, as the business, shopping and entertainment centers are just a walk away from the Hotel. Its greatest strategic advantage is the proximity to the newly opened Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, which is a short walk away. The Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre is the country’s most technologically advanced, purpose-built convention and exhibition facility.

The Hotel’s 473 spacious guest rooms are luxuriously furnished with a range of deluxe amenities – including fully stocked mini bar, refrigerator, tea & coffee making facility, plasma TVs with news & movie channels, IDD telephones, personal safe deposit box, steam iron & ironing board and hair dryer.

Hotel Nikko Kuala Lumpur also provides plug and play high-speed Internet access (6 Mbps) in which guests can enjoy wireless Internet connectivity in selected area such Main Lobby area, Nikko Lounge (26^th Floor) and Function Rooms foyer on Level 1 and Level 2.

We were given our own individual rooms at the hotel’s exclusive Executive Floor, where we got a sample of their pampering with an express check-in. To cater to the needs of business travellers, the Hotel’s Executive Floor located from Level 24 to 30 offers impeccable standards of service and comfort.

Executive Floor guests enjoy exclusive access to the Executive Nikko Lounge on Level 26, attentively staffed by the Floor Manager and his team. The exclusive and comfortable lounge serves complimentary breakfast and cocktails, in addition to the availability of local and international newspapers and magazines for guests’ reading pleasure.

The highly professional facilities also provide wireless high speed Internet access for guest’s convenience. Guests can also entertain clients or conduct small meetings at this private and cozy lounge.

The Business Centre on Lobby Level offers complete secretarial services ranging from typing, faxing, high-speed Internet access and e-mail, rental of office equipment as well as hiring interpreters.

Recreation facilities include a spacious swimming pool amidst greenery and tropical landscape and those in needs for a good workout can sweat it out at the Fitness Centre. Located on the 5^th floor, both the pool and the Fitness Centre are open for all room guests.

Food and beverage facilities include the award winning Japanese and Chinese restaurants. Benkay Japanese Restaurant, voted as the Best Japanese Cuisine Restaurant in 2001 / 2002 by World Asia Media. Benkay Japanese Restaurant is named after a historic Japanese warrior who was strong, courageous and loyal during the war period in Japan.

The restaurant can easily accommodate up to 140 guests and is opens daily for lunch and dinner, offering diners an extensive a-la-carte menu as well as set lunches. Freshness and quality is assured in this restaurant as most of the ingredients used are air-flown from Japan twice weekly.

The restaurant has a Teppanyaki room that can comfortable accommodates up to 10 people, a Sushi Bar for 10 people and five private dining rooms (Ran, Kiku, Fuji, Haji and Tsubaki with a seat capacity of six to twelve) including two Tatami rooms. The restaurant is open daily for lunch and dinner from 12.00 noon to 2.30 p.m. and 6.30 p.m. to 10.30 p.m.

Authentic Chinese cuisine and dim sum luncheons are the trademarks of Toh Lee Chinese Restaurant, voted as the Best Chinese Cuisine Restaurant 1998/99 by Tourism Malaysia. Toh Lee Chinese Restaurant is named after a peach tree originated from China. It has a delicate pale pink April flower blooms in masses of solitary stems. “Toh Lee” also known as the “Good Luck Peach”, is a symbol of prosperity as seen in the selection of food served. Toh Lee offers a variety of Beijing and Sichuan cuisine with a touch of fusion.

Located at Level 1 of the Hotel, the restaurant is vibrantly fitted with furnishings and fittings in rich red and gold. Besides the main dining, Toh Lee has six private rooms, Mui Fah, Sui Sin, Cheng Lin, Hai Tong, Pak Hup and Toh Fah. Total seating capacity of the restaurant is 208 with private rooms easily accommodating 12 to 14 persons each. Toh Lee Chinese Restaurant is open for lunch every Monday to Friday from 12.00 noon to 2.30 pm, Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays 11.00 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. and nightly for dinner from 6.30 p.m. to 10.30 p.m.

Café Serena Brasserie, located at the Lobby Level offers a panoramic view of the Lobby waterfall and lush garden landscape beyond its floor-to-ceiling glass windows. With a truly relaxing and calm ambience, it is the perfect place to enjoy a leisure breakfast, lunch and dinner featuring the most lavish buffet spread of international choices, Japanese specialties and all-time local favourites.

Buffet Breakfast is available daily from 6.00 a.m. till 10.30 a.m. while buffet lunch is from Monday to Friday, 12.00 noon to 2.30 p.m. Buffet Dinner is available from 7.00 p.m. to 10.30 p.m. nightly while on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, Buffet hi- tea is served from 12.00 noon to 4.00 pm. Besides the extensive buffet spreads, a-la-carte menu is also available.

Located at the Lobby Level is the Lobby Lounge which offers guests a refreshing respite from the day’s activities. The Lobby Lounge is fringe by a tropical garden and a lovely waterfall. Open daily from 10.00 a.m. to 1.00 a.m., the lounge with a seating capacity of 124 people offers a wide variety variety of beverages, snacks, afternoon tea and a fine range of cigars.

For quick snacks, The Deli located opposite the Lobby Lounge offers fabulous selection of fresh pastries, homemade breads, sandwiches, mouth-watering cakes, pralines as well as hot and cold beverages. The Deli is open daily from 10.00 am to 8.00 pm. From 6.00 pm every evening, diners can enjoy a 50% discount on all freshly-baked items.

Serving mouth-watering snacks and the best quality wines and beverages is the Bentley’s Pub. Located on Level 1, this elegant English pub offers 50% discount during happy hours (4.00 p.m. to 8.00 p.m.) daily. Bentley’s Pub opens from Monday to Friday from 4.00 p.m. to 12.00 midnight, and closed on weekends and Public Holidays.

The Hotel’s meeting and banquet facilities provide the perfect venue for any events. The pillarless Grand Ballroom with a spacious foyer can accommodate up to 1300 guests for a theatre style set-up and 800 for a formal dinner. The Junior Ballroom has a capacity of 180 guests for a buffet set-up and 230 for a formal dinner.

In addition, there are also eight function rooms for meetings and seminars, which accommodates 30 to 70 people each. All the meeting rooms are equipped with complete conference facilities. In addition, some of the function rooms can be combined into two to accommodate a maximum of 100 guests for a buffet set-up.

An airport limousine transfer from Kuala Lumpur International Airport to the hotel will cost around RM240.00 (one way). Traveling to the city from the hotel is very convenient as the Light Rail Transit (LRT) Station is located next to the Hotel. In addition taxis and limousine transfers are also available from the Hotel.

Just 10 minutes walk from the hotel is one of the tallest buildings in the world, The Petronas Twin Towers. This 88 storey building located in Kuala Lumpur City Centre also hosts a lush park with excellent landscape. For leisure travellers, the new Aquaria at KLCC, an international aquarium with 5000 varieties of tropical fishes, offering a unique underwater ‘edutainment’ experience will be a sight to behold.

Shopping facilities around the hotel include Ampang Park Shopping Centre, Suria KLCC, Bukit Bintang Plaza, Star Hill, Lot 10 and many more. Complimentary hourly shuttle service is also available from the hotel to Bintang Walk and KLCC for the convenience of our guests.

The Hotel has picked up no less than 14 industry and hospitality awards for their impeccable service and their excellent Food and Beverage and ancillary facilities, and after a stay there we can confidently say that these awards are duly justified.

Frigglive gives Hotel Nikko Kuala Lumpur two thumbs up. Highly recommended for their particular brand of guest pampering.