Kuala Lumpur is a city that’s always changing. New shopping complexes pop up every few years. Hotels are always revamping, re-branding and reopening, so most hotels only last a couple of years before a massive renovation.
There is a large selection of beautiful hotels in Kuala Lumpur. The Mandarin Oriental has always been a staple and stayed consistent. The St. Regis is one of the new kids on the block. It’s ornate and quite spectacular looking. I was tempted to try it. But I chose an old favorite, the Shangri-La. I was not disappointed.
The Shangri-La has the same feel as all of their properties, so once inside you could be in Kowloon or Bangkok. It has a charm that is uniquely Shangri-La. And that’s hard to achieve for any hotel chain.
The lobby is grand and live music plays throughout it in the evening. One level up is one of the best Japanese restaurants in town and also the Horizon Club, which is Shangri-La’s club level.
The Horizon Club offers a breakfast which has every offering from buffet to a la carte eggs, tea time snacks and cocktails with canapés in the early evening.
There is a fabulous outdoor pool which is needed in this climate and a health club.
The rooms are traditionally Shangri-La style. I had a beautiful suite with a large marble bathroom and plenty of space.
The Shangri-La is located in a central location and it’s walking distance to the KLCC towers. It is also close to Chinatown which has a great market and the property is a short drive to most of what the city offers.
Malaysia has a great food scene. It’s a mix of three cultures. Malay, Chinese and Indian, so you can imagine the variety.
Malaysians have a wonderful charm when it comes to hospitality and you will always feel most welcome.
If you can choose one restaurant on in the city let it be Unique Seafood. This really is one of the best dining experiences I’ve ever had in my life. Being a seafood lover it doesn’t get better than this. The restaurant is full of tanks with live fishes and seafood from all over the world such as imported oysters from New Zealand, shrimp from Thailand, lobster from Maine and fish I have never even heard the names of before.
You can have private rooms with Karaoke or sit in the main dining hall. They cook the seafood in many different ways and it is an experience you can rarely find in any city of the world. The closest I have seen is Aberdeen in Hong Kong but this is far superior to that.
All-in-all I really like Kuala Lumpur and I always enjoy the Shangri-La.
Daniel Green, the Model Cook is a Celebrity Chef known for his healthy approach to food and living well. With TV, books, magazines and live appearances, Daniel spends his time helping fans to cook better, feel better and live better. He’s also an avid traveler and a self-confessed Foodie.
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